Melanie Walker & the Borer Beetle, Welcome Sonja & Stewart and Rotary GBI at the London New Year Parade.

Last Week

Last week our speaker was Melanie Walker.  She was highly entertaining as you can see by her gesticulations

Amongst other things she raised the issue of the threat to our Urban Forest, the biggest in the world, by Borer Beetles

It's not just Johannesburg that's threatened bu all trees in South Africa, both indigenous and agricultural.

What Is The Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer?

These beetles, also known as Euwallacea fornicatus, are a troublesome species that are able to cause a great deal of trouble to the environment. Furthermore, the beetle has been discovered in Johannesburg and therefore, are considered a great threat to the indigenous trees of South Africa. These beetles are approximately 2mm long and are native to Southeast Asia. Moreover, the polyphagous shot hole borer, or PSHB, is associated with different types of fungi. One of these fungi is called Fusarium euwallacea. The shot hole beetle shares a symbiotic relationship with this fungus, as this fungus is the beetle’s main source of food in addition to it being the main cause associated with the wilting of trees. The other types of fungi are believed to help the beetle’s colonization of newly infected trees.

How Was The Shot Hole Borer Discovered In South Africa?

Dr. Trudy Paap of FABI (Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute) initially discovered the shot hole Borer beetle in South Africa. On a routine study for diseases in KwaZulu-Natal Botanical Gardens in Pietermaritzburg in 2017, Paap found a series of infested trees. This led to the identification of the beetle in addition to the regions in which infestations are taking place.

How To Identify The Shot Hole Borer:

Unfortunately, the beetles are too small to detect. However, what you can do is identify the infected trees. The symptoms of infected trees vary from one tree species to another and there are many signs that show when a tree is infected. Some of these signs are:

• Wilting trees
• Dead branches
• Exit/Entry holes on the bark of the trees
• Shotgun-like lesions on the bark at entry/exit holes.
• Sugar volcanoes on the bark at entry/exit holes.
• Blotches of oozing resin on the bark at entry/exit holes.
• Wood frass (wooden powder) on the bark at entry/exit holes.

Why Should We Be Concerned?

The PSHB along with its fungus has caused tremendous damage to the trees in the US, specifically California, in addition to regions in the Middle East. Moreover, the beetle has been recently discovered in Sandton, which is Johannesburg’s economic hub. This discovery is particularly concerning because Johannesburg is believed to be one of the world’s largest urban forests with over 10 million trees. Furthermore, judging by the number of trees the beetle has killed in Johannesburg as well as Knysna, this beetle could potentially be one of South Africa’s largest ecological tragedies. In addition, the beetle is currently infesting over 200 tree species from 28 plant families worldwide.

South Africa is considered to be the biodiversity capital of the world and is a host to 299 species of mammals and 858 species of birds many of which are heavily dependent on trees as a source of nutrition and sustenance. Therefore, the Shot Hole Borer truly does pose a threat to what makes South Africa unique. For this reason, an immediate response to eradicate this threat is imperative to help preserve the beauty that is South Africa.

On a happier note President Jean inducted two new members,  Sonja Hood and Stewart Mutegeki.

Here they are again with Steven, Sonja's husband.

Polio Plus Evening
President Jean sent her pictures of the evening....but she is in them!

This Week

It's our monthly Social Meeting.  Last time it became a very valuable meeting because a potential Rotarian asked about our projects so we had to rack our brains to try and think what we actually do.

It was a very valuable exercise and I hope that this week's social meeting again becomes involved in some sort of discussion because a Business Meeting doesn't really become one simply because the reports back from the Board take up most of the time.

Rotary Blanket Drive

Message from David Bradshaw –

With Winter not that far off its time to start thinking about our annual blanket drive and to get our requests in early for churches, schools and companies to get their blankets through us.

We will not have the wonderful support of Super Group this year who have made a decision not to purchase blankets for 2019.

Please start asking as many people as you can, our blankets are wonderful value and will once again be R70 with the same quality as last year.

We will have available sample blankets and can of course supply these to your church/company/college to help them to promote sales.

Dates of our own sales weekend will be announced shortly.

Rotary members were flying the flag at the London New Year’s Day Parade.

Past Rotary GBI Presidents, Eve Conway and Denis Spiller, headed the Rotary contingent who paraded through the streets of the capital to promote the Purple4Polio campaign to End Polio Now and forever.

The Rotary team were joined by a vintage steam traction engine, as well as a Volkswagen Beetle – one of a number of vehicles which took part in the Rotary Purple4Polio Grand Tour last year raising an estimated £50,000 for the polio initiative.

Rotaractors and Rotary Global Scholars also joined to promote Rotary’s campaign in front of a crowd of 650,000 and a worldwide TV audience of 600 million viewers.

They were among 8,000 performers from 26 nations across the world and 15 London boroughs who took part in the 33rd London New Year’s Parade.

The parade set out from Piccadilly near Green Park Station, before heading past several of the capital’s landmarks including Regent Street, St. James’s, Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall, before finishing at Parliament Square.

Among those also taking part were the City of London Brass Brand, All the Queen’s Horses, the London boroughs, plus a selection of cheerleaders, as well as marching bands from the United States, plus organisations from the capital and across the world.

In a message posted on the London New Year’s Day Parade website, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “There really is no better place to welcome in the New Year than London.

“From the world’s greatest fireworks show on New Year’s Eve, to the fun-filled New Year’s Day Parade and Festival, our capital will be celebrating our unity and diversity as we again show the world that London is open to all.”

There really is no better place to welcome in the New Year than London.”

Mayor of London

The parade first took place in 1987 involving 2,000 performers, and was originally called the Lord Mayor of Westminster’s Big Parade.

Eve Conway said: “We’re here at the London New Year’s Day Parade to show that Rotary’s campaign to rid the world of polio is bearing fruit.

“There were just 29 cases of wild poliovirus last year in two countries worldwide compared to about a thousand a day in 125 countries when we started our campaign for a polio-free world over 30 years ago.

“We must finish the job and End Polio Now and forever.”

Many sent messages of support by video to Rotary International President, Barry Rassin, who was taking part in the Pasadena Rose Parade along Colorado Boulevard in California later on New Year’s Day with the Rotary Rose Parade Float.