News

Fascinating cutting-edge research is going on within the Cape Floral Region, in Western Cape biosphere reserves.

The Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve (CWBR) team has partnered with Action Volunteers Africa (AVA) to collaboratively create and implement monthly Mobile Career Cafés (MCC’s). The initiative is an opportunity for unemployed and non-studying youth (in particularly rural areas) to learn job-readiness skills and explore careers through hands-on activities and fun interactive engaging games.

"The best scientists and explorers have the attributes of kids. They ask questions and have a sense of wonder. They have curiosity. Who, what, where, why, when, and how!" – Dr Sylvia Earle, American marine biologist, explorer, author and lecturer

In honour of World Ocean Day (8th June) - creating awareness and promoting ocean and environmental conservation worldwide

Marking the end of 2021, it was highlighted that partnerships, collaboration, and passionate mentors invested in their communities are the cornerstone for long-term solutions in outreach and relevant meaningful impact. This holds true to Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve team’s involvement in Villiersdorp, where we met a woman passionate about bettering the lives of children, young mothers, and pregnant girls in the community.

We would like to share some exciting news from our biosphere reserve! In 2021, the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve (CWBR) team joined the iNaturalist community. A project page of our biosphere reserve was created, promoting Citizen Science. This year we entered the worldwide City Nature Challenge and alongside other members of the Stellenbosch community in different areas of Stellenbosch, we competed together for the title of most biodiverse city in the world.

The classroom can be a safe space for curiosity, investigative learning through play, and building confidence in a child. In the last year, the CWBR team discovered the need for preschool teachers to have a similar experience, especially after a very difficult couple of years due to Covid-19. The need to come together and have exposure through different shared activities…

It’s officially available to view! The Edu-bite clip produced by Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve in partnership with Iziko Museums of South Africa on the use of scanning electron microscope (SEM) technology by researchers at the Museum.

Much of the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve (CWBR) environmental outings take place at the source of a river and in the mountains, in and around the Cape Winelands. Through collaboration and meaningful partnerships, groups are also taken to the ocean for rocky and sandy shore environmental education. Dr Melissa Boonzaaier-Davids, the newest CWBR board member, has received a National Geographic Society Early Career Grant…

Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve (CWBR) is the source of seven major rivers, and of course many, many more, that flow along or below highways, though cities, agricultural land, communities, and nature reserves.

Rivers are the lifeblood of countries, play an irreplaceable role for biodiversity, and provide keystone ecosystem services…

In January 2022, the CWBR management team partnered with the new and growing Youth Programme at Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, based in Kleinmond, to introduce the mobile classroom STEAM-Y (Science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) and its different hands-on activities. The CWBR is also assisting a Community Upliftment Project in Stormsriver Village, Tsitsikamma, which started in early 2019.

This month, the CWBR facilitators teamed up with the Mbeko Eco-Club, whose focus is outdoor environmental education with particular emphasis on evaluation of river health, the water cycle, and wastewater management.

Do you know all the weird and wonderful creatures and plants that surround us every day but go unnoticed?

You’re about to find out! Become a Citizen Scientist in the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve (CWBR) with no more than your curiosity and a cell phone.

The Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve management team arrange monthly outings for 30 aspiring early childhood development (ECD) teacher trainees, who are participants in a joint initiative (Rotary Global Grant) in partnership with Rotary Club of Franschhoek and Drakenstein Valley. The activities aim to compliment and add onto the Level 4 ECD Teacher Training that will commence early next year.

Man and nature can live in harmony around wetlands. Wetlands are vitally important to conserve as they are the fastest disappearing ecosystem globally. Wetlands provide a habitat for both aquatic and terrestrial vegetation and diverse animal species, offering natural services to people such as filtering water, a grazing area for livestock, and recreational activities such as bird watching. Papenkuils Wetland is such a place.