​The Grootvadersbosch area is well known for its extraordinary pockets of indigenous forest. The forest is found in sheltered kloofs and ravines in a landscape dominated by fynbos and renosterveld. The contrasting characteristics of the forest environment and its surrounding vegetation prevents certain creatures from moving in and out of the forest habitat. Creatures that rely heavily on forest habitat are thus bound to isolated forest patches.

When populations are separated they can, over exceptionally long time periods, genetically diverge into subspecies and then further into separate species all together. This is a mechanism of evolution and it takes place very slowly, but it is accelerated if the isolated populations face different, natural conditions, such as soil or climate.

As a result, a few species, unique to the Grootvadersbosch area, have already been discovered and it is possible that, with more research, other species may be discovered. We are already aware of several species that are only found in these forests and are relevantly recent discoveries. These species include; the Grootvadersbosch Dwarf Chameleon (Tolley, 2006), a species of dwarf mountain toad (Tolley, 2010), the Southern Ghost Frog, the Boosmans long-tailed forest shrew and the Western Forest-King Charaxes butterfly.

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The bushbuck (or Tragelaphus sylvaticus) was first described here on the Grootvadersbosch Estate in 1780 by Anders Sparrman. It makes sense that this was the first time it was described as Grootvadersbosch is the westerly most boundary of the bushbucks’ distribution in South Africa. Settlers in the Cape would therefore first have come across the animal here as they moved east along the coast. The next suitable habitat is around 200km away in the Knysna forests. The 200km stretch of unfavorable habitat between Grootvadersbosch and the Knysna forests could have isolated this small population of bushbuck from the populations further east. Areas north of Grootvadersbosch are far too dry for bushbuck to inhabit and thus this population of bushbuck, harbored by this small pocket of forest vegetation, could have been isolated from other populations. J. Moodie (2012) hypothesized that this isolation could be significant enough, over many hundreds of years, to bring about a genetic variation between the bushbuck of the Grootvadersbosch and other populations further east. He performed a small genetic study on the population (via foecal samples) and the results of his study suggest that the population is indeed genetically different from other bushbuck. The extent of this genetic differentiation would have to be uncovered through a more comprehensive analysis of the populations’ genetics but evidence thus far leans towards a conclusion that this population of bushbuck could be a subspecies of bushbuck.

In today’s environment where we are very quickly loosing genetic variation in our wild animals, the conservation of these bushbuck could be an important tool in maintaining a strong genetic stock in long-term conservation. Genetic variation is key to healthy populations because it is through genetic variation that animal populations survive adverse conditions and identifying and managing genetic differentiation is a vital tool in maintaining healthy animal populations- now and in the future. Our population of bushbuck could very well play a role in the species' genetic fitness.

​Our incredible forests have many secrets yet to be discovered. The nature of its isolation has given rise to its own unique collection of animal and plant species. If you are someone who is interested in finding new species, yet to be described, then the Grootvadersbosch forests are where you should start looking! Welcome to our small corner of magic.

The Silver Mountain Music Festival began on Strawberry Hill Farm and this year the festival is in a unique virtual format. We spoke to Aileen Anderson about how it all started and some of the "behind the scenes" stories.

WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND SILVER MOUNTAIN MUSIC AND THE CONNECTION TO STRAWBERRY HILL FARM?
​The whole concept of Silver Mountain Music Festival began at Strawberry Hill Farm. Our farm is owned by the Anderson family (connected to the long-standing Moodie family in the valley). Richard Cock has been a friend of our family for as long as I can remember. He suggested to my father that we should try to start a music festival on our farm. I thought that it was a promising idea but felt a bit overwhelmed by it all. I knew that if Richard were involved, the music would be exceptional but how would I match that with all the logistics: Stages; Toilets; Tickets; Marketing? And all of this on a remote farm in the mountains. For the first year, although we deliberately started small, it was still overwhelming, and I was a bit terrified. Yet, somehow, we pulled it off and people bought tickets and loved it! 

