Guide to Cape Town’s nature reserves
December 18, 2008
Posted in Conservation
If you ask people why they love living in Cape Town they’ll often tell you that it’s because, no matter where you live in the city, you are never very far away from a nature reserve, a forest, a mountain, or a beach. It’s very condusive to an outdoorsy lifestyle. There are an incredible number of places where you can just park your car and walk for a few hours.
What’s more, Cape Town lies in the unique Cape Floristic Region, which was declared a Natural World Heritage Site in 2004. The region is the smallest and richest of the world’s six floral kingdoms and much of the plant life is found nowhere else. But more than 2,500 of its 9,000 plant species are threatened or endangered.
The City of Cape Town has set aside 24 areas where there are urban remnant habitats to try and conserve the natural heritage.
The city’s department of environmental resource management has produced a booklet – City of Cape Town Nature Reserves. A network of amazing urban biodiversity – with information about the 24 small reserves and natural areas spread throughout the city, which are easily accessible to residents or visitors.
The 63-page booklet, gives you an overview of the vegetation types. There is at least one page on each of the reserves with plenty of photographs, plus details of opening hours, entry fees, activities that you can do on each reserve and the types of species found there.
Contact details for the local friends groups associated with the nature reserves are included in the booklet. Residents of Cape Town are encouraged to become actively involved in conserving their natural and cultural heritage by joining these groups.
The booklet would make a great present for any nature lover who lives in the Cape or is planning to visit. It is apparently available from the Rietvlei, Rondevlei and Helderberg Nature Reserves at R5 per booklet. It is also available from the Botanical Society Bookshop at Kirstenbosch Gardens.
You can also download a free copy of the publication from the City of Cape Town’s website.
Source: BuaNews
Perlemoen poaching and other threats to our heritage
September 2, 2008
Posted in Green News
Fruit and wine farmers measure their carbon footprints
South African fruit and wine farmers have launched an initiative, with funding from the British government, to determine the environmental impact of their industries to keep up with the demand for green products in their export markets. Fully story
Perlemoen poaching
The department of environmental affairs and tourism announced yesterday that it is planning “further steps” – about which it is reportedly reluctant to give details for fear of tipping off crime syndicates – to stem the rampant poaching of South Africa’s marine resources, especially perlemoen. About 2 000 tons of poached perlemoen, worth R1.2-billion, was smuggled out of South Africa last year, reports Sapa. Full story
Restoring the fynbos
Anglo American-owned Vergelegen wine estate in Somerset West plans to restore 2,000 hectares of farmland back to pristine fynbos by 2014, reports the Cape Argus.
Mine water threat to Cradle of Humankind
Acidic mine water pollution caused by gold mining on the Witwatersrand could cause irreversible damage to the ancient hominid fossils of the Cradle of Humankind, including the Sterkfontein Caves, cave expert Mike Buchanan has warned in an open letter, the Saturday Star reports. The government needs to take urgent action to save the famous World Heritage Site, says Buchanan. Fully story
Africa’s environment then and now
June 13, 2008
Posted in Conservation
The satellite pictures on the left show the loss of fynbos in the Western Cape to agricultural and urban expansion between 1978 and 2006. The satellite images are among more than 300 taken all across Africa published in the Atlas of Our Changing Environment, compiled by the UN Environment Programme. The atlas was launched at the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) which met this week in Joburg. The photographs span some 35 years and serve as “before” and “after” shots, showing how Africa’s environment has changed over the years.
The 400-page atlas can be downloaded in pdf fomat There’s also an interactive version where you can explore world maps. Apparently about 120 sites from the atlas can be seen on Google Earth. Read more
