Conservation blogs

The Big Biodiversity Challenge is back – Learners Tackle Biodiversity Crisis in Provincial Competition
The Western Cape Environmental Education Friends (WCEEF), together with members CapeNature, SANBI, Nature Connect, SANParks, Working on Fire, the City of Cape Town, The Environmental Education Association of Southern Africa (EEASA) and the Two Oceans Aquarium, is thrilled to announce the return of its successful competition for children in grades 6 – 9.

CapeNature's vision - Protecting biodiversity for a sustainable future
Biodiversity forms the bedrock of life on Earth. It is essential not only for sustaining healthy ecosystems but also for ensuring human wellbeing. Last week, on 22 May, we celebrated International Day for Biological Diversity, to raise awareness, educate, and build understanding around biodiversity issues, while inspiring collective effort to conserve it for future generations.

Living in harmony with nature to ensure sustainable development
The International Day for Biodiversity, under this year’s theme of “Harmony with nature and sustainable development” is at the heart of a “whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach” to implement the 23 targets of the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Global Framework and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, according to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
International Day for Biodiversity is celebrated annually on 22 May, and this year marks 32 years since its inception, when the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) went into effect.

CapeNature welcomes in principle agreement to protect the African Penguin
CapeNature is thankful that the government, seabird conservation organisations and the pelagic fishing industry have worked together to reach an in-principle agreement on overfishing restrictions around critical penguin breeding areas.

Public invited to comment on Draft 2024 Western Cape Protected Areas Expansion Strategy
The Draft 2024 Western Cape Protected Areas Expansion Strategy is now out for public comment. You can read all about it here.
Stripy New Arrival to Delight Visitors at CapeNature’s De Hoop Nature Reserve
Visitors to De Hoop Nature Reserve are in for a treat this month as a new foal, born just three weeks ago, joins the reserve’s small but vital population of Cape mountain zebra. The latest arrival is an exciting addition to the herd and for the conservation of this once-endangered species.

Lambert’s Bay Bird Island’s Cape Gannet colony reaches record numbers
During January 2025, the Cape Gannet population reached an impressive 45,000 individuals—its highest in 19 years! This marked a significant milestone for the island, with numbers consistently remaining in the 30,000s over the past five years.

Kai kisses a frog and makes a new friend

CapeNature Marine Ranger shines bright at 2024 African Conservation Awards
Chanel Hauvette, Senior Marine Ranger at CapeNature’s Robberg Nature Reserve and Marine Protected Area is the newly crowned winner of the “Best Marine Ranger” category of the 2024 African Conservation Awards.

Kai and his friends escape a wildfire

KAI AND HIS FRIEND help clean up the beach One
One day, as Kai, the leopard cub, was lying on his back, warming his full tummy in the sun, he was thinking about the class he had attended with his mom, brother, and sister the previous day. It was about survival, the importance of helping your friends and caring for your environment. It all sounded a bit boring, farfetched and un-adventurous! His mom had caught him dosing off in class.

New population of Critically Endangered Northern moss frog discovered in Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area
A new and healthy sub-population of the Critically Endangered, Northern moss frog was recently discovered in the far south of the Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area during a targeted biodiversity survey. With a maximum size of only 14mm, the Northern moss frog, Arthroleptella subvoce, was previously known from only three locations in South Africa, all within the mountains of the Groot Winterhoek Reserve and Wilderness Area.