The Hangklip Botanical Society (NPC) trading as the Kogelberg Branch of the Botanical Society of South Africa is doing amazing work. See notes re: The achievements of the Hackers over the past month The Bookshop turnover for this past financial year which has...

Twenty-seven volunteers met on a drizzly and windy day at the parking area on the western side of Malkopvlei (Bass Lake) to continue with the removal of the Waterbessie trees which have invaded the wetland on its northern side. This was the third hack here this year....

We see it happen so often. New residents arrive with a un-informed idea of what living in the Kogelberg Biosphere is all about. Houses pop up that make us groan in dismay at how inappropriate they are and how they have destroyed the fynbos. New owners face challenges...

This may sound like a daft question, but it is worth considering. Humankind is the only creature on earth that can and has destroyed swathes of nature and large-scale ecosystems. We may have been nature lovers in big cities within environments that were heavily...

In the last update, we gave you information on some of the potential changes at Stony Point. CapeNature is conducting a community engagement survey on the Stony Point Nature Reserve. They have asked the BBC to help distribute the link to the Betty's Bay community....

A BBC event for the city Nature challenge Big thanks to Peter Oxford of BBC for such an informative walk on 25 April.   We set off from Sea Way Drive but we didn’t get very far. There were so many shells, to see and identity in just a short distance on the...

Mike Amira, the Owl Box Man, gave us a passionate, humorous and informative talk on his work of rescuing owls in different predicaments and building owl boxes, bat boxes and catios. Mike’s rescuing escapades have involved climbing the heights of chimneys and roofs as...

On Saturday 21 March 2026, the members of the Kogelberg Branch of the Botanical Society overwhelmingly voted to close down the Kogelberg Branch of the Botanical Society of South Africa and voted in favour of the formation of the Hangklip Botanical Society NPC with the...

Twenty-five volunteers met on an overcast and cool day at the St Francis of Assisi Anglican Chapel to remove aliens from the verges of Porter Drive.  This was an amazing turnout considering that the hack took place over the Easter long weekend.  It was great to have...

The Overstrand ECO INDABA was a collaborative event uniting public and private conservation organisations, local communities, advocacy groups, and educational entities to ensure environmental stewardship of the Kogelberg Biosphere and its environs. On 28 March 2026,...

Our Oystercatchers have finished breeding for the season and we would like to share some interesting statistics. We monitored the stretch of coastline from Main Beach, including Malkopsvlei (Bass River) outflow, Dawidskraal and the Bird sanctuary to the Disa River...

Thanks to Faroeshka Rodger, the Conservation Manager (On-site) for the Kogelberg Nature Reserve Complex, for updating us on aspects of their work at Stony Point. She previously worked for SANParks at Boulders Beach, so she has many years of experience at an African...

A curious visitor to Shelly Beach I dared myself to swim in the icy waters of Shelley Beach on Tuesday 24 March and was happily surprised to find a very small dried Shortspined porcupinefish (Diodon liturosus) which someone had obviously picked up and placed on a rock...

What a beautiful documentary! It gives up a glimpse into these remarkable birds and what they endure during a breeding season. Van As and Jacques Jordaan, oupa en kleinkind, treated us to a screening of their incredible documentary on the Black oystercatchers, or...

During my time of editing articles from contributors and proofreading for the book, one of the many things that stood out for me in the stories from the earlier days of Betty’s Bay was the freedom, fun and delight the kids had playing between the mountains and sea....

Few places on earth possess the rare ability to shape not only ecosystems, but also the very contours of a human life. For me, the Kogelberg Biosphere is such a place. Having had the privilege of serving for many years as Chairperson of the UNESCO-designated Kogelberg...

The first time I snorkeled at Betty’s Bay, I went looking for kreef and alikreukel, while my father-in-law was spearfishing. While I was immersed in the kelp, the sunrays filtered through the bamboes, dappled the rocks at the bottom, and it resembled a forest floor. ...

During an iNaturalist vegetation assessment that CREW conducted for a new owner on a recently purchased plot, we uncovered several old animal traps hidden beneath thick undergrowth. The discovery is a cause for concern as our wildlife in the Kogelberg Biosphere is...

Thirty-one volunteers congregated on an overcast and cool day at the St Francis of Assisi Anglican Chapel to remove liens along the verges of Porter Drive.  This was a continuation of the February hack, starting at the White Road intersection and ending up on the bend...

Temperatures this past week (Week 11) have peaked at 35˚C in Betty’s Bay which is exceptionally hot for a coastal town anywhere in South Africa.  I am reminded of how tough and resilient fynbos is because the plants have coped in this heat better than humans and their...

Many drivers may wince as they speed past the carcass of an antelope, porcupine or owl on the side of a busy road, but few pause to consider why roadkill is such a growing problem on our roads— or realize just how much it’s on the rise across South Africa. Most...

Congratulations!  Or is that Commiserations? You’ve recently moved to a new house, probably with 1 of 3 types of gardens – a fairly established one (lucky you!); or a lawn all around the house (sterile!); or (the worst!) a new-build with dead bricks and piles of...