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Achievements and Discoveries

New Species

Protea Atlassers have discovered eight new species of the Proteaceae family since the inception of the Protea Atlas. They are:

McGregor Pincushion - Leucospermum harpagonatum
Laingsburg Conebush - Leucadendron osbornei
Palmiet River Sceptre - Paranomus nova
Matzikamma Spiderhead - Serruria lacunosa
Toffeeapple Conebush - 'Leucadendron touwsrivierenses'
Clandestine Spiderhead - Serruria rebeloi   - Another New Spiderhead
Oily Conebush - Leucadendron crassulifolium
Climax Conebush - Leucadendron 'climaticum'

Cape Times Caltex Environmental Awards

The certificate		The award		All the winners of Awards, Special Commendations and Commendations

See Protea Atlas Project was presented with this award in November 2003 for more

Tony Rebelo receives The Flora Conservation Award

At the Botanical Society awards ceremony in 2003, Tony Rebelo was awarded the Flora Conservation Award for his contribution to the Protea Atlas Project and encouraging amateur involvement. Congratulations to Tony for a well earned award!

Run Statistics

Have a look at Run Statistics of May 2001, which documents one of the final computer runs which checks and loads Protea Atlas data into the DBase IV database held at the National Botanical Institute, Kirstenbosch. A summary of statistics over the entire project was produced in PAN 51

Range Extensions

Protea Atlassers have discovered one third of protea species well out of their known distribution ranges.

More significant range extensions are:

• The Outramps get a 50km range extension for the Golden Pagoda - Mimetes Chrysanthus in 1993
• A stunning 400km for Waterlily Sugarbush - Protea subvestita in 1996.
• Large-Leaf Sugarbush - Protea convexa was Discovered on the Tra Tra Mountains in July 1998 and is a massive range extension of 160km.
• Range Extension for Vanstadens Conebush - Leucadendron orientale of 80km in December 1998.
• Range Extension for Silverpaw Spiderhead - Serruria incrassata in March 1999.

Other Noteworthy Discoveries

• 61 591 Sight Record Sheet have been submitted and 252 513 protea species recorded at December 2001.
• Proteas Atlassers reported the destruction of the last three known, at the time, Swartland Sugarbush - Protea odorata plants which resulted in the prosecution of the land owner.
• Atlassers have been involved in conservation actions with SAFCOL of the rare Flats Silkypuff - Diastella proteoides in the Cape Peninsula.
• The previously thought "extinct" Diminutive Clusterhead - Sorocephalus tenuifolius was rediscovered in the Kogelberg State Forest.
• The rare Villiersdorp Ridgecone Conebush - Leucadendron comosum homaeophyllum was Sensationally Discovered above the Du Toits Kloof Pass road in August 1998.

Current Use of Protea Atlas Data

• To plan the West Coast Biosphere Reserve, with the Langebaan National Park as its core.
• Data are being used by SAFCOL to ensure that areas containing threatened plant species can be excluded from its afforestation programme and set aside for conservation.
• The Protea Atlas Project is being used as a tool for training staff in many conservation areas. Essential skills such as map-reading, plant identification, interpreting the veld, filling in forms, setting up monitoring plots and planning management are all integral to Atlassing.
• Protea Atlas data are being used by many scientists and students in their research endeavours, highlighting some shortcomings in the survey, but verifying the general conclusions
• Atlassers are generating goodwill with landowners, informing them of exciting species on their land and increasing their awareness of the veld.
• Latest developments.

Four categories of awards were presented to outstanding achievers in Protea Atlassing.

The Golden Pagoda Award is made to the atlasser who has atlassed 200 species, excluding hybrids, of Proteaceae. It is a 3-d paper flower of the Golden Pagoda - Mimetes chrysanthus embedded in resin, measuring between 20 - 30cm high and 8 - 15cm wide and deep, with the Protea Atlas Logo and the atlasser's name, '200 species' and the date at which 200 species was first recorded by the computers.

The award includes a free copy of the final 'Protea Atlas' when it becomes available sometime after 2001.

Tony Rebelo, Nick Helme, Ivor Jardine, Steve Richardson, Nigel Forshaw, Lyn McCallum, Ruth Smart, David Osborne, David Louw, Outeniqua Tramps, Peter and Virginia Ross and Pat Rebelo have recorded over 200 species of proteas and have thus earned the Golden Pagoda Award.

Lyn McCallum with her Golden Pagoda Award

Nigel Forshaw with his Golden Pagoda and Silver Tree Award

The Silver Tree Award is made to an atlasser that submits 1000 Sight Record Sheets. It comprises a beam of the Silver Tree - Leucadendron argenteum measuring 0.5 - 1.0m long, 0.15 - 0.3m wide and 0.02 - 0.05m thick, showing the characteristic 'Protea Wood'. On the left hand side is the Protea Atlas Logo and the right hand side is the atlasser's name, '1000 SRS' and the date the 1000th SRS reached the Protea Atlas Office.

Tony Rebelo, Ivor Jardine, David Osborne, Peter and Virginia Ross, Nigel Forshaw, Lyn McCallum, Outeniqua Tramps, Tom Lloyd-Evans, Ruth Smart, Kitty and Austin Williams, Eastern Cape Mountain Club and Reuben Heydenrych have submitted over 1000 Sight Record Sheets to the Protea Atlas Project and have thus earned the Silver Tree Award.

The award includes a free copy of the 'SASOL Proteas'.

Virginia and Peter Ross with their Silver Tree Award

The Marsh Rose Award is awarded annually to atlassers who have made phenomenal contributions towards the conservation of proteas.

The award includes a free copy of 'SASOL Proteas' and Protea Atlas T-shirts.

The Roodeberg and Towerkop Rangers, David Osborne, Nigel Forshaw and Mark and Amida Johns have received the Marsh Rose Award for conservation data.

The Team Award is made to a group of Protea Atlassers who work together as a team. The Outramps team from the George area and Gauteng team have earned this award.

Awards were presented to atlassers at the Annual Getaway held in the Groot Winterhoek Moutains in September 1999.

Click on a picture to find out more.

Awards were presented to atlassers at the Annual Getaway held in the Riviersonderend Moutains in March 2001.

Click on a picture to find out more.

The below atlassers submitted more than 2000 Sight Record Sheets (SRS's)

Ivor Jardine, Tony Rebelo, Nigel Forshaw, Dave Osborne

Mark and Amida Johns Marsh Rose Award

Amida Johns and Mark Johns with their Marsh Rose Award presented in November 2001, appropriately, on the lower slopes of Kogelberg Peak

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