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 ahead is high. Removing pines before the next fire reaches them is one of the most effective forms of mitigating the increased fire risk.
Boosmansbos lies in the Langeberg, north of Heidelberg, between Swellendam and Riversdale, alongside CapeNature’s Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve. It is part of the Cape Floral Region Protected Areas World Heritage Site. Its sheltered kloofs hold some of the last intact Afromontane forest in the region: ancient indigenous forest surrounded by mountain fynbos. The area is home to species found nowhere else on earth, including the Boosmansbos long-tailed forest shrew (Myosorex longicaudatus boosmani).
The operation concentrated on the large, mature pines that produce vast quantities of seed, growing on the slopes around the main indigenous forest. Some of these trees are more than 40 years old.
Fynbos is adapted to burn, but not at the intensity that dense stands of invasive pine create. Pines carry far more fuel than the natural vegetation, so fires in invaded areas burn hotter, spread faster and are much harder to bring under control. These intense fires damage soil, leave slopes open to erosion and put firefighters, farms and homes at greater risk.
Fire also feeds the invasion. Pinecones release large quantities of seed after a burn, so an uncleared slope can come back far more heavily invaded than before. The 2025 fires showed how quickly a blaze can move through this landscape.
Clearing these pines now is fire prevention in the most practical sense. Every tree our partners and volunteers remove is fuel that will not be there when the next fire comes through, and that protects both the mountain and the communities below it.
The Boosmansbos Wilderness Area also lies within a nationally recognised Strategic Water Source Area, one of the small parts of the country that deliver a disproportionately large share of its water. The mountain catchment feeds the Duiwenhoks River and Dam, which supply around 15 000 residents in the towns downstream as well as the farmers whose crops and livestock rely on a steady flow of water.
Invasive pines use considerably more water than the fynbos they replace, reducing the flow that reaches rivers and dams. Keeping these catchments clear protects the water supply for everyone downstream and makes the system more resilient in dry years.
Over three days, the volunteers worked across steep, roadless terrain that ground teams cannot reach on foot in a practical timeframe. The helicopter put them directly onto the invaded slopes, so they could spend their time cutting rather than hiking. Felling large, decades-old pines on steep slopes is slow and demanding work, and each mature tree removed takes away a major seed source and a significant fire load from beside the forest.
This was the sixth HeliHack operation in Boosmansbos since the first pilot in April 2023. Including this operation, volunteers have cleared 48 523 invasive pines from the wilderness area across 7 284 hectares.
In 2024, CapeNature formalised the partnership through a three-year Memorandum of Agreement with the HeliHack Initiative. The agreement continues the flagship work at Boosmansbos and extends the helicopter-supported clearing model to four other CapeNature reserves.
ABOUT CapeNature
CapeNature is a public institution mandated to promote and ensure biodiversity conservation within the Western Cape and is the custodian of the Cape Floristic Region. The Entity manages most of the mountain catchments and reserves that supply ecosystem services to the citizens of the Western Cape. This requires good scientific data, a sound understanding of fynbos ecology and commitment to the principles of integrated biodiversity management and planning. Most of this work is in remote areas out of the public eye but has a direct bearing on the quality of life of millions of people in the province.
MEDIA ENQUIRIES:
CapeNature
General Manager: Advocacy
Petro van Rhyn
pvrhyn@capenature.co.za
071 231 7576
Related News
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.
Penguin Palooza 2026 returns to Stony Point in support of African Penguin conservation
Stony Point in Betty’s Bay is one of the last known locations on Earth where African Penguins still breed on the mainland, and the species is under growing pressure. On Saturday, 7 November 2026, Penguin Palooza returns to Stony Point Nature Reserve, giving the public a chance to learn about the species and the work CapeNature, SANCCOB and other partners are doing to protect it.
Robberg Nature Reserve named Best Outdoor Activity in 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards
Robberg Nature Reserve named Best Outdoor Activity in 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards. Robberg Nature Reserve has been named the Best Outdoor Activity in the Best of Knysna & Plett Readers’ Choice Awards 2026. The recognition follows months of nominations and voting by communities across Knysna, Plettenberg Bay and Sedgefield, making the award a meaningful reflection of the place Robberg holds in the local community.
CapeNature maintains clean audit record and expands the Western Cape’s Protected Areas
CapeNature's 2025/26 Annual Report shows the Entity added more than 44 000 hectares to the Western Cape conservation estate over the year. The additions extend protection across mountain catchments that feed the province's water supply, guarding them against the invasive plant growth and wildfire risk that threaten water security. Ultimately the protected areas expansion improves our ability to conserve the rich and unique Western Cape biodiversity.
WESSA recognises 62 Blue Flags and 19 Green Coast sites as South Africa marks 25 years of coastal stewardship
South Africa’s Blue Flag and Green Coast programmes are entering their next chapter with a renewed focus on environmental stewardship, inclusion, community participation and long-term coastal resilience, as WESSA, the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa, celebrates 25 years of Blue Flag in South Africa and its own centenary.