This talk will begin with the author’s early experiences in the Magaliesberg and why the book, Cradle of Life, came to be written. It will follow a thread that connects multiple disciplines to reveal the spectacular diversity of life and landscape in the Magaliesberg region and why this knowledge is important to our understanding of all life on earth. Geology, palaeontology, archaeology and biology and the tragic impact of war and the future threat of over-exploitation will be discussed.

'The Cradle of Life – The Story of the Magaliesberg and the Cradle of Humankind', 'The Wildlife of Southern Africa – A Field Guide to the Animals and Plants' & 'A Complete Guide to the Frogs of Southern Africa' will be available at a special price on the day at the Kirstenbosch Bookshop (online or you can visit the shop at the Gardens).

Click here to register on Zoom.

Vincent Carruthers

Retired company director, author, environmentalist, and scientist. He has written and edited eight books, many articles and two videos in the fields of history and natural science. Vincent served on the North West Parks and Tourism Board and has been a director of the National Productivity Institute, CEO of the Wildlife Society (now WESSA) and Chairman of the Ornithological Society (now Birdlife South Africa). He has been awarded the University of the Witwatersrand Gold medal for his work on South African biological science and the Chancellor’s Medal from North West University for his contribution to the environment. He has also been awarded the Zoological Society’s Stevenson-Hamilton Medal, the Wildlife and Environment Society’s Award for Individual Achievement and a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellowship. Vincent has a keen interest in the Magaliesberg and Cradle of Humankind and initiated a programme to have the region declared an international Biosphere by UNESCO.