Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy

10/06/2026

When volunteers gather to protect our fynbos, a wonderful sense of community emerges.

Every Saturday, Johan Neser and his dedicated group of volunteer hackers gather at various locations across the Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy to give a few hours to conservation.

Here we gathered at Groeneweide (which also hosts volunteer hacks every second Thursday) to pick the post-fire seedlings of Long-leaved Wattle (𝘈𝘤𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘢), among others, from 10:00 to 12:00.

Anyone is welcome to join these weekly hacks, and if you’re interested in getting Johan and his “fynbospatrollie” to lend a hand on your farm, contact him on 0833765149.

Contact Mathilda (0823019041) from Groeneweide if you want more info on their hacks every second week.

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03/06/2026

Enjoy these beautiful Spotted Eagle-Owls (𝘉𝘶𝘣𝘰 𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘴) sharing a moment of respite in the early morning hours.


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01/06/2026

It was great to meet a group of people so committed to making such a positive difference to their natural areas and public green spaces. Every effort dedicated to the conservation of our wonderful fynbos is a step in the right direction.

Five Conservancy members joined our first post-fire alien plant removal event on 28 May. We were also pleased to welcome a special visitor, Arno van Niekerk, the new Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy Manager, and look forward to working together in future.
The team focused on removing Port Jackson and Spider gum (and a few Rooikrans) seedlings along the road reserve on the main road into Pearly Beach. We also collected several bags of broken glass and other rubbish. Work started at the crossing and will continue towards the village on 11 and 18 June.
We also tackled Port Jackson plants that had previously been cut down by the bossiekapper but had resprouted. Unless the entire root is removed — or the stump treated with herbicide — these plants quickly grow back with multiple shoots, making them even harder to control.
Thank you to everyone who joined us. We hope to see another great turnout at the next two events!

28/05/2026

𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘴 is exactly what its species epithet implies - a Spectacular Watsonia.
The bright scarlet flowers attracts many scarce pollinators such as sunbirds, Mountain Pride butterflies and other insects like this restio beetle.
𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘴 is a geophyte which usually flowers from August to November, however, this individual was found in full flower after a fire.





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21/05/2026

The chacma baboon, Papio ursinus.
“Chacma” is derived from the Khoikhoi name for baboon - “choachamma” or “choa kamma”.
Chacma baboons are an integral part of the food web, because they aerate soils and disperse seeds while also being a source of food for many animals. These animals are not listed as threatened or endangered on the IUCN Red List, and their troop sizes range from four to 200 individuals. Increasing overlap between the natural ranges of baboons and ever-expanding human settlements regularly cause human-wildlife conflict, further eliciting the need to monitor and protect this special part of our country’s natural heritage.

18/05/2026

Sustainably harvested wild fynbos is one of many forms that conservation in the Overberg takes. With local and global market demands rising for fynbos, it is crucial that strict regulations are in place to protect our indigenous fynbos. Local community members are trained to follow specific guidelines when picking flowers to prevent overharvesting. This gives community members a sustainable income, while simultaneously fostering an appreciation to protect indigenous flora and meeting stakeholder demands.
Conservation thrives when local communities are involved and empowered.

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14/05/2026

The fly agaric, Amanita muscaria, is the most recognisible mushroom in the world. The name originates from Europe, where the caps were placed in milk to lure and kill flies. Boasting a scarlet red cap dotted with white spots, this mushroom is easily identified and toxic. In the Western Cape this mushroom is considered an alien species because it grows in association with pine, poplars and oak trees.

01/05/2026

Moraea pyrophila is a species that only flowers late in the summer within weeks of a fire. This characteristic is evident in its species epithet - “pyrophila” - which roughly translates to “fire loving”.
This flower is in the Iris family of plants (Iridaceae) and occurs on sandstone slopes between Piketberg and Bredasdorp.

Seeing these pale yellow flowers while moving through a recently burnt landscape, where all other surroundings are black and charred, is a true spectacle.

30/04/2026

Two beautiful but highly toxic mushrooms that grow in our region...

30/04/2026

Welcome to our new conservancy manager Arno van Niekerk -
Arno has a Master's degree in Herpetology, and a strong passion for people and the environment. He has spent the last three months as a Reserve Management intern at Grootbos, and has shown wonderful leadership and passion. We know he will bring great value to the conservancy, it's members and the conservation efforts of the region.
We'd like to thank Jeanne van Tonder for the two years of dedication to the conservancy and wish her well in her new role, still within the conservancy, as Conservation Manager of Coot Club.