Conservation News from the Overberg
CONSERVATION NEWS

Restoring our Overberg waterscapes – Your vote can be the difference
The Nuwejaars River Nature Reserve is on the brink of something extraordinary. But we need your help!

Island hopping for wildlife: Three patches protected
Don’t forget the small islands of biodiversity – even in a farming landscape. These fragments may not be directly connected to the core natural expanses. But they play a significant role for wildlife – especially the pollinators.

A ‘char’-ming solution to a deep-rooted challenge
When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. But what do you do when you’re given hectares of invasive alien plants? Well, you make biochar.

Final gasp for 20-million year old fynbos fish
Freshwater fish in the Overberg are catching the attention of international conservationists – in an urgent effort to prevent these often tiny and very special fish species from going extinct.

Happy Marsh Harriers flock to rewilded wetlands
In healthy wetlands you’ll find a healthy array of insects. These insects make great food for a healthy population of frogs. And flying over these wetlands, birds of prey such as the African Marsh Harrier feed on the frogs.

New walking trail opens up the Nuwejaars Wetlands to all
A new walking trail has been launched on the Agulhas Plain – the first of its kind through the Nuwejaars Wetlands.

A snapshot into leopard dispersal in the Overberg
The incredible distances that leopards are secretly travelling across the Overberg, including through the Nuwejaars Wetlands

A wetlands recovery: A story told by Sprites, Skimmers & Scarlets
Dragonflies and damselflies are frustratingly fussy. Different Odonata species (the insect order for dragonflies and damselflies)

How to get a wetland working again
Once upon a time, not that long ago, one of the biggest wetland systems in South Africa was covered in wall-to-wall invasive alien plants. These wetlands were degraded, and were unable to support the wildlife or the communities that live here.

From start to ‘fin’-ish: Unearthing the fynbos fish of the Nuwejaars River
A new mission has launched – to find out more about the secretive fynbos fish species that have survived for millions of years hidden in these waters.

A community comes together around wildfire
By Ross Kettles, Operations Manager: Nuwejaars Wetlands SMA The fires that have affected the Cape Agulhas region – especially those that burnt in the Nuwejaars Wetlands Special Management Area

For wetlands and wildlife – 15 years of conservation action
For wetlands and wildlife – 15 years of conservation action The Nuwejaars Wetlands are celebrating 15 years of formal protection through title deed restrictions. It was just

Let’s make our roads safer – for drivers AND wildlife
Our wildlife is threatened by many man-made activities. Cars driving along roads in the Nuwejaars Wetlands SMA are chief among the culprits.

42 years later and thought to be extinct: A chance rediscovery
Eugéne had found a species that was believed to be extinct – known as Moraea minima. It was last officially seen in 1981, and

Wat om te doen as jy ’n luiperd in die Kaap sien
Selfoonfoto’s van ’n luiperd langs ’n plaaspad in die Agulhasplein een skemeraand in Augustus het opspraak gemaak in ons streek. Die foto’s wys ’n enkel luiperd wat anderkant ’n draad sit

The survival of the bontebok: A Bredasdorp success story
The bontebok is one of a handful of antelope species endemic to South Africa. It was once considered to be the rarest antelope in the world. But few people realise there is a local

Our changing Agulhas Plain: Life and extinction
The Palaeolithic Period covers the time from 2,5 million years ago to about 10 000 years BCE which was also the middle stone-age period. The graph below shows how during the last 300 000 years

Discovering the aquatic animals of the Nuwejaars
For the past 6 months, some members of the Nuwejaars Wetlands Special Management Area team have spent every spare moment trying to capture the wetlands life on camera.

From ruin to recovery: Restoration in the Nuwejaars wetlands
The restoration of the wetlands system has been incredible, with the presence of riparian species also establishing themselves. The removal of alien plant species is the

The quagga’s extinction and revival: Fact or fiction? | Rau Quagga
The 46 000-hectare Nuwejaars Wetlands Special Management Area hosts one of the biggest Rau Quagga populations in the country.