What do you think were some of the reasons for the success?​
I think it all comes down to the team and the fact that we are doing this for the love of music, nature, and the area. I remember Richard calling in the first year (when he could sense that I was a bit overwhelmed and trying not to show it) and said that he had this person called “Jo” who helps him with events. He said that “nothing phases her, and she’d help with all the arrangements.” My response was: “Challenge accepted, and I’ll definitely phase her.”  I was convinced that no one would be able to handle the madness of mud, music and all that goes with living in this remote valley. But Jo (from Jam Events) arrived, and Richard was correct. Nothing phased her. I later learned that she had worked in a trauma hospital on her journey to this career. It showed. There is no way that we would have pulled off that first festival without her. Jo has worked with a vast range of superstars from around the world, in some seriously impressive events, but she graciously worked with my inexperienced staff. We soon learnt that Jo knew a lot about this stuff and we asked her a lot of questions: “How do we best arrange the seats? Where should the stage go? How do we build the stage? Where should the toilets go? How many toilets do we need? How much wine do we need? How do we control ticket entry?” She worked with all of us without making us feel stupid as the rain poured down and the ticket numbers were not overly impressive, and I wondered why we had even bothered with all this work.

In addition to Jo, each member of the local team is exceptional: Ricardo, Andre, Danie, Twakkie, Linda, Edna, Rachel and Tienie. Then there are also all the amazing venues with their own teams with whom we work each year. My family gets involved too – with my mom and sister feeding all the musicians – which is a monumental task. We now also have an amazing wine sponsor, Sijnn, represented by the lovely Charla Bosman. We all work incredibly hard to prepare for this festival and somehow, we get it done. It is remarkable what a small, inexperienced group of people can pull off when they genuinely care for each other and the community around them. 

​In third year of the festival, Jo said that the other half of Jam Events was coming. Someone called, “Sam.” Jo would arrive a few days late because she needed to collect Sam from the airport. My team was a bit annoyed because now we would have less of Jo’s wisdom for all those tough questions. We sent a message saying that we really hope that Sam is worth a day less of Jo! And, she was… and more! Together, they make a truly remarkable team. They are quite different people, but they are amazing to work with – hard-working, professional and just incredible humans that never forget that (while this is a job) its way more than that. It is about bringing people together and celebrating what makes us human and what makes being South African special. We love the Jam Events team and how much they have given back to this valley. 

​Obviously, none of this festival would work without Richard Cock and his incredible talent and ability to bring together concerts that truly touch people’s heart. He really is an amazing person to work with. I have to admit, that over a few drinks at the end of the first festival, I chatted to some orchestra members about whether there was anyone else who comes close to Richard. It was unequivocal. Every musician to whom I spoke, said that he is unique, not just in his musical talent but in his ability to engage with an audience. Over the years, I have had the privilege of witnessing this respect that Richard has earned. He has an incredible knowledge of music and how to play it, coordinate it and bring people together around it. There were years when we thought that a concert would be a complete disaster, but he was able to turn it around to a success – a rare and special talent. Thank you, Richard, for giving so generously of yourself and your unique talent.   

What is the most enjoyable thing about the festival?
I have been privileged to meet some remarkable South Africans who are taking the world by storm with their talent. I have little influence over the music programme as I trust the experts, but I do always ask two simple questions: “Are they lovely humans and can they handle mud?” To date, I do not think those two criteria have ever been overlooked. I have been immensely privileged to host an amazing array of super humans that are, not only exceptionally talented, but also embrace mud and a touch of madness. They have reduced their fees, hosted youth workshops and trudged marimbas through cow dung just to be part of the fun of this festival. I have loved working with all of them and thank them for their support. We also have a growing support base of people who return to the festival each year and it’s so lovely to see the same faces back each year - people who truly understand what this festival is all about. 

​What is the least enjoyable thing about the festival?
Well, it really is a HUGE amount of work. We are a small team and I do most of the coordinating on the ground, with limited budget. Its pretty exhausting. It is not just the music, but we do a whole host of talks and walks at different venues and there are so many tiny details that go into it. I remember talking to someone else who organises a festival with way fewer activities than we pull together and she said that her event is basically a full-time job. I almost choked on my wine! We organise this all on top of a few other full-time jobs. With a small team, it is a massive undertaking, but we all love the outcome and maybe one day it will cover its costs.

