Cape nature reserve granted Green Coast Status
At a special ceremony, WESSA awarded Green Coast Status to Blaauwberg Nature Reserve for the fifth time this year.
Cape Town’s Blaauwberg Nature Reserve has been again awarded Green Coast Status this year. Markedly, it is the fifth time that the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA) has awarded this nature reserve this prestigious status. The award recognises the work that those involved are doing in protecting the environment.
About Green Coast Status
WESSA, founder of the programme, presented official Green Coast Status to the Blaauwberg Nature Reserve at a special ceremony. The event was held at the Two Oceans Aquarium on 28 October 2024.
The award is a recognition of the hard work and effort put in by the parties involved. These include individuals from the Environmental Management Department and the Friends of Blaauwberg Conservation Area.
The Green Coast Awards recognise local conservation champions and towns for their effective environmental practices and support of nature-based tourism.
As part of WESSA’s advocacy efforts, these awards also provide a platform for citizen science monitoring projects (such as water quality testing and biodiversity surveys), local community activism, and environmental education. These empower individuals to take action in protecting South Africa’s coastlines.
About Blaauwberg Nature Reserve
The Blaauwberg Nature Reserve in the Cape covers approximately 2 000 hectares of coastal terrain, including inland koppies and flats. It is home to critically endangered vegetation and has a seven-kilometre coastline.
Markedly, the Blaauwberg Hill in the reserve is one of the rare spots in the world where you can view two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These are Table Mountain and Robben Island.
Along this stretch of coastline, the Green Coast Zone promotes conservation, sustainable tourism and environmental education.
Eddie Andrews, City of Cape Town’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, said that this achievement comes as a result of the City’s Environmental Management Department and its implementing partner, the Friends of Blaauwberg Conservation Area’s collective efforts. These include ‘actively monitoring, maintaining, and ensuring the accessibility of the coastline, while providing opportunities for environmental education, sustainable tourism, and the empowerment of local communities’, said Andrews.
“Today we can proudly say that Blaauwberg Nature Reserve is a beacon for coastal conservation in Cape Town and South Africa. I am pleased that we have set the ‘Green’ bar.”
Eddie Andrews.