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.

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.

The Cape Peninsula Baboon Management Joint Task Team (CPBMJTT) consisting of representatives from SANParks, CapeNature, and the City of Cape Town, hosted its second meeting with the Cape Peninsula Baboon Advisory Group (CPBAG) on 27 May 2025. The Shark Spotters who are implementing selected operational tasks under the banner of the Cape Baboon Partnership, also provided feedback on progress and challenges with the implementation of the Cape Peninsula Baboon Strategic Management Plan. 

A successful HeliHack operation has cleared 15 194 invasive pine trees from the rugged slopes of the Boosmansbos Wilderness Area – a CapeNature-managed World Heritage Site and crucial catchment area feeding the Duivenhoks Dam.

From 3–5 May 2025, the latest mission to tackle the invasive alien vegetation marked the most successful pine removal in the initiative’s history.

Through the peak summer season in December 2024 and January 2025, there was a tremendous influx of visitors to CapeNature-managed provincial reserves, with over 146 550 overnight and day visitors passing through many reserve gates. Minister Bredell unpacks why more visitors are seeking nature-based attractions when it comes to deciding on a holiday destination.

One of the Western Cape’s most mysterious mammals, the Boosmansbos long-tailed forest shrew (Myosorex longicaudatus boosmani), has made a reappearance, 46 years after it was last recorded! Conservationists from CapeNature, Grootvadersbosch Conservancy and Helihack, together with volunteer biologists found one of these tiny mammals in CapeNature’s Boosmansbos Wilderness Area.

Wonderful winter experiences at affordable prices! Keep warm, embrace nature! CapeNature’s annual 40% winter discount on select accommodation at camping and glamping spots this May – July, is back!

Today is World Water Day! The 2025 theme for the annual United Nations World Water Day is “Glacier Preservation”. These unique and very sensitive ecosystems, holding vast volumes of global freshwater have started to melt at alarming rates due to global warming.

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.

In celebration of the invaluable role played by professional tourist guides, CapeNature, in collaboration with the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism, hosted an interactive event at Walker Bay Nature Reserve to mark International Tourist Guide Day.

CapeNature, in collaboration with the Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, celebrated World Wetlands Day at Assegaaibosch Nature Reserve on 7 February. Grade Six learners from Rietenbosch Primary School participated in an educational event. 

The Draft 2024 Western Cape Protected Areas Expansion Strategy is now out for public comment. You can read all about it here.