How did the virtual festival come about?
I guess it was another one of my crazy ideas that usually hits me on a run in the mountains or a swim in my dam. At the start of lockdown, I had been reflecting on how many people have been impacted by Covid-19. I thought of all the artists, photographers, and associated support crew that had no work. I also thought of how historic all of this was and how we need to try capture the experience and the emotion of it all. I was going through a tough time, personally, and perhaps the distraction of a project like this helped a bit. I had been working with Jacques Marais on a few other projects and the idea sort of clicked with him too. As a farm boy from the Eastern Cape with a remarkable photographic talent, I knew he would be the best conduit for the story.  During lockdown 5, Jacques and I spent a lot of time discussing via email, WhatsApp and bad telephone connections, how to capture this story. There were times when I almost abandoned the project but I am glad that I did not. We somehow needed to tell the story of rural areas and that through the deep pain, sadness and fear, there was also resilience.

​The idea of telling the covid-19 story in our valley then sort of morphed into trying to capture a bit of silver mountain music in a virtual festival. We had lots of amazing musicians who were only too happy to share some of their experiences in our valley and its been amazing to hear their memories. I hope this virtual festival captures a bit of that story and that next year everyone will be back (in the flesh!) to celebrate year six of the Silver Mountain Music Festival.

Here at Strawberry Hill Farm we have started to use trail cameras. Trail cameras are remotely activated cameras that take photographs when a motion sensor is triggered. When an animal passes by the camera the cameras sensor will be triggered and the camera will take three photographs in series to ensure a good image. Using a trail camera is a way to photograph game without a human presence. This means that you can capture photographs of passing animals that would usually shy away from a human presence and thus the camera captures naturally occurring animal movement and behavior. The camera is also active 24/7 so you can be assured it won’t miss any action!
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Camera trapping is a great way to monitor species richness, estimate population densities of an area or just to find out what great animals are wandering around. We have put up trail cameras to observe what species inhabit our farm and as a way to roughly monitor population sizes of certain species, like our bush buck. We have even discovered particular routes individual animals take by seeing what time and order the animal appears at each camera trap site. We have also seen signs of leopard on our property and would love to get a picture of this beautiful creature as we know that it is lurking around!

We are new to the game of camera trapping but we have derived some useful tips for you from what we have learned so far:
1. Camera trap batteries can last a very long time as the cameras are very power efficient. We found that the limiting factor is usually the size of the memory card. So be sure to use a large enough memory card as these cameras can take a lot of photographs especially when you get unlucky with a blade of grass! Which brings us to the next point…..
2. Clear the immediate area in front of the trail camera that is being observed by the camera. Clear anything that can sway or fidget in the wind, especially in open spaces where wind can be a real factor. Even one blade of grass swaying in the wind can trigger the motion sensor and the camera will take too many photographs of this piece of moving foliage. These cameras could be left out for up to two or more months! That’s a lot of pictures of grass to go through! And if the memory card gets filled up after just a few days then the camera trap could be standing dormant and not capturing animals for over a month!
3. Place the camera on an established game path or an area where you suspect animal activity, identified by spoor or droppings. Not surprisingly, animals like humans prefer to use a trail. If it is placed randomly in the forest you may end up only capturing the odd field mouse.
4. Place the camera at around hip height. Depending on where you live, this height will capture most animals. Lager animals like bush buck will fit into the field of view but the camera can also capture smaller animals that scurry closer to the ground like civets, genets and even otters.
5. It’s not a bad idea to check the cameras often. We find that our very curious baboons take an interest in these cameras and can shift the camera view during their investigations.
6. Although these cameras are fairly weather resistant we place silica gel bags (the small packets of beads you find in new running shoes) into the battery compartment. These silica gel bags are designed to absorb moisture and ensure our cameras stay dry on the inside no matter the weather.
7. Rechargeable batteries. Trail cameras almost all use AA (penlight) batteries. They either use 4 or 8 batteries at a time. (hint; even cameras that can take 8 batteries are designed to operate with only 4 but for shorter time periods). We have chosen to go rechargeable as if you have a number of cameras taking 8 AA batteries the expenditure on batteries can be considerable. Rechargeable batteries are more expensive but the investment soon pays off. Especially if, like us, your cameras are up most days of the year.
 

