Cry my beloved mountain | Summer School

CRY MY BELOVED MOUNTAIN

Extraordinary Professor Eugene Moll, Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology,
University of the Western Cape

Saturday 23 January < 10.00 am–12.00 pm < COURSE FEES R230; Staff and students R115

This double lecture offers a unique, deeply informed exploration of Table Mountain, grounded in decades of ecological research and lived experience. Beginning in 1973, when Eugene Moll took up a position as a plant ecologist at the University of Cape Town on the mountain’s eastern slopes, he traces the early development of scientific understanding of this iconic landscape. By 1976, the first comprehensive ecological assessment of Table Mountain was compiled, laying the foundation for a lifelong engagement with its complex natural systems.

Through this lecture, participants will gain insight into the rich plant ecology of the mountain, as well as the intricate relationship between its natural environment and human activity. It examines the challenges of conservation, management and sustainability in a globally significant biodiversity hotspot.

Drawing on decades of observation and analysis, the lecture also critically reflects on how Table Mountain has been managed over time – highlighting both successes and concerning missteps. Ultimately, it provides a platform for informed discussion about the future of the mountain, encouraging participants to engage thoughtfully with its preservation and to better understand the responsibilities involved in caring for this remarkable natural heritage.

Recommended reading

Adamson, RS. 1927. The Plant Communities of Table Mountain: Preliminary Account. Journal of Ecology, 15(2), pp. 278–309.

Campbell, BM and Moll, EJ. 1977. The Forest Communities of Table Mountain, South Africa. Vegetatio, 34(2), pp. 105–115.

Cowling, RM, Moll, EJ and Campbell, BM. 1976. The Ecological Status of the Understorey Communities of Pine Forests on Table Mountain. South African Forestry Journal, 99(1), pp. 13–24.

Lückhoff, CA. 1951. Table Mountain: Our National Heritage After Three Hundred Years. AA Balkema.

TO BOOK: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/performance.aspx?itemid=1602826813

Professor Eugene John Moll is a retired plant ecologist and former Head of the Department of Botany at the University of Cape Town. He Joined UCT as a Senior Lecturer in Botany in 1973, became Associate Professor in 1981, and later served as Professor and Head of the Botany Department After leaving UCT he served as the Foundation Chair in Natural Systems Management at the University of Queensland in Australia (1992–1998), Director of the Southern African Wildlife College (1998–2001), and later retired to Cape Town. [1, 2, He holds an honorary/extraordinary appointment at the University of the Western Cape in the Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, where he teaches an Honours module in Fynbos ecology and continues public research and commentary on local vegetation and conservation.