Celebrating the cultural heritage of wetlands on World Wetlands Day 2026
As the world commemorates World Wetlands Day annually on 2 February, CapeNature joins communities across the Western Cape in recognising the deep and enduring relationship between people, culture and wetlands, celebrating under the 2026 theme “Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge… Celebrating Cultural Heritage”.
Together with the Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, CapeNature will celebrate World Wetlands Day at Assegaaibosch Nature Reserve on 6 February. Grade seven learners from Pniel Primary School will participate in an educational event designed to strengthen their understanding of wetlands, inspire positive environmental action, and promote overall wellbeing.
Through its environmental education programmes, CapeNature encourages intergenerational knowledge transfer by creating spaces where elders, youth and conservation practitioners can learn from one another. These programmes highlight how cultural values, customs and practices contribute to the sustainable management of wetlands and develop a shared sense of responsibility for their protection.
For generations, wetlands in the Western Cape have been central to the cultural identity, livelihoods and knowledge systems of indigenous and local communities. Long before formal conservation frameworks existed, traditional knowledge guided the sustainable use, protection and management of these vital ecosystems.
Wetlands provided food, medicinal plants, grazing, building materials and spiritual spaces, shaping cultural practices and community resilience across landscapes. It was recognised that wetlands provide natural water filters between the mountain catchments, rivers and estuaries as well as provide goods and services for human and essential living space for many species of insects, fish, birds and animals.
This traditional ecological knowledge remains highly relevant today. In a time of climate change, water insecurity, especially with current water shortage challenges in the province, and biodiversity loss, the wisdom embedded in cultural heritage offers practical and time-tested approaches to wetland stewardship.
Across the province, CapeNature actively integrates traditional knowledge and community heritage into wetland conservation and environmental education initiatives. This includes working with local communities to document and share indigenous plant uses, promoting storytelling and cultural interpretation at protected areas, and supporting community-led restoration projects that draw on local experience and historical land-use practices.
Wetlands are also living cultural landscapes and not only ecological assets. Many wetlands in the Western Cape are closely linked to heritage sites, traditional harvesting areas and cultural routes. By incorporating cultural heritage considerations into conservation planning and management, CapeNature aims to ensure that wetland protection supports both biodiversity and community wellbeing.
As we mark World Wetlands Day 2026, CapeNature calls on all residents of the Western Cape to celebrate and protect wetlands as places where nature and culture intersect. By valuing traditional knowledge alongside scientific research, we can strengthen conservation outcomes and honour the cultural heritage that has sustained wetlands for generations.
Throughout February, CapeNature will offer facilitated, curriculum-aligned wetland education programmes. Teachers and parents interested in these opportunities can contact learning@capenature.co.za. Educational resources are also available in the learning library on our website at www.capenature.co.za.
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