​Choosing your camera
Lastly we would like to talk about price tags and camera options. Trail cameras have historically been expensive pieces of tech but in recent times there are a greater number companies producing these cameras and prices have become more reasonable with a more competitive market place. The price of trail cameras starts from around R2500 (or less) for a basic camera and can reach quite exorbitant amounts for the top of the range cameras. So what is the differences between a cheaper camera and cameras with larger price tags? More expensive cameras come with more sophisticated features like being able to take a sim card and SMS pictures that are sent live to your cell phone. Some cameras also connect to Wi-Fi with long ranges and can be setup to link up with each other to further extend the range. These setups also allow the cameras to send live feed back to your laptop or cell phone device. These features aren’t really that necessary at all and we find that there are two specifications that really matter; the resolution of the photograph and the trigger speed. The resolution is of course the quality of the image measured in megapixels (MP) and can range from around as little as 2MP to over 20MP. We find that you need at least 5MP to get a reasonable image and anything larger than 8MP gives you a much sharper image. If you are looking for quality images don’t go less than 8MP.

The second important consideration is the trigger speed. The trigger speed is the camera's ability to reset after taking a photo to be ready to take the next one. Cheaper cameras typically have slower/longer trigger speeds. The shorter the trigger speed the better. Cheaper cameras typically have a trigger speed of 5 seconds. This may not sound so bad but an animal can easily pass your camera in that time. As an example of many situations; if the camera was triggered by the nose of a passing animal and thus only capturing an image of its nose it will miss the rest of the animal as it passes during those 5 seconds. Top of the range cameras can have trigger speeds of 0.25 seconds or less. These cameras are expensive so just get the lowest trigger speed you can for the money you have set aside for a camera.

Night-time capturing. All modern trail cameras are equipped with the ability to take nocturnal photographs. The difference between cameras in this regard is the type of flash they come with. There are three main options; a normal flash, glow flash and black flash. A normal flash will give you a color image as it lights up the area as it captures an image. This usually gives a high quality color image but it is very startling to any passing animals and can often scare them off. A glow flash is an infrared flash that utilizes infrared LED’s. This is a far subtler flash and the LED’s glow a dim shade of red as the photograph is taken. Some animals are still able to see the camera during its flash sequence but are more curious of it than scared and you will often see in your images the animal approaching and investigate the camera. This image is crisp but will be taken in black and white. The last type of flash is the black flash. This flash also uses infrared but has no light or even glow emitted from it whilst it captures an image. As it also uses infrared, the image will be in black and white. This camera is far stealthier and attracts no attention to it at night. It’s very useful for anti-poaching as people won’t see it and for people concerned with theft of their camera when leaving it out somewhere overnight.
 
We hope that these tips will come in handy in your endeavors to find out what’s around you! Happy camera trapping!

Here at Strawberry Hill Farm we love our furry family members and we know how much comfort they give everyone during lockdown. So here's a little tribute to them. ​

​Our feline members are all named after African dictators because they are the ultimate rulers. Mobutu Sese Seko and Idi Amin were brothers who were adopted from a neighboring farm when they were young teenagers. Mobutu, unlike what his name would imply, was a gentle soul. He was sickly from a young age and was suddenly taken from us before his time by a rare spine disease. But we will always remember him as a kind loving cat. His brother, Amin, is a formidable hunter. Strangely for a cat, he dislikes heights and prefers to remain grounded and rather enjoys long naps under the tree or on a bathroom mat. He always greets you with a warm meow! But don’t be fooled by this attention and be tempted to pick him up because he is far too independent and will be happy to show you his discomfort!
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Ranavalona, named after the queen dictator of Madagascar, arrived from the SPCA in 2017. She lives up to her title and is a fierce redhead who rules the farm. She is known for enjoying the finer things and prefers fine linen and drinking purified water from the tap! She enjoys long sunset walks and front seat drives around the farm. She is notorious for when she locked herself in the car on her way to the vet to be spade. A specialized locksmith had to be called in to break her out. Talk about a tantrum!

