WRITE Relief - Aiding Rural Education, Globally.

Meet Justin Brogan, the face behind Write Relief organization aiding rural education in South Africa as well as East and West Africa.

The Write Relief Organization was started in 2005 and has gone on a number of adventures stretching throughout Southern, East and West Africa. Write Relief's hope is to take their Expedition Vehicle, the CHUMMER, and go on an adventure, exploring Africa and helping schools, children, missions and orphanages on their route.

The expedition starts at the most Southern tip of South Africa, Cape Agulhas and then makes its way in an anti-clockwise rout around the inside perimeter of South Africa.

The route that Justin takes will cover various terrains involving gravel and tar roads, wetland and mountains. He also visits protected areas such as St. Lucia, Kruger National Park and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

In his travels Justin will encounter many forms of social structures, beliefs and traditions: bringing educational awareness to everyone he meets, right around South Africa.

Ubizane Wildlife Reserve had the privilege to assist Justin on his travel with a night's stay at Zululand Safari Lodge on Friday the 12th of September.

After checking in, Justin asked if we could go with him to a primary school to hand out stationery as well as other gifts to the children. 

Elizabeth and the principal of Ntuthuko Primary School

Justin, accompanied by Elizabeth and Dennis, went to the Ntuthuko Primary School in the local community. Upon arrival they were taken to the Principal's office where Justin explained what he did and that he was there to hand out stationery to the school and to the children and asked if the Principal could get some of the children to go to his vehicle to receive some stationery and gifts.

Everyone was very excited to see what Justin had in the back of the CHUMMER and before you knew it, a group of children had assembled behind Justin and his vehicle.

A group of 20 boys and girls were then randomly chosen to receive a hat, a backpack with a pen, pencil and ruler, and a water bottle. This group also took part in a small competition to see who can guess the name of Justin's vehicle.

Elizabeth helping Justin hand out some gifts and stationary to a few lucky children.

Justin and the young boy who won the competition.

Justin then opened a box filled with rulers, and with the help of Elizabeth, started handing them out to the children.

Justin handing out stationary to the children.

Ubizane Wildlife Reserve would like to wish Justin all the best on his endeavour to aid rural schools and children with stationery. Something so many of us take for granted.

For more details on Justin's travels, like his Facebook page,

https://www.facebook.com/pages/WRITE-Relief-Aiding-Rural-Education-Globally/747293561951848

Or follow him on his website,

http://www.writerelief.com

Ubizane’s new Reservationist!

For all our guests who have lately been booking stays and for all future new guests who would like to see the face behind the beautiful voice you hear over the phone when you book a stay at Ubizane Wildlife Reserve, meet Precious.

Precious has been part of the Ubizane family for the last couple of months and as tradition, we decided to ask her a few questions about what she likes and how she is adapting to staying in the bush seeing that she comes from the city.

1) Where are you originally from?
I'm from Newcastle but I spend my high school years in Underberg because my parents wanted to send me to a good school. So I consider both towns 'home'.

2) What inspired you to join the Ubizane Family?
I was a bit tired of city hotels and only dealing with corporate clients. I wanted something more challenging and leisure hotels offer more variety of things to do and you get to know the people as well.
So a growing lodge like Ubizane was the first choice for me.

3) What's the best part of living in the Bush?
The beach! LoL because my job is dealing with people and putting a smile on your face even when deep down you know you have been pushed too far. I also want time off to just be alone and grumpy like any other human being. But most importantly observing how nature works and appreciating the things most people take for granted. For instance, the high rate of Rhino poaching. Being here has opened my eyes to how serious it is and how this beautiful animal will soon be extinct if this is not stopped.

4) If you could choose what animal you could be for a day, which animal would you choose and why?
Growing up I was obsessed with dolphins. I love their playful behaviour and wonderful stories about how they risk their lives to save humans. They are just the Cutest!!

5) What animal reminds you of a cartoon character?
The first time I saw a warthog here at Ubizane, I immediately thought of Pumba. He was my favourite character. I just loved how silly he was and how he didn't like it when anyone but his friends pointed out his flaws. I guess that is how I also dealt with bullies and peer pressure growing up.

