The Blaauwberg Nature Reserve, the first coastal site in South Africa to receive the Green Coast Status Award. Blaauwberg will be one of the nature reserve that are free from 20-23 September. Picture: Supplied
Cape Town’s nature lovers are in for a treat this Heritage Month, as the city is offering free access to its 16 nature reserves as part of the Great Southern BioBlitz.
The free entry will be from Friday, September 20 to Monday, September 23, for Great Southern BioBlitz weekend, which is a global citizen science event aimed at encouraging people to observe and record local wildlife.
Southern hemisphere cities will compete to document the widest range of plant and animal species, with Cape Town joining the challenge alongside cities like Melbourne and Buenos Aires.
Alderman Eddie Andrews, Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, highlighted the spirit of friendly competition behind the event.
“Much like the popular City Nature Challenge, cities in the southern hemisphere compete against each other to see who can record the widest range of plant and animal species during the course of the challenge.“
Residents are invited to explore any of the city’s 16 nature reserves during these four days, completely free of charge.
These reserves include Blaauwberg, Bothasig Fynbos, Botterblom, Bracken, Durbanville, Edith Stephens, False Bay, Harmony Flats, Helderberg, Steenbras, Table Bay, Tygerberg, Uitkamp Wetland, Witzands Aquifer, Wolfgat, and Zandvlei Estuary.
BioBlitz participants can participate by downloading the iNaturalist app, and by taking photos of plants or animals they encounter, and uploading their observations.
All sightings recorded over the four-day event will be immediately included into the competition, helping Cape Town record the most species.
“With a wide array of nature reserves, I am certain Cape Town will come out tops and I encourage residents to take along their smartphones or cameras and snap as many unique sightings as they can at the reserves,“ said Alderman.
IOL
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