Reasons to protect our natural world

The natural world was here long before us and we can play a role in keeping it safe from harm.

Protecting our environment benefits us in the following ways:

• Plants and soil filter water and air.
• Healthy ecosystems help us adapt to climate change – they recover and adapt better to changes in weather and temperatures and help us withstand extreme storm and flood events.
• Nature-based tourism provides valuable income and jobs.
• Plants can have commercial value; e.g. flowers, buchu, thatching reed.
• Fishing provides an income and is a popular sport.
• Natural playgrounds have incredible health benefits.

See our Biodiversity Fact Sheets in the document download section below for more tips on how you can help us preserve our precious biodiversity.

Become a spotter

Are you a regular hiker, an interested gardener or a concerned member of the public? Our Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) Programme will be even more effective if you can help them with locating new invasive alien target species.

As many target species can be found in gardens or areas often visited by hikers, friends, gardeners or nature lovers, you can play an active part in spotting, reporting or even removing the plants before they become established and start spreading. Start by signing up to become a Cape Town spotter. View the target list, read more about the plants, see the most recent spotter updates and track the progress of the removal of the plants on the ‘map’ link.

Replace invasive plants

There are thousands of eco-friendly, water-wise plants that are not invasive to the environment. In addition to the over 25 000 indigenous plants in the country, there are an estimated 8 000 foreign plants in South Africa, of which only 360 have been declared an invasive menace to society and the environment. Speak to your nursery about replacing any invasive plants in your garden with indigenous ones.

Support our protected nature areas

Cape Town is unique amongst world cities because of the many plant and animal species that are found within the city and nowhere else in the world. A visit to the City’s nature reserves and natural areas will reveal our network of incredible plants and animals.

Visit a City nature reserve today or help to look after one – volunteer or join a ‘Friends’ group so you can take part in patrols, maintenance, management and administrative duties. Find out how by following the City Connect link below:

Other ways to get involved

There are many ways for you to get involved in protecting our natural environment and its ecosystems. Here are some suggestions:

• Join a ‘Friends Group’ at your local nature reserve to volunteer in restoring the veld.
• Join iSpot to record the biodiversity around you.
• Maintain biodiversity in your garden by composting, avoiding pesticides, planting indigenous plants, and using fencing that lets small animals move between gardens.
• Combat urban sprawl by putting pressure on your local government to support proper planning of urban areas.
• Reduce, reuse and recycle your waste so we can have cleaner and greener natural areas. See our recycing section for tips.
• Reduce your carbon footprint – use less of the earth's resources by driving less and conserving water, electricity and fossil fuels. See our greener living section for some more tips.
• If you know your birds or plants, record and monitor threatened and rare species and help groups like Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers (CREW) to map areas that need conservation

Which part of the natural world are you passionate about?

For more tips on how you can get involved in protecting our natural world, see the following:

• Cape Town's forests and plantations
• Cape Town Green Map
• Conserve our rivers and wetlands
• Focus on baboons
• Focus on Fynbos
• Focus on sharks
• Our floral kingdom
• Our unique coastline
• Preserving our biodiversity
• The Cape's animal kingdom

Document downloads

• 1. Biodiversity Fact Sheet 01: Peninsula Shale Renosterveld

     01/03/2011, Fact sheet - 375.8 KB

  2. Biodiversity Fact Sheet 02: Peninsula Granite Fynbos

     01/03/2011, Fact sheet - 361.3 KB

  3. Biodiversity Fact Sheet 03: Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos

     01/03/2011, Fact sheet - 326.6 KB

  4. Biodiversity Fact Sheet 04: Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos

     01/03/2011, Fact sheet - 372.4 KB

  5. Biodiversity Fact Sheet 05: Cape Flats Dune Sand

     01/03/2011, Fact sheet - 657.5 KB

  6. Biodiversity Fact Sheet 06: Cape Flats Sand Fynbos

     01/03/2011, Fact sheet - 365.5 KB

  7. Biodiversity Fact Sheet 07: Endemic Species

     01/03/2011, Fact sheet - 335.1 KB

  8. Biodiversity Fact Sheet 08: Threatened species

     01/03/2011, Fact sheet - 233 KB

  9. Biodiversity Fact Sheet 09: How You Can Help

     01/03/2011, Fact sheet - 153.6 KB

  10. Biodiversity Fact Sheet Supplement: Endemic Species

      01/03/2010, Fact sheet - 298 KB

  11. Biodiversity Fact Sheet Supplement: Endemic vegetation Types

      01/03/2010, Fact sheet - 132.2 KB

  12. Biodiversity Fact Sheet Supplement: Glossary

      01/12/2010, Fact sheet - 246.2 KB

  13. Biodiversity Fact Sheet Supplement: Threatened Species

      01/03/2010, Fact sheet - 233.8 KB

  14. Biodiversity: Unique Species Poster

      01/02/2011, Poster - 1.1 MB

  15. Biodiversity: Unique Vegetation Poster

      01/02/2011, Poster - 796.8 KB