6) Out of the BIG 5, which animal is your favourite?
It would have to be the lion. Observing the two women that raised me (my mom and grandmother). I learned from them how a woman like a lioness gives a man his place and let him be the king but still go out and be a hunter that provides for her family, be a mother and wife. The lioness never tries to outshine the king and that is what I want to be as well.

7)  What city luxury do you miss most out in the Bush?
The shoe shopping (hides) and actually wearing heels out LOL.

8) Seeing you work in an office, if you have an Ostrich attack you in the office and all you had to defend yourself with was a ruler or a stapler, what would you choose and how would you defend yourself?
Such a bad selection! :) I think I would go for the ruler to try and chase it away with. How I will survive the kick, I don't know!

From the Ubizane Team, we are very happy to have Precious as part of our Family and hope she enjoys every moment in the Bush with us.

Ubizane’s very own, Chloè the Goatdashian.

When guests arrive at Ubizane Tree Lodge Reception, there’s always one member of the Ubizane team that they either can't wait to meet or meet as they arrive and her name is… Chloè the goat, or as Wayne, our Lodge Manager has nicknamed her, Chloè: Ubizane’s very own Goatdashian.

Chloè was found about a year ago stuck in one of our fences that borders the community. It isn't unusual for the community’s goats to either get stuck in our fences or to even get through the fence and enter Ubizane. When this does happen, we normally either release the goats back in the community side or if the goat is very young or has been injured, we take it into our care until the goat is back to full strength or until a community member comes and claims the goat back.

With Chloè, she was very young when one of the Ubizane staff found her in the fence. We decided to take her into our care until one of the community members come and claim her.

As days, weeks and months passed, Chloè was never claimed back and has become a big part of our team as well as Ubizane's mascot. She has her own very unique personality and is always a few steps behind Natascha (Ubizane’s General Manager).

The staff at Ubizane had to learn quickly that one of Chloè’s favorite daily activities is to eat almost every piece of important paper she could find, everything from guests information pamphlets to our daysheets and we couldn't use, “The goat ate my paperwork” as an excuse every time.

Chloè’s mornings normally start with joining us at our early morning meetings, she has her very own chair whereby she climbs on and either listens to what we discuss or taking a quick snooze before her hectic busy day starts (you know the life of a Goatdashian has never a dull moment).

When Chloè isn’t found eating paper or following Natascha, she is sure to be found lying on one of the Tree Lodge swimming pool loungers with her friend Ziquenya, our anti-poaching dog, getting a nice mid-day or afternoon tan and a quick nap before jumping up and bleating either for attention or more food.

 Chloè has become such a big part of our team and we know that there will never be a dull moment with her here at Ubizane Wildlife Reserve.

Our Aviary.

Our Aviary has come a long way from being just a patch of ground next to the Tree lodge reception to what it is today: a home to doves, rabbits, guinea pigs - and it has even been home to Barn Owls that were rehabilitated at Ubizane.

The last couple of days, Martin (our Kitchen Manager) and Wayne (our Lodge Manager) have been hard at work cleaning and planting.  They tied branches against the fences and trees in the Aviary to make it look more “natural” for the inhabitants.

 While cleaning the aviary, Nikita and Wayne noticed that one of the female rabbits was pulling her fur out and making a nest with it in one of the burrows. A couple of days later, they took a look and found that the rabbit had given birth to two healthy baby rabbits. We will keep an eye on these little ones and keep you updated on all their adventures in the future.

We also have 2 little guinea pigs in our Aviary: Jeffery and a new guinea pig named Buddy. Buddy is a lot less shy than his friend Jeffery.

We also have a few different species of doves in our Aviary such as Laughing Doves, Ring-necked Doves, Tambourine Doves, Zebra Doves and Emerald Doves.

Each one with their own unique call which you can hear the whole day through, from sunrise to sunset.

We encourage all our readers and guests to come and visit the Aviary as well as our Ostriches new home the next time you come and visit.

Our Ostriches get a new Enclosure!

As many of you know who have been following our blog and who has been to Ubizane, has seen and read about our Ostriches and their adventures in and around Safari Lodge and Tree Lodge, from swimming with some of the guests at Safari Lodge to enjoying a nice afternoon nap with the guests at Tree lodge.

