BBRA Newsletter

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Thank You, Donors

Betty's Bay Volunteer Fire Fighters

A subsidiary of Bettys Bay Ratepayers Association

The Bettys Bay Volunteer Fire Fighters, as their name implies, is served by members of their organisation who are passionate about this form of community involvement by giving of their time in acting as a first response to fires in our area and thereafter if needed will back up other fire fighting organisations operating in our area.

Loggerhead Turtle Alert

LOGGERHEAD TURTLES are washing up on our shore line! We ask the public to actively look out for any turtles that have washed up on our shores. Between April and June every year, juvenile loggerhead turtles wash up onto beaches in and around Cape Town, due to rough seas and strong winds.

What to do..?

Remove the turtle from the beach.
Keep it dry and at room temperature – DO NOT place the turtle in water.
Place the turtle in a container that has ample air holes. DO NOT put water or sand in the container, rather use a small towel.
Make a note of exactly where, when and at what time the turtle was found.
Contact the Environmental Management Section of Overstrand Municipality on 028 316 3724 or the Control Room on 028 313 81111.
Afterhours please drop it off at your local Fire Department who will contact an environmental officer.

What happens to them..?

The Overstrand Municipality and CapeNature, in collaboration with the South African Shark Conservancy will ensure that the turtles are temporarily housed until they can be moved to the Two Oceans Aquarium where they will be rehabilitated until they are strong and healthy. They are then sent to uShaka Sea World in Durban where they are released into the warmer waters off the KwaZulu-Natal coast.

Details: Written by Liz Fick; Category: Conservation; Published: 14 May 2015; Hits: 1337

The Dark Side of Light

I was born in a small town. Visits to Cape Town were big events. I remember the beautiful beaches, the cable car, the steepness of Kloofnek Road, my grandmother's balcony and the fascinating lights at night. White, red, blue, yellow, and orange - shining, pulsating and blinking put on a spectacular show. Nights in our little town were quiet and lit up by the Moon and thousands of twinkling stars. If one stood really still, you could hear the high pitched buzzing sounds of insects and soft shuffling of nocturnal animals. Fireflies were abundant. If you lay on your back long enough, just looking at the stars, you were bound to see a few meteors streak across the sky.

Imagine all those Vehicles...

IMAGINE a non-stop stream of cars speeding through Betty’s Bay.

IMAGINE huge articulated trucks on Clarence Drive, belching noxious fumes into our clean air and disturbing the peace of Betty’s Bay.

IMAGINE being stuck in horrendous traffic jams on the coastal road behind said trucks.

IMAGINE the damage to the Betty’s Bay infrastructure such traffic would generate.

IMAGINE the frustration and anger that this intrusion will inevitably cause.

THIS SCENARIO COULD BECOME A REALITY IF THE ANTIPATED N2 TOLL ROAD MATERIALISES. CLARENCE DRIVE WILL PROVIDE A CHEAP AND CONVENIENT ALTERNATIVE ROUTE TO ROAD-USERS.

We need to plan our response NOW, We need to be proactive. Any ideas? THE BUZZ is planning a letter page. This can be a forum for such discussions. [In the same vein, what is your take on the blue LED security lights that pollute our night sky?]

Details: Written by Donn; Category: Publications; Published: 05 May 2015; Hits: 1137

toll-road

Fynbos Fire — A Blessing and a Curse.

Fire is an inevitable and necessary factor in the ecology of the Fynbos Biome. To ensure the optimal regeneration of our precious veld it needs a comprehensive burn every ten to fifteen years. Dead growth is removed and precious nutrients re-enrich the infertile soil. And when the dense canopy is removed there is sufficient space and light to stimulate almost immediate regeneration.

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