Botanist Professor Eugene Moll revisits the Hawaan Forest after 50 years

Professor Moll embarked on some quantitative ecological work in the forest and, with the help of many other dedicated and passionate individuals, put the Hawaan 'on-the-conservation-map'.

Professor Moll undertook the first botanical survey of the Hawaan in 1968. It is a rare occasion that the author of an original scientific study has the opportunity to re-evaluate his research half a century later, but this September, he will be re-visiting the forest in order to give an up-date on the ecological health and conservation status of this unique area.

He will be giving a talk after the visit to provide background and report back on the current condition of the forest. The talk will be part of a fundraiser organised by the Botanical Society of SA (KZN Coastal Branch), the WESSA Branches of Umhlanga and Durban, the Umhlanga Urban Improvement Precinct and Breakers Resort, and will be introduced by Dr. Keith Cooper.

Born in Zimbabwe, Eugene Moll is professor extraordinaire in the Department of Biodiversity & Conservation Biology at the University of the Western Cape. He holds a PhD in plant ecology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and has authored and co-authored many guides and papers on trees and the ecology of woody plants. He specialises in the trees of Southern Africa and edited the first publication of the Keith Coates Palgrave's 'Trees of Southern Africa'.

Situated near Umhlanga and bounded by the Ohlanga River and the sea, this beautiful forest is the largest remnant of dry coastal dune forest in the region and grows on a dune that dates back 18 000 years. The name 'Hawaan' most likely originates from ceremonies performed in the forest by the indentured Indian labourers that worked on the sugar plantations in the area. A Havan is a sacred fire ritual that involves the use of aceramic oven called an ïhavan kund. The forest was probably the source of the wood, fruits and honey which were burnedto appease the spirits.

The Hawaan is home to a wide diversity of plant, animal and birdlife, as well as over one hundred indigenous tree species, of which a number are rare. The total forested area is 65 ha. with approximately 40 ha. being virgin forest. It was originally owned by the Campbell family, who settled nearby in 1859. It has been protected since 1860 when Sir Marshall Campbell had it set aside as a private reserve. It is now largely owned by Tongaat-Huletts Developments. Due to its deep, alkaline, sandy soil, the Hawaan is a particularly rare type of forest.

November this year will mark eight years since the handing down of a landmark environmental planning judgment on the Hawaan Forest emphasising the need to protect Durban's natural heritage for future generations. The Development Facilitation Act Tribunal, chaired by Ray Swart, granted limited development rights to build houses next to this unique piece of forest with a 40m buffer zone between the housing development and the forest. This judgement not only protected the Hawaan from some of the potential impacts of adjacent development, but established a precedent-setting development restriction around natural forests that is still in common use by the province's regulating authorities.

Presently, this pristine and historic forest is once again in need of urgent action to ensure its continued viability. Phoebe Carnegie, the local custodian of the area, spoke about her concerns at the recent WESSA Durban Branch AGM, specifically the number of fallen trees, some of which are blocking the trails. With the increased sunlight, there has been a spread of grass, and this is now limiting the availability of food for guinea fowl. WESSA Durban Branch is assisting in the cost of clearing and marking the trails again, and enlisting the help of scientists to report on the condition of the forest.Ongoing, managed clearing of invasive alien plants is funded by Tongaat-Huletts Developments.