We are proud to announce that our Ostriches have a new enclosure that is situated between the Safari Lodge and the Tree Lodge where our guests can go and visit them, touch them and even feed them during their stay, personally I’m still a bit hesitant to touch these big birds even though I have seen Martin (Our Kitchen Manager) do so when he went to feed them. Once a week one of our Kitchen Managers will go and feed these big birds with fresh produce such as beetroot, carrots, lettuce or any other fresh food we have to offer them.

Just some question and answers about these amazing birds we get asked by our guests here at Ubizane:

Q: How do Ostriches chew without teeth?

A: Ostriches don’t chew their food; they swallow their food whole as well as swallow small pebbles and stones which grind food. A male ostrich can have up to 1kg of stones and pebbles in its stomach.

Q; How big is a Ostrich egg and long does it take for an Ostrich egg to hatch?

A: An Ostrich egg is normally about 15cm long and weighs about the same as two dozen chicken eggs and even though it’s the world’s largest bird egg, they are actually the smallest egg relative to the size of an adult Ostrich size. They normally take between 35 and 45 days to hatch, after they have hatched, the male will look after them and defend them as well as teach them how to feed but both male and female will cooperate in rearing the chicks

Q: What is the wingspan of an Ostrich?

A: A full grown ostrich male’s wingspan is about 2m and is usually used for mating displays, cover their naked skin on their upper legs, to cover their chicks and to be used as “rudders” when they run.

Our ostriches have been with us for a long time and we know they will be happy with their new enclosure here at Ubizane.

Ubizane Wildlife Reserve participates in The Travel Indaba 2014

For those of you who have been following our Social Sites, you Might have seen that Ubizane Wildlife Reserve attended the Tourism Indaba this year. We were very Excited to be a part of the Elephant Coast Stand, Along With Advantage Boat Cruises.  

The Elephant Coast Stand at
The Travel Indaba 2014

Wayne Matthews One of Our Lodge Managers,
Putting the final touches on our Table. 

It was a wonderful experience to get to meet and greet not only Companies and Tour operators we already do business with, but also new companies that we are eager to have a prosperous partnership with in the Future.   

Our General Manager and Lodge Manager at our Table at
The Elephant Coast Stand

Mistaken Identity

Ubizane has an amazing diversity of bird life. I have always been fascinated with birds and with over 450 different species frequenting our little slice of heavenly bush, it is inevitable that living here will lead to one developing at least some interest in Birding. It's also very likely that cases of mistaken identity will occur! 

Recently I made the error of confusing a female Violet Backed Starling with a Striped Swallow. The following spell of embarrassment at this obvious mistake has since prompted me to do some research into these two species to ensure the error is not made again!

The Lesser Striped Swallow

A pair of Lesser Striped Swallows at Zululand Safari Lodge.

Photo of a juvenile Lesser Striped Swallow by Andrew Pickles (http://www.barbetbirding.co.za/african-swallows/lesser-striped-swallow)

The Lesser Striped swallow grows to between 10cm and 15cm and can be distinguished from the Greater Striped Swallow by its smaller size, darker strips and a brighter head colour. The species  is considered a common partially migratory bird, migrating further north for the winter. That being said, the greatest distance between original point of capture and point of re-capture of a ringed bird of this species is only 83.94 km which supports the idea that pairs of Lesser Striped Swallows will return to the same nesting site each year and re-use their nests when possible. Like all swallows, this species mates for life which is why they are often referred to as the bird of love.

Violet-Backed Starling

A female Violet-Backed Starling 

The very distinguishable male Violet-Backed Starling 

The Violet-Backed Starling is a sexually dimorphic bird. This means that the male and female are very different in appearance as we can clearly see in the pictures above. Like swallows, these birds are monogamous and will return to re-use their nest after a successful breeding session. Nests can often be found in tree holes or hollow fence posts. It is believed that only the female will incubate the eggs while both the male and female will line the entrance of the nest with green leaves and both will feed their young. Violet-Backed Starlings are the smallest of the South African Starling species, reaching a maximum of 16cm in length, similar in size to a large Lesser Striped Swallow. Thess birds are inter-African migratory, venturing further north in the winter and are one of the more striking bird species of South Africa. They are omnivorous like all starlings, and can often be found near termite swarms enjoying a hearty feast!

