Rietvlei a scary sight.

Photographs of Rietvlei Cape 2001 and 2008

2001 lush wooded bushland and bird haven

December 2008

Even though this land is scorching under the hot sun, it is still a pleasure to look out over the water and admire the mountain.
Newcomers who have never seen the vlei before it was stripped from "alien" vegetation, may think it is a wonderful place. It is still nature.

I admired the birds. It was only when I compared today's photographs with some of those taken back in 2001, that the impact of our conservation efforts hit home.

On the photographs, this place, Rietvlei looks like a window into the future. It is a scary sight. It looks like life "after the holocaust" or something like "global warming and the Armageddon".
It could be part of a film set for "After the Koeberg nuclear meltdown"

Not all of Rietvlei looks like this. There are many new trees growing up. New plants have been planted and the conservation department has big plans for the area. It is this interim period that is scary. This period of nothing but desolation.

(Photographs will be placed in the album soon to show a more balanced view of the area and some of the new trees and plants)