Greetings Teak Place Estate Family and Friends,
We trust you are all keeping warm and, like many of our residents on site, utilising your fireplaces to the absolute maximum this season. As you know, we have been experiencing very late rainfall this year, with a downpour in June surprising everyone! Although our farming operation, Jodev Farms, is smiling from ear to ear, our construction teams have had to take a leaf out of Cape Town’s book and get to grips with the cold wet winter conditions.
The cold temperatures and abnormally overcast days, which are so unusual for The Cradle area at this time of year, has really put our off-the-grid homes to the test. We are happy to report that our homes have excelled, with most of our residents not even having to fire up their back-up generators for a top up. Green technology is truly amazing.
Now, more than ever, many are considering implementing more sustainable green features in their homes. The burning question is – what features are important, and do they enhance the value of our properties?
With the energy crisis that South Africa currently finds itself in and will most likely be in for some time to come, combined with failing municipal infrastructure, it is pretty clear what are becoming some of the most important features to consider when buying a new home – electricity and water supply. A reliable supply of both is becoming a very scarce commodity and what we are currently experiencing all over parts of Johannesburg is painting a grim picture for things to come.
The benefits of having green features are vast with water and electricity shortages becoming less worrisome as homes can remain fully functional despite these failings. While it is difficult to quantify the value-added benefits of these features, having back-up power and a reliable water supply certainly makes homes more appealing and significantly more sellable. It really is building for the future.
We anticipate that green features are going to become more desirable as we encounter ongoing service-related challenges throughout South Africa. Going green should not only be a knee-jerk reaction to everything going on in our country, but it should also be an ongoing priority to create a common mind-set of environmentally friendly living that is sustainable over time.
Our maintenance teams have been busy during the month of June. We recently completed outhouse toilets at our picnic sites.
Certain bends and areas in the roads have been paved providing for an easier and smoother drive. This will be an ongoing project as road maintenance will continually be done on the Estate.
Bio monitoring of all freshwater systems (dams, streams and wetlands) took place in the month of June. Aquatic biomonitoring is the science of understanding the ecological condition of rivers, lakes, streams, and wetlands by examining the organisms (fish, invertebrates, insects, plants, and algae) that live there. This baseline assessment is an important tool in assessing the condition of aquatic ecosystems found at Teak Place. This allows us to understand the ecology we have on site and with further studies, we will be able to determine if our developments and activities on site have had any impact on the ecosystems and habitats found on the property
Save the dates and join us on 25th September, starting at the Bothongo Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve. Registration and route details can be found on the WannaDo Events website www.wannado.co.za
Nicola Dittmer
Justin Blom
We look forward to hearing from you😊