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, fire awareness, and species protection, with a special emphasis on bird biodiversity.
This initiative marks the first time CapeNature’s environmental content will be delivered at scale outside Provincial Protected Areas, positioning museums as new hubs for accessible, community-based environmental learning.
By equipping museum educators with practical tools and curriculum-aligned modules, CapeNature is enabling many more young people, especially those who may not have the opportunity to visit nature reserves, to engage directly with environmental topics that affect their everyday lives.
Museums are trusted community spaces, and by building capacity within these spaces we are widening the reach of environmental learning far beyond our Protected Areas. This partnership allows us to equip educators with engaging, curriculum aligned tools so that more young people can meaningfully connect with conservation. Every learner has a role in protecting our biodiversity and natural resources.
Our museums are ideal spaces to bring these important messages to the communities they serve. Through this partnership with CapeNature, we hope to equip our museum staff to support the conservation efforts in the Province.
The trained educators will now begin rolling out interactive sessions that explore water security, fire prevention, and the value of biodiversity. The bird-focused module introduces learners to local species and highlights how ecosystems depend on healthy, interconnected environments.
CapeNature and DCAS plan to expand this initiative through additional training sessions for more museums in the months ahead. Both partners look forward to seeing the programmes come to life across the Province as they work together to inspire the next generation of environmentally conscious citizens.
Related News
Stewardship practitioners tackle mining, municipal and agricultural interfaces at annual CapeNature Stewardship Workshop
The 23rd Annual CapeNature Stewardship Peer Learning Workshop was held between 29 and 30 October 2026 under the theme "Stewardship Interface: Connecting with Key Stakeholders – Where, How and Why." The workshop brought together 75 delegates representing 26 organisations and provided a valuable platform for knowledge sharing, networking, and capacity building among stewardship practitioners. Designed to strengthen practitioners' understanding of
Relax and explore another day on us this Black Friday
Make the most of the season with our Black Friday 3-for-2 accommodation promotion at select nature reserves. It's the perfect excuse to slow down, unwind, and enjoy everything our unique accommodation and on-site amenities have to offer - ideal for families, couples, and groups of friends. Spend your evening beneath starry skies in the Cape Karoo, soak up the warm weather and mountain pools of the Overberg, or take a scenic drive along the West Coast, where blue skies, vibrant landscapes, nearby beaches, or a private pool awaits.
Green Noise named SA Podcast Awards finalist
Green Noise, CapeNature's podcast, has been named a finalist in the Best Education category at the 2026 South African Podcast Awards. The podcast is one of five finalists in the category, competing alongside Pippa Hudson's Curriculum Bootcamp and Dr Carra's The Paws & Effect Podcast, among others. Finalists are scored across six criteria: concept and originality, content quality, host performance, structure and pacing, audience connection and production quality. Each entry is scored blind by an independent panel of judges.
CapeNature to phase out trade in California kingsnakes
CapeNature is phasing out trade in California kingsnakes (Lampropeltis californiae) in the Western Cape over a two-year transition period that began on 1 April 2026, after a risk assessment classified the species as high risk for invasion. Animals already lawfully held may remain in captivity for the remainder of their natural lives. The assessment, which used the Bomford (2008) rapid risk assessment model, identified the potential for ecological disruption and competition with indigenous species should
HeliHack volunteers clear 5 334 invasive pines from Boosmansbos
Twenty-three volunteers were flown by helicopter into the remote upper slopes of the Boosmansbos Wilderness Area from 23–25 October 2026, where they cut down 5 334 invasive alien pine trees across 904 hectares. The operation, led by the HeliHack Initiative in partnership with CapeNature, comes as the region is still recovering from the wildfires of 2025. With the South African Weather Service forecasting a strong El Niño and warmer, drier conditions through the 2026/27 summer, the fire risk in the months
CapeNature welcomes conviction of Cape Town woman in case involving 145 reptiles
CapeNature welcomes the successful conviction of Mrs Jacqueline Hewett of Woodstock, Cape Town, on all six charges relating to the unlawful acquisition, possession and keeping in captivity of 145 reptiles. The offences involved snakes, geckos and lizards, including protected, endangered, alien invasive and prohibited species, kept at a shop in Lower Main Road, Observatory and her residence in Woodstock in March 2023.