CapeNature participates in the City Nature Challenge, a worldwide citizen science event
By Natanya Dreyer, Team Leader, Learning and Awareness
The annual City Nature Challenge is a global community science competition to document biodiversity. The challenge is a bio blitz that engages residents and visitors to find and document plants, animals and other organisms within a specific boundary.
Cities around the world compete against one another to see who can make the most observations of nature, find the most species and engage the most people to participate. Knowing where and what species are in our cities help us to study and protect them. By garnering the support of the public and all major conservation organisations within a particular boundary, an incredible amount of data is able to be collected in a very short space of time.
Following a hard lockdown during the 2020 event, in 2021, South Africa and the Western Cape was finally able to fully discover and document its incredible wildlife in the great outdoors again. Both the City of Cape Town and the Garden Route Municipality entered the competition and CapeNature was there to help record species and arrange events for the public.
The event ran from 30 April to 3 May and in that time CapeNature events were held at the Lourensford and Hansekop sites in the Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve, Atlantis Area, Kammanassie and Gamkaberg Nature Reserves. 110 people attended these events with an estimated 1800 observations made. Participants included CapeNature staff, scientists and members of the public. Between 30 April and 9 May these observations will be uploaded and species names will be confirmed by specialists in the field. CapeNature’s contributions will be added to other participant organisations and individuals and the final result for the participating cities will be announced in the upcoming weeks.
Related News
A Win for Renosterveld Conservation as Haarwegskloof Declared a Provincial Nature Reserve
In a major victory for biodiversity conservation, Haarwegskloof, which includes the largest remaining connected stretch of renosterveld left on Earth has officially been declared a provincial nature reserve.
The reserve is owned by WWF South Africa and managed by the Overberg Renosterveld Trust (ORT), a non-profit organisation dedicated to protecting and restoring the fragile renosterveld ecosystem that once covered large parts of the Overberg.
Damara Trail Wins Silver Award at International Tourism Film Festival Africa 2025
CapeNature is proud to announce that its Damara Trail video series has won the Silver Award in the Tourism – Products category at the prestigious International Tourism Film Festival Africa (ITFFA) 2025.
CapeNature’s videos stood out for their compelling storytelling, visual excellence, and ability to capture the essence of nature-based tourism in the Western Cape.
“We are incredibly proud that the Damara Trail videos have been recognised on an international platform. This award helps to underline our commitment to sustainable tourism offerings. Much like the Damara Trail itself, the video helps to tell the unique history and story of the Waenhuiskrans area to visitors both far and near,” said Sheraaz Ismail, Executive Director: Eco-Tourism and Access.
Climbing in Rocklands this Season? Here’s What You Need to Know After the Cederberg Fire
The Cederberg, a protected wilderness area managed by CapeNature and home to some of the most iconic climbing and bouldering routes in South Africa, was recently impacted by a wildfire that began on 7 March 2025. The fire ignited near Krakadouw Peak and burned for 13 days, before being fully contained on 20 March. In total, it scorched 20,834 hectares, spanning 97 kilometers of fire line, and included damage to the Rocklands “Bouldering Area” — a popular climbing zone. As a result of the fire, several popular climbing sectors and access routes have been damaged or are temporarily inaccessible.
The Big Biodiversity Challenge is back – Learners Tackle Biodiversity Crisis in Provincial Competition
The Western Cape Environmental Education Friends (WCEEF), together with members CapeNature, SANBI, Nature Connect, SANParks, Working on Fire, the City of Cape Town, The Environmental Education Association of Southern Africa (EEASA) and the Two Oceans Aquarium, is thrilled to announce the return of its successful competition for children in grades 6 – 9.
CapeNature's vision - Protecting biodiversity for a sustainable future
Biodiversity forms the bedrock of life on Earth. It is essential not only for sustaining healthy ecosystems but also for ensuring human wellbeing. Last week, on 22 May, we celebrated International Day for Biological Diversity, to raise awareness, educate, and build understanding around biodiversity issues, while inspiring collective effort to conserve it for future generations.
Task team briefs Cape Peninsula Baboon Advisory Group on progress and way forward
The Cape Peninsula Baboon Management Joint Task Team (CPBMJTT) consisting of representatives from SANParks, CapeNature, and the City of Cape Town, hosted its second meeting with the Cape Peninsula Baboon Advisory Group (CPBAG) on 27 May 2025. The Shark Spotters who are implementing selected operational tasks under the banner of the Cape Baboon Partnership, also provided feedback on progress and challenges with the implementation of the Cape Peninsula Baboon Strategic Management Plan.
How can I assist you today?
How can I assist you today?