The 2025 Chronicle

NATURE RESERVE

Written by Mr Graeme Nothard

from the lapa down through the beautiful stretch of indigenous forest. This year’s blooming of the wildflowers, forbs and bulbs was particularly impressive. Many of the boys were extremely generous with their time this year. We had a host of volunteers helping out with the annual Balgowan Trail Run in March, and some very able hands to as sist with the removing of alien invasive plant species through the grasslands. The boys from the Nature Conservation So ciety also captured some exciting animal activity on the trail cameras. The Michaelhouse herd of Nguni cattle had a productive year, grazing in sections of the reserve and kikuyu pastures. Boys from the Agricultural Society were able to join Dr Peter Arding ton on some of his herd inspection visits. They were given the opportunity to assist and observe with vaccinations and preg nancy testing. The Nature Reserve is a vital cog in the school’s outdoor educa tion programme, and we look forward to sharing this space with the new boys of 2026.

The Michaelhouse Nature Reserve contin ues to be a popular choice of venue for the boys and staff to visit during their free time. It has been encouraging to see many of them making use of Alex Dam for fly-fishing, with our resident fish eagle keeping a close eye on proceedings. The braver mountain bikers and runners can be found traversing the trickier sections of the re serve, with the steep slopes and undulations of the cross-coun try course proving a challenge for most. The Mvuleni Lapa has proven to be a good base for the many activities that happen in the reserve. Plans to upgrade some of the fixtures at the lapa were tabled. In 2025 there were im provements to the braai facilities, ablutions and wash bay area, with more exciting developments coming soon. We hosted a number of hiking clubs who enjoyed picturesque walks through the reserve, with the last few kilometres going