CapeNature honours its firefighters ahead of International Firefighters' Day
On 30 April 2024, CapeNature hosted a firefighters appreciation event at Assegaaibosch Nature Reserve to honour the brave men and women who were on the frontlines during the Western Cape’s fire season.
A representative group of firefighters attended the event on behalf of CapeNature’s 240 firefighters. Despite facing extreme heat and challenging terrain, the firefighters worked together seamlessly, never once wavering in their commitment to protect land and communities. Their tireless work helped to prevent costly damage to property and infrastructure and ensured damage to sensitive biodiversity was kept to a minimum.
The event also recognised International Firefighters’ Day, held annually on 4 May, which highlights the important contributions of all personnel working in the fire services globally. In this spirit, CapeNature showed its appreciation to our partners who provided support and personnel during the course of the fire season.
These included the Cape Winelands District Municipality, Overberg District Municipality, West Coast District Municipality, NCC Environmental Services, Working on Fire, Provincial Disaster Management Centre, Cape Peninsula Fire Appreciation Association, Winelands Fire Appreciation Association, Greater Overberg Fire Appreciation Association, Greater Cederberg Fire Appreciation Association, and Volunteer Wildlife Services.
The representative group as well as the Entity’s partners were heralded for their services by Western Cape Minister for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Anton Bredell.
"The courage shown by the CapeNature staff is truly commendable. Their efforts have not only protected lives and property but have also helped preserve our natural heritage for future generations," remarked Minister Bredell.
CapeNature CEO Dr Ashley Naidoo expressed his gratitude to the firefighters, saying, “The men and women in the fire services have worked resolutely to protect communities, biodiversity, and infrastructure. Without these brave firefighters, the devastation and destruction wrought by the recent fire season would have been on a much larger scale.”
The fire season typically runs from December through to April, while the 2023/2024 fire season was particularly challenging for firefighters across the province, with 135,000 ha that burned. CapeNature provided support to fires on 63,485 ha of land while 22,530 ha was on CapeNature land.
Related News
Environmental education gets a boost through CapeNature’s museum training
CapeNature has partnered with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS): Museum Services to expand environmental education across the Western Cape. During February 2026, CapeNature’s Learning and Awareness team trained 18 museum staff members from DCAS affiliated institutions to deliver activity-based programmes focused on water conservation
Western Cape marks World Wildlife Day as CapeNature highlights climate resilience and sustainable living
The Western Cape is marking World Wildlife Day on 3 March, a day proclaimed by the United Nations, by reaffirming its commitment to biodiversity protection, climate resilience and sustainable development, with CapeNature playing a central role in conserving the province’s natural heritage.
CapeNature Cubs Club Connect 2026 makes a splash with water-themed family fun
Scores of children and their families flocked to Jonkershoek Nature Reserve over the weekend to take part in a day of learning, laughter and connection in nature as part of CapeNature’s Cubs Club programme. Around 70 children and their families took part in the Cubs Club Connect 2026 event to celebrate this year’s theme, Water.
JOINT STATEMENT: Final Action Plan for baboons includes a sanctuary, fencing, and more
The Cape Peninsula Baboon Management Joint Task Team (CPBMJTT) consisting of representatives from SANParks, CapeNature, and the City of Cape Town, welcomes the judgment from the Western Cape High Court which allows the three authorities to continue with the implementation of the Action Plan for the management of the Chacma baboon population.
Reforest Fest returns to tackle climate action in the Western Cape
As the Western Cape recovers from one of its worst fire seasons on record, with over 132,000 hectares burned across the region in January alone, Greenpopʼs Reforest Fest returns this Easter weekend with a sense of renewed urgency. The four-day restoration festival at Bodhi Khaya Nature Retreat aims to plant 5,000 indigenous trees in degraded forest patches as part of Greenpopʼs ongoing work in the region.
CapeNature rangers praised for heroic rescue of stranded UK tourist
A visit to the iconic Robberg Nature Reserve and Marine Protected Area — one of the Garden Route’s most celebrated gems — turned into a life-threatening ordeal for a London tourist, and a powerful reminder of humanity of CapeNature’s field rangers. For Ms Rosalind Innes, Robberg had been a long-awaited addition to her South African travel itinerary.