​Finally, the canine potion of the family! The
newest member of the family is a fierce little
package! Eva is a Staffordshire Terrier
and the embodiment of the phrase “dynamite
comes in small packages”! Her power meter is set
to 100% and she can be found zooming
around wherever the boss lady is. Her hobbies
include splashing in the shallow dam waters,
flicking sand in the air for herself to catch,
fiercely protecting her yard from the skellum
baboons and just being with her mom. Aileen
​(boss lady) and Eva have a special hobby
​together where they overland on Aileen’s mountain bike, towing a specially made trailer for Eva to sit in. Eva loves it so much the real trick is getting her out of her bike trailer! Eva is the face of the farm and anyone visiting will get to know her well! ​

The Strawberry Hill Farm’s nature conservation student and the Grootvadersbosch Conservancy’s nature conservation student also stay on our property. They brought with them a new member to add to the farm's furry team- Ash! He is a rescue dog saved from the George fires that raged two years ago. He started off as flee ridden and skinny but, with much love and care, has been transformed into one of the most confident and good-looking hounds around. He is the number one partner in crime to the first lady (Eva) and you can find these two zooming around relentlessly all day! ​

​The first farmers who settled in the area where the Moodie family who arrived from Scotland in the 1700’s and Strawberry Hill Farm was established in the 1800's. The Strawberry Hill Farmhouse (now a guest house) was built in the late 1800’s by Thomas Dunbar. Thomas Dunbar was a renowned land surveyor of the time who was responsible for the layout of the towns of Sedgefield, Voorbaai and Hartenbos. He, after building the Strawberry Hill farm house, moved onto the property to retire. The name Strawberry Hill comes from the wild strawberries that were found across the farm hilltops.
 
Thomas’s eldest son Benjamin Moodie then inherited the farm in the 1900’s and used the property to farm pigs and chickens, though he was more known for his love of the mountains and disappearing into them as often as he could. Benjamin then later sold the farm on to another Moodie generation in 1975 to Alex and Jenny Anderson who still own the farm today. The Anderson family lived and ran their businesses from Johannesburg and thus the Strawberry Hill Farm house became home to the many farm managers over the years.

The property is now run by Aileen Anderson who also managers theGrootvadersbosch Conservancy, which the Strawberry Hill Farm forms part of. The property was originally run as a commercial sawmill operation but the property has since been converted to a country getaway location where guests can come and enjoy the great outdoors by utilizing the network of hiking and mountain biking trails that traverse the property. The Strawberry Hill Farm house has been converted into a self-catering guest house which has proved very popular due to its prime hilltop position overlooking the eastern and western views of the Langeberg mountains and the valleys bellow. However, the house had to first undergo a number of renovations before becoming a guest house to create a more spacious - open plan, guest friendly living space. The original architecture of the house has been respected and the primary features of the original house have been kept and merged into the new structures. The house’s primary walls built in the 1800’s are wonderfully thick and provided a very sturdy and insulated base to expand from.

​The renovations have allowed each room to have an en-suite bathroom and has had the shared space areas expanded to create a more spacious and inviting area for groups gatherings and relaxing.

The kitchen has been fully refurbished and tiled but keeping the original huge fire place which adds to a great ambiance.  The dining room, kitchen and lounge areas are all open onto each other to create fantastic atmosphere where people can feel connected whilst between these areas. The dining room has a long table to fit the biggest families and verandas to each side of the house are furnished areas where you can relax and group together around a table outside with a built in braai to fit the occasion.

