‘n Boer maak ‘n plan
As poaching has threatened almost one rhino a day this year alone, South African farmers have resorted to desperate measures. With this in mind, Abré J Steyn decides to revisit the idea of horn farming.
Building with Straw
Strawbale houses aren't as flimsy as many think - some date back 600 years. Plus, they're cheap and easy to build, writes Abre J Steyn.
Making sense of sound
It's easy to take hearing for granted as most of us know nothing about how the delicate ear interprets sound waves, writes Abré J Steyn.
Making money from farmstays
Namibia is far more successful than South Africa when it comes to guest farm accommodation.
Hush!
Sound always carries a message in the animal kingdom and the design of an animal's ear tells us something about its habitat, writes Abré J Steyn.
The old professor, Ben Engelbrecht
Careful observation and experimentation made theology professor Ben Engelbrecht an expert lure fisherman at a time when nobody knew very much about the art, writes Abré J Steyn.
Catch & release – alive!
As the tigerfish is our premier inland gamefish and because its numbers are dwindling, Abré J Steyn feels strongly about the art of catch-and-release. But with this fish, successful release is no easy feat.
The scaly wings
Moths are not as popular or admired for their beauty as their cousins the butterflies. However, they have an essential ecological role as pollinators and are essential to life on earth, writes Abré J Steyn
Old Platanna
Chameleons may look like mini dinosaurs, but they're a highly evolved kind of lizard with unique abilities, "modifications" and "specs". But their numbers in South Africa are declining, writes Abré J Steyn, with several featuring on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's endangered list.
Danger! Don’t mess with me!
It was almost midnight. The big crowned eagle was restless and her weight on my heavily gloved left arm was becoming a burden.
When the old man was a boy
The battle between land and sea has taken place since the time the world began. The clash of wave against rock has always fascinated me in a way I can't explain. It has been like that since I was a little boy. Engulfed in the smell of fish and the cries of seagulls circling around me, I was spellbound by the big swell that gently rolled in from afar.
The sad demise of our ‘flat dogs’
Like claws, my fingers groped in vain to catch something to hang onto. Having lost my balance, I was falling backwards overboard in 10m-deep croc-infested water. I plunged head-first into another world.
