Our Green Heritage
South Africa, Clanwilliam · 1973-07-27
Official first day cover (FDC) · South African philately
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front
info card 2
This cover is postmarked on 27-07-1973 in Clanwilliam. It marks Our Green Heritage, a country-wide promotional campaign for 1973 aimed at fostering appreciation for South Africa's indigenous flora and the economic value of forestry. The cover's issue coincided with the public opening of the 67 000 hectare Cederberg Wilderness Area in the Western Cape, a reserve the Department of Forestry had until then watched over without public access.
Description of the Cachet
The cachet features a colour photograph of a gnarled, wind sculpted tree growing among weathered boulders on a rocky hillside, evoking the rugged terrain of the Cederberg. "Ons Groen Erfenis / Our Green Heritage" runs vertically along the left edge of the envelope in bold black lettering. A "PER LUGPOS BY AIR MAIL PAR AVION" airmail label with a leaping springbok logo sits in the top left corner. The two stamps show a Baobab tree beneath a small white flower, both illustrated in a muted teal and gold palette typical of the era's definitive nature issues. The Clanwilliam postmark, shaped around a stylised tree or torch motif, marks the town nearest to the Cederberg Wilderness Area referenced in the accompanying text. A separate photographic insert accompanies this cover, showing a Land Rover travelling a quiet tarred road beneath a large spreading tree, framed by open grassland and distant hills, a scene that captures the accessible, drivable wilderness the Green Heritage campaign sought to open to the public. This cover favours photographic realism over illustration, letting the landscape itself carry the conservation message.
Information Card
Through the ages and until fairly recently civilisation was bound by finite frontiers, beyond which lay the untamed wilderness - a challenge to the strength and ingenuity of man. The wilderness was there to be conquered and its resources to be used for the benefit of man. However man has realized these resources are limited and have to be protected against civilisation's attacks. In South Africa the preservation of nature is an accepted principle which dates back to the proclamation of the first nature reserve before the end of the last century. Today there are numerous reserves under the guardianship of the state, provinces, local authorities and control boards. The Department of Forestry manages nature reserves, indigenous forests, plantations and mountain catchment areas occupying more than 1½ million hectares. OUR GREEN HERITAGE, the country-wide promotional campaign for 1973, is aimed at generating a love for South Africa's flora, accentuating the beauty and use of trees and wood and giving new perspective to our attitude towards nature. Moreover the campaign underlines the value of forestry as the source of timber, a basic raw material of increasing economic importance. In this year of OUR GREEN HERITAGE the Department of Forestry is opening to nature-lovers part of this wilderness it is watching over in order to free them from the bonds of civilisation so that they may enjoy, appreciate and assist in preserving our green heritage. The opening to the public of the Cederberg Wilderness Area of 67 000 ha in the Western Cape coincides with the issue of this commemorative cover. Deur die eeue heen en tot baie onlangs was die beskawing gesetel binne meetbare grense. Buitekant dié grense was die ongetemde wildernis - 'n uitdaging vir die krag en vernuf van die mens. Die wildernis moes oorwin en sy hulpbronne tot voordeel van die mens benut word. Die mens het egter besef dat dié kosbare bron beperk is en teen die aanslae van sy beskawing beskerm moet word. In Suid-Afrika is natuurbewaring 'n aanvaarde beginsel. Die eerste natuurreservaat is reeds vóór die einde van die 19e eeu geproklameer. Tans is daar talle natuurreservate onder voogdyskap van die staat, provinsies, plaaslike owerhede en beheerrade. Die Departement van Bosbou beheer natuurreservate, inheemse bosse, plantasiegebiede en bergopvanggebiede wat meer as 1½ miljoen hektaar beslaan. ONS GROEN ERFENIS, die landwye bevorderingsveldtog vir 1973, wil 'n liefde vir Suid-Afrika se flora kweek, ons laat besin oor die skoonheid en nut van bome en hout en aan ons houding teenoor die natuur nuwe perspektief gee. Boonop beklemtoon dit die waarde van bosbou as bron van hout, 'n basiese grondstof van toenemende ekonomiese belang. Gedurende die jaar van ONS GROEN ERFENIS stel die Departement van Bosbou 'n deel van die wildernis waaroor hy waak vir natuurliefhebbers oop sodat hulle die beskawingsbande kan ontvlug, ons groen erfenis kan geniet en waardeer en kan help om dit te bewaar. Die oopstelling van die Sederbergwildernisgebied van 67 000 ha in Wes-Kaapland val saam met die uitreiking van hierdie gedenkkoevert.
Theme: Heritage
Condition: FineGood condition. Minor wear or small imperfections, but overall well-presented.
Addressed: No
Signed: No
Stamp denomination: R0.1 (ZAR)
SG reference: 414
SAPO serial number: 29
Estimated value: ~US$2.17
This is a high-level, subjective estimate only, not a professional appraisal.
This first day cover (FDC) is part of Southern Covers, a private collection of 209 first day covers documenting the postal history and philately of South Africa and the homeland states. New to first day cover collecting? Read the guide to learn about cachets, postmarks, and stamp collecting terms, or browse the whole collection of Southern African FDCs.
