Berta van Rooyen, South African National Biodiversity Institute
The opening line referring to a several-hundred-years-old alien plantation is setting the wrong impression (“Our floral heritage needs protection,” Bulletin, Thursday September 22).
The pine plantations were planted since 1884 on Tokai Nursery and Forest Station. The area known as the “Vlakte”, thus from the picnic area to Soetvlei, was put under plantations since 1888. But the pine saplings didn’t want to grow and were planted with nurse plants like the acasia or wattle.
Documentation reveals the earliest planting in the Dennedal plantation as 1890. I do not know how the mistake occurred since the occupation date of the Colonial Government of Tokai estate is well known.
I regret the mistake, as I regard the Constantiaberg Bulletin as a very important voice for our community.