In Conclusion

This whole thing had me mildly confused for a little while so, for a quick summery. The Greater Striped Swallow is bigger than the Lesser Striped Swallow (measuring 18cm - 20cm long), The Lesser Striped Swallow has a more bold stripe pattern on its under-belly while the Greater Striped Swallow's under-belly is not as boldly striped. 

Then we have the female Violet-Backed Starling, which is also striped, smaller than the Greater Striped Swallow and slightly bigger than the Lesser Striped Swallow. Oh, and just to throw in that extra little curve ball, it isn't violet. There are some obvious differences though! The female Violet Backed Starling has brown and black wings while the two Striped Swallows have blue-black wings. The tail and beak are also clearly different in shape and well, basically the Starling is just that, a Starling.

Hope this all helps any amateur, avid birders out there from making the same little hasty mistake as I did! Don't forget to comment and check back in a little while for our next blog!

The Greater Striped Swallow (Photograph by Warwick Tarboton)

Golden Orb Spiders

One of our little friends near the Tree Lodge Pool

Any recent visitors to our lodge may have had their eye caught by one of the spectacular golden webs of our resident Nephila population. The genus name of these spiders is derived from an Ancient Greek word which translates to “fond of spinning” which should come as no surprise seeing that the inner orb of some Nephila web can reach more than a meter across. 

Another interesting characteristic of these large spiders is the golden silk they use to make these impressive webs leading to the Nephila being more commonly known as the Golden Orb-Weaver or Golden Orb Spider.

So, what’s with the golden web anyway? And why do some of these webs appear more golden than others? Researchers have noticed that these spiders can control how yellow their silk will be when weaving their webs. The golden colour of the webs in the sunlight serves to attract bees, a rather ingenious way to ensure an easy meal! 

It doesn’t stop there though, these spiders will adjust the hue of their silk while weaving webs to match the background light and aide in camouflage when the web is in the shade. Their silk also contains a chemical compound called pyrrolidine alkaloid which serves as a very effective ant deterrent. The webs of these spiders are so strong snakes, bats and even birds have occasionally been ensnared.

The vivid gold silk becomes a lot more apparent in the sunlight. This guy lives near the Tree Lodge Boma.

In 2004 Nicholas Godley, an entrepreneur from Madagascar was so taken by the beauty of the golden silk that he got in touch with textile designer by the name of Simon Peers. They decided to attempt to make a garment out of the golden thread and after three years and 1.2 million spiders the duo produced a cape which was exhibited in 2012 at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Simon Peers describes the sensation of wearing the garment as what he would imagine an invisibility cloak to feel like. He attributes this to the fact that spider silk is round and perfectly uniform unlike silkworm silk which is irregular and triangular in shape.

Aside from being able to create a breathtaking bolt of material Spider silk is also known to be more elastic than nylon and up to six times stronger than steel which is why scientist are so eager to come up with a synthetic version of the material. 

In more recent times, spider silk has also been used in surgery for nerve grafts. The human body does not recognise the silk as a foreign material so there is no chance of rejection and unlike synthetic materials it won’t become toxic over time making it a very promising possibility for nerve reconstruction procedures.

Golden Orb-Weavers can be found almost anywhere in the world and are considered a beneficial insect due to their role in controlling pests. 

This spider will only bite if provoked and even then their venom is not considered to be lethal to humans. Truly a remarkable, beautiful and beneficial little creature to have around.

New Years at Ubizane!

December 31st, the last day of 2013 and what a day it was! The weather broke with tradition and blessed us with a beautifully clear starlit night. The breeze was gentle, the mood was joyous and in the end everyone, guests and staff included saw the old year off in the best way we know how... 

Good food and good company shared in the warm light of the Boma bonfires, accompanied by the sounds of the wilderness.

Here are a few pictures from the night.

Our table center pieces! Weaver bird nest and recycled tins painted gold.

Even Chloe our adopted goat couldn't resist getting in on the action!

The Boma Buffet dinner was as good as it looked.

The bonfire rages as some of the earlier guests make themselves comfortable.


Some of our wonderful guests who managed to join us that night

And finally, our 2013 Safari Lodge mavericks who went with the "self-catering" option and occupied the Safari Lodge Boma for use as their own new years part venue!

A good time was indeed had by all. Hopefully next time we can see you all there!