The Western Cape’s Special Biodiversity
A biodiversity hotspot
A biodiversity hotspot is a place that contains a great variety of threatened species that are found nowhere else on Earth. The Western Cape is extremely special as two of these hotspots can be found within its borders.
Cape Floristic Region
The Cape Floristic Region is one such biodiversity hotspot and has over 9 600 plant species even though it is the smallest in size of the world’s six floral kingdoms. Over half of the plant species found here is unique to this area. Another way of saying this is to say they are endemic to the area, meaning they are not naturally found anywhere else. Fynbos is a key part of the Cape Floristic Region and always includes four plant groups: ericas, proteas, bulbs and restios.
Cape Floral Region
Succulent Karoo
The second biodiversity hotspot found in the Western Cape is known as the Succulent Karoo, which is one of only two arid (dry/desert-type) hotspots in the world. Animals and plants found here are distinct and more than 40% of the 6 300 species are endemic to the area. The plants are all adapted to living in dry conditions because the area is semi-desert.
Related News
Win a Pizza Party with Kai the Leopard Cub!
Hey kids, want to have an amazing pizza party at your school or with a group of friends? Here’s your chance! CapeNature is hosting an exciting competition where you and your friends could win a fun pizza party with Kai, the awesome leopard mascot! That’s right—Kai will join your group for a super fun time, and you’ll get to enjoy delicious pizza together!
World Oceans Day!
June 8 is World Oceans Day, a day set aside to celebrate our amazing oceans.
And guess what? Even oceans have insects! While most bugs prefer dry land, some super swimmers live near the sea.
Celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity!
May 22 is the International Day of Biodiversity, and this year we’re giving a big buggy cheer for insect diversity! The theme for 2025 is Harmony with nature and sustainable development. This simply means that we need to live in a way that does not harm nature.
Individual action projects
Here are some wonderful ways you can make a difference and help protect and encourage more bugs into your garden! Simply send us a picture of your action and we will assign your points to you!
GROUP ACTION PROJECTS!
If you form part of a Cubs Club group, try out one or more of these actions that will help protect our insects!
Beneficial bugs
Think all bugs are just creepy? Think again! The Western Cape is home to some of the coolest insects that help people and nature every day. From pollination to pest control, insects provide us with a ton of benefits – without them, there is so much that would go wrong. Let’s meet a few of our tiny local heroes!
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