10 January 2013
Hoerikwaggo Trail 4: fynbos vegetation
Posted by Callan Bentley
Today, I’m going to take a one-day hiatus from the geology of the Hoerikwaggo Trail, and focus on the fynbos plant community there instead:
Rumor has it that the word “fynbos” was coined by mariners and explorers upon first surveying these shores. It comes from “fine bush,” apparently, a reference to the fact that this vegetative province lacks big trees, suitable for making ship masts from.
There are really cool plants inhabiting the Cape Floristic Province; unique in the world!
Callan Bentley is Associate Professor of Geology at Piedmont Virginia Community College in Charlottesville, Virginia. He is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America. For his work on this blog, the National Association of Geoscience Teachers recognized him with the James Shea Award. He has also won the Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council on Higher Education in Virginia, and the Biggs Award for Excellence in Geoscience Teaching from the Geoscience Education Division of the Geological Society of America. In previous years, Callan served as a contributing editor at EARTH magazine, President of the Geological Society of Washington and President the Geo2YC division of NAGT.