While the rainy season provides us with the sense that water is available in abundance, saving this precious resource should always be top of mind, even when it’s wet.

In a water-scarce country such as South Africa, it is important to keep track of the health of freshwater systems and to conduct long-term monitoring of selected rivers and wetlands and their biodiversity. Keeping up with changes, impacts, and trends of these ecosystems is very important for the management and conservation of these systems.

Our Winter Promotion is soon coming to an end. Why not take advantage of the last few weeks and head out to the Cederberg Wilderness? Come and watch nature come alive at this World Heritage Site.

Unpack your crash pads and get your spotter ready for a week of world-class bouldering and sports climbing at the Rocklands. The Rocklands partners have developed more than 1 500 invigorating climbing “problems” at the globally famed northern Cederberg gem, an absolute quintessence of first-class bouldering for seasoned and novice climbers.

CapeNature, in collaboration with Just Trees Nursery, hosted an annual Cedar Tree Planting Event in the Cederberg Wilderness Area in mid-July. This forms part of CapeNature’s efforts to re-establish the cedar trees in this region, dating back to 1987.

The family Iridaceae includes 33 genera that are native to southern Africa. This region has the highest diversity of Iridaceae in the world. The family comprises some spectacular blooms, including the genera Watsonia, Gladiolus, Ixia, Freesia, and Dietes.

If you are 60 years or older and have a valid South African ID, you’re in for a real treat with CapeNature’s Senior Citizen Discount perk. The all year 30% discount allows senior citizens accessible travel to all CapeNature reserves, which spans from the West Coast to the Winelands, Overberg, Garden Route and the Klein Karoo.

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) aim to conserve marine life and promote the conservation and effective management of ecologically and biologically diverse marine areas. They can be an example of a successful collaboration between civil society, communities, and government who need to work together to conserve our valuable marine resources for all.

World Ranger Day is celebrated annually on 31 July to highlight the work that rangers do. According to the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora, World Ranger Day is a time to pause, reflect and show our gratitude for the dedication and sacrifice of some of nature’s most devoted custodians.

The Green Flag Trails accreditation system (endorsed by all the main providers of hiking trails in South Africa) is not a grading system that promotes one trail as being superior to another. It’s a scientifically based, accurate objective assessment that allows prospective hikers to make well-informed decisions; ensuring them that they will get what is being promised and will thus be assured of a good trail experience.

Initiated in 2019 and funded by Table Mountain Fund, the project aims to regularise the network of Private Nature Reserves (PNR) in the Western Cape to ensure compliance with the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act of 2003 (NEM: PAA).

An exciting, new spider record was collected from the Kammanassie Nature Reserve, which is also a listed World Heritage Site of international importance. The Kammanassie Field Rangers observed a vivid red spider while assisting researchers from the University of Antwerp’s Department of Biology with field work at the Mannetjiesberg Mountain.