Botanists take Horticultural Club to Vredefort Dome

Prof Sarel Cilliers, subject group chairman of Botany at the School of Environmental Sciences and Development of the North-West University and the new curator of the Botanical Garden, Chris van Niekerk, recently took the Potchefstroom Horticultural Society on an excursion to the Vredefort Dome.
  The enthusiasm with which Cilliers taught the group about indigenous trees and field plants was infectious and excited everyone’s interest in plants. Emeritus Prof Johan van Brakel first informed the group about the geological origin of the dome after which Cilliers and Van Niekerk took the group to have a detailed look at the area’s geology and especially the vegetation. They enjoyed lunch afterwards at Thabela Thabeng, which means ‘joy in the mountains’. The excursion was something special and everyone enjoyed it immensely.