This lovely historical house is now available for guests to stay.  ​​

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Strawberry Hill Farm historically had a fully functional saw mill operation. The farm has since moved onto other endeavors and no longer focuses primarily on saw mill productivity. The farm is now shifting towards outdoor activity-orientated accommodation, along with putting large effort into the rehabilitation of its land to its former pristine natural condition. The farm is doing this by removing exotic invasive plant species and allowing the natural fynbos and forest biomes to naturally recover.
Many of the sawmill machines have been sold but a few primary machines have been recently refurbished. These machines are back on the farm and are being used to process the lager felled exotic trees. The wood retrieved from these exotic trees are either put directly back into the farm in the form of material for infrastructure or sold as timber to fund our ongoing war against invasive plant species.
The machines include:
• The Lucas Mill - a machine that cuts planks or blocks from felled trees
• A large surface planer to put a finished surface to cut planks
• Two large band saws - these machines are used to cut planks to size or cut planks from stored blocks
• Planer blade sharpener - this machine is a shadow machine for the Planer and is dedicated to the sharpening of the planer blades.
Most of these machines are old, some of which date back to as far as 1878. They are beautiful old machines and include an old Lister Blackstone engine powered generator which used to be the power supply for the town of Albertinia. These machines showcase spectacular engineering and can be found at our new headquarter building that was the original sawmill.

Strawberry Hill Farm forms part of the Grootvadersbosch (GVB) Conservancy . A group of like-minded farmers committed to maintaining healthy natural ecosystems within their farms and farming with their natural surroundings in mind. The conservancy acts as a buffer zone between Cape Nature’s Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve and the surrounding agricultural lands.
The conservancy focuses a lot of effort in the removal of exotic invasive tree species that threaten natural fresh water ecosystems and water security by choking the drainage lines in the landscape and in turn reducing water flow by soaking up water. These invasive tree species also displace local species which negatively impacts the natural ecosystems they invade. The conservancy has prioritized the removal of these invasive trees and has teamed up with the Department of Environmental Affairs and Land-Care to tackle the issue.
The latest project the conservancy has taken on is the GASPP project (Grootvadersbosch Aquatic Species Protection Project). This project, funded by the Table Mountain Fund), is directed at assessing and monitoring stream and river quality and to monitor the population health and distribution range of indigenous and endemic fish species within the conservancy. A number of sites are selected to be monitored annually. These sites are monitored using SASS and fish netting. The SASS method (Stream Assessment Scoring System) is a standard method of stream health evaluation that uses water property readings and invertebrate species abundance and diversity to determine stream health.  
Strawberry Hill Farm is a proud member of the (GVB) Conservancy and our surrounding natural ecosystem is number one on our agenda. Roughly 80% of South Africa’s total land area is dedicated agricultural land which gives farmers the mantle of responsibility to keep our natural ecosystems and their respective ecosystem services healthy. We  are dedicated to holding that mantle high.

A few weeks ago we hired Jacques Marais to take some promotional images of Strawberry Hill Farm. Jacques is a long-standing friend of the Grootvadersbosch Valley and we knew that he was the right person to really capture the adventure and wonder of our little piece of the Grootvadersbosch Conservancy. As someone who travels widely in South Africa, it is always so encouraging to hear how much Jacques enjoys being in our little valley. What is also amazing is how many incredible images he managed to take in such a short space of time and the professional and relaxed way in which he captured them.

We initially arranged a date and communicated about the weather and how it would fit into his hectic schedule. Finding a mild weather day when he was passing by, was a challenge but we trusted the weather to smile on us, and it did.

We met on Sunday afternoon and he outlined the range of shots required, we gave him a quick tour of the accommodation options and then he outlined what he thought would work and we hopped on the bikes to scope the shots.
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With absolute grace and tolerance to my over enthusiastic staffie puppy, we shot some epic images in the indigenous forest. Then we launched the drone to get a few snaking single-track shots. At the same time, he managed to get some incredible aerial shots of Strawberry Hill Lodge.

​Just as the sun was dipping, Jacques knew we had a few moments to harness the light. He could sense something special. We rushed off to some old pine forests and managed to get the perfect light shots through the pines. A special end to some great shooting.

​We then passed a few very pleasant hours beside the braai with some wine, while Jacques captured a few more special night shots.

​The next morning, we had planned a very early shoot but the thick mist, thankfully, delayed our start and allowed a bit more time to sleep off the red wine. Then the sun finally broke through the mist and we headed off for some running images on the mountain side of the farm.