Lynx DroppingsSeptember 2010

*New Business Cards have arrived at the office, you’ll receive them over the next 2 months, latest at the Workshop.

*Document templates, fonts and control guide will be distributed during this week.

*Keeping everyone up to date with what our Brand is and what it means to you (see blurbs on the left).

*We’ll send out a summary sheet for you to keep at hand or print!

*We’ll expand on each of these statements in Lynx Droppings over the next few months.

Unrolling of Brand:Our Vision:

REAL GROWTH

Mission Statement: We promise to conserve and create sustainable

environments that enable businesses to thrive.

(This is also our Brand Promise - what we must deliver on at

all times, to set us apart from competitors)

Our Personality we

need to cultivate in order to live this Brand:

• Passionate• Generous

• Smart• Grounded

We Value:• The Environment

• Partnerships• Empowering

• Going the extra mile

Our Target Markets:

• Conservation• Commercial

• Industrial• Parastatal

Happy Spring !In this issue, join us in celebrating Biodiversity as we head into Spring!

News out of the sticks....Felicity, Justin Miller and myself accompanied Philip on a site visit to the Medupi power station project and the Medupi Spitskop 765kV transmission line in August.

We were in awe that something that big can be made by people our size. One feels quite small against this concrete Goliath. I suppose a contributing factor to the overall startling size of the Medupi site, was its backdrop of pure blue skies and thousands of acres of bushveld. It seems slightly out of place, doesn’t it? Bitter sweet I suppose.

Medupi power station is South Africa’s first new greenfield coal-fired power station in more than two decades and will have a capacity of between 4 200 MW and 4 500 MW by the time its last unit is commissioned.

We were all very proud to see what our team do on site. The way in which you handle the huge responsibility that rests on your shoulders is quite admirable. We noticed the professional manner in which you conduct yourself and applaud the obvious confidence and pride in which you perform your daily duties. Let there be no doubt in your minds about our commitment here at the head office to continue to put in place measures to support you guys out there in the sticks. 1

Lynx Droppings

Wall of fame - Lizl KoekemoerYou are currently busy with… “Reports, reports and reports”. I am currently busy compiling the numerous amounts of Audit reports following the first round of Waste Management Audits that was conducted on all of the Principle Contractors at the Medupi Power Station Project. With this I am also busy raising the most beautiful baby girl, which at 18 months she’s already very intelligent and needs constant entertainment from both

Mom and Dad. I also have the bonus of completing the various and interesting courses that I am sent on by NCC.

How long have you been in conservation… I have been in conservation for the whole of my working life. I started in the Kruger National Park in 2004. Then I continued on to work at a Private Game Lodge near Bela-Bela and in Botswana after that. At the end of 2006 Johan and I started our own consulting company focusing mainly on game farm management and selective bush control.

Hobbies and interests… I enjoy reading, baking and cooking and gardening. Top of my list of course is spending time with my family and friends.

My greatest achievement… Personally having my daughter was one of the most fulfilling moments of my life. It is the most amazing feeling to be able to say that I did that. Professionally it was completing my B-Tech Degree in Nature Conservation and finding a company where I can apply myself and my qualifications. 2

September 2010

A new fish species! by Marius Burger

What on earth is a Cape Galaxias?! Well at a first glance, it really isn’t very much to look at. A diminutive and drab little freshwater fish with no scales, one of about 45 species in the family Galaxiidae. The peculiar thing about it is that it’s the only species that occur in Africa, with the other galaxiids being widespread in Australia, Tasmania, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Chatham Islands, Auckland Islands, Campbell Island,

Patagonia and the Falkland Islands. Galaxias zebratus was originally described from the Cape Flats near Cape Town by the French Count Castelnau in 1861. Since then it has been recorded from coastal streams and rivers from the Keurbooms on the south coast to the Clanwilliam/Olifants system on the west coast. In 1995 it was also discovered in the Krom River and Gamtoos River systems.

NCC conducted a field survey in the Caledon region in July 2010, as part of an EMP that we are preparing for the farm Voorhoede. The traps that were set for aquatic frogs also collected a tiny little fish, a photograph of which was sent to the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity.

Well it turns out that the Cape Galaxias is in reality a whole bunch of cryptic species, not just one species as we had previously thought. As many as ten new species may be described as new, and our small Voorhoede vissie turned out to be a big discovery.

NCC deposits to the Blood BankOn the 12th of August a large group of office staff went down to the blood bank to make a donation. Sara Best led this lifesaving initiative.

On the 25th another group of NCC volunteers went to enroll with the Sunflower Fund bone marrow registry.

A very brave and selfless thing to do guys, we’re proud. We hope to have even more people join the next time round!

My greatest challenge… I don’t really know. Conducting Audits was certainly a challenge, but one that I welcomed and enjoyed.

I can’t live without… My family, plain and simple. I can go without brushing my teeth and shower in cold water but I can’t live without the two loves in my life. The weeks that I have been on course are very difficult for me, but as my mother would say ‘what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger’.

Ultimate pet hate… Dishonesty.

If I wasn’t in conservation I’d be… Well then I wouldn’t be me. I have always wanted to be in conservation, since I can remember. There is just nothing else that I have such a passion for, work wise of course…

Next holiday or travel… Holiday? What is a holiday? I have not been on a proper holiday in more than 4 years. Only weekend breakaways. The next one will be in September 2010. We are going to a Spa and I can’t wait. Then of course there is the workshop at the end of October. That will be my first time on a plane…

I recommend that every South African … Travel our own country first before travelling overseas. We have some of the most beautiful and interesting places in the world that people tend to overlook because it’s local. Watching the sun set and rise in the bushveld is an absolute must.

Lynx Droppings

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September 2010

SeptemberNews and eventsInternational Coastal Cleanup is taking place on •

the 18th of September 2010

Arbor week• 1-7 September Trees of the year for 2010 are:

Acacia xanthophloea • Fever tree, Koorsboom

Rothmannia capensis• Cape gardenia, Kaapse Katjiepiering

Rothmannia globosa• Bell gardenia, Klokkies-Katjiepiering

Cladostemon kirkii • Tonga-kerrie, Tongakierie

NCC Year-end Workshop • 29 October to 1 November, see you there!

This year is International Biodiversity Year, • visit http://www.cbd.int/2010/welcome/

Feedback from Management Team: (this will become a regular feature, so you’ll get to see what we’re up to!)

Financial: The cost code system used in Pastel has had to be revised to align with the restructuring of business units. A financial reporting system has been finalized for project managers to report back monthly on financial status.

Business Planning: JustinM presented a Business Plan template and process for Project Managers to compile business plans for their respective units, the final draft is due end September for review by Directors. Your input here will be greatly appreciated!

An EMS framework for NCC is being compiled by Philip and his team.

Kareemah & Stephen attended an internal branding workshop to learn how to convey the new brand to our teams to help live the new brand values and deliver on our brand promise. We will unroll

an engagement strategy over the next few months.

We’ve relooked at our insurance cover, we’ll revise short-term insurance for some cost-saving a n d will consider cover for public liability and professional indemnity within the next few months.

Warren is looking at some more potential cost-saving areas, for now we can save on Telkom and 3G accounts, you will be communicated with shortly.

Management Team met to interrogate a draft Environmental Policy and principles document, this should be finalized in time for the Workshop.

We have reached finality in choosing an attainable Vision and Mission statement, please refer to Brand section for these, we’ll expand on each in the next Lynx Droppings.

d o n t f o r g e t t o s t a r t p l a n n i n g y o u r s u p e r h e r o c o s t u m e f o r t h e e n d o f y e a r f u n c t i o n !