Garden Route Biosphere Reserve

Home
South Africa
George
Garden Route Biosphere Reserve

Recognised by UNESCO since June 2017 as South Africa’s 9th Biosphere Reserve. The core areas cover 31% of the GRBR, with 26% being terrestrial and 5% marine.

The Garden Route Biosphere Reserve (GRBR) was recognised by UNESCO as South Africa’s 9th Biosphere Reserve in June 2017. The GRBR was established as a Non-Profit Company in terms of the Companies Act to manage the Biosphere in terms of the requirements of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme. This GRBR covers an area of approximately 700,000 hectares and extends from the coastline south of the

George Airport, north along the eastern boundary of its neighbouring Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve, along the coastline into the Eastern Cape to include Jeffrey’s Bay and St Francis Bay. The GRBR is located within the Cape Floristic Region along the southern coast of the country, and includes the Tsitsikamma, Goukamma and Robberg Marine Protected Areas, Wilderness Lake RAMSAR site, Garden Route National Park, the Nelson Bay Cave and the Langkloof Valley. The Garden Route National Park, the primary core area of the Garden Route Biosphere Reserve, also forms part of the Cape Floral Region Protected Areas World Heritage Site, inscribed by UNESCO in 2004. The GRBR is divided into areas of biodiversity significance for incorporation into development planning. The buffer zone accounts for 41% and the transition area 28%. There are three Marine Protected Areas and a Ramsar Wetland site found within the reserve. The GRBR is both socially and ecologically rich with approx. 500,000 inhabitants and a network of active social actors living and working within a biologically diverse natural habitat with great natural beauty that underpins a strong tourism economy in the region. In this era of the Anthropocene, the region is threatened by climate change, increasing urbanisation and a multitude of land uses including associated waste, the spread of invasive alien species and unsustainable harvesting of natural resources. These threats are coupled with a burgeoning population, high levels of inequality and unemployment, low skills levels and limited social capital. These social and ecological drivers threaten the sustainability of the region and have informed the GRBR key focus areas.

01/06/2026

JUNE in the Garden Route!
Quiet Landscapes, Living Systems 🌿

Winter in the Garden Route Biosphere Reserve brings a different rhythm to the landscape. While things may seem quieter, there’s still plenty happening if you know where to look 👀

🐦 Keep an eye out for increased activity around wetlands and estuaries — birds like pied kingfishers become easier to spot as water systems become important feeding areas.

🌧️ Winter rains begin to transform the landscape, bringing fresh green growth and awakening forests, rivers, and the small life hidden beneath the canopy.

🐾 Look down as well as up — soft, wet soil can reveal spoor and signs of the animals moving quietly through the landscape, even when they remain out of sight.

Nature doesn’t slow down in winter — it simply changes its pace.

💬 What is your favourite thing to spot in the Garden Route during winter?

29/05/2026

🍄 Fascinating Fungi 🍄
Mushrooms and fungi might not get the spotlight as often as plants and animals — but they’re nature’s ultimate recyclers!
Fungi break down dead wood and organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil and supporting healthy forests and gardens.
From tiny molds to large, colorful mushrooms popping up after rain, these organisms create underground networks that connect plants and trees, helping them share water and nutrients.
👀 We’re curious… do you recognise any of the fungi species featured in these photos? Let us know in the comments if you can identify them!
Next time you explore the Garden Route’s forests and grasslands, keep an eye out for these amazing fungi. They’re small but mighty heroes of our ecosystems!

28/05/2026

🌍 Everyday in a Biosphere
Small Actions. Big Impact.

📚 This week’s action: Teach one thing

In the Garden Route Biosphere Reserve, knowledge is one of our most powerful tools for connection and conservation.

Sharing what you know, no matter how small, helps keep local knowledge alive and builds a stronger sense of care for where we live in.

It could be:
🌿 A plant you recognise on a trail
🌳 A favourite tree or forest fact you know
🚶‍♀️ A tip from your last walk in nature
🛒 A local farm stall or produce you enjoy
🎨 A local artist, craft, or creative find you admire
💧 A simple water-saving habit you use at home

Every piece of knowledge shared helps someone else see the biosphere differently.

💬 What’s one thing about the Garden Route that you could teach someone else today?

📸 Share your photos, stories, or facts with us, we’d love to feature them.

27/05/2026

🧠💬 TRUE or FALSE?

Think you know what a biosphere reserve really is? Let’s test your understanding of how people, nature, and development actually work together in the Garden Route Biosphere Reserve 🌍🌿

Swipe through and see if you can separate myth from fact — some of these might surprise you 👀

💬 How many did you get right? Drop your score in the comments!

📲 Want to learn more about how communities and ecosystems thrive together in the GRBR?
Follow for stories, insights, and real examples of sustainability in action.

26/05/2026

Building a Bioeconomy for People and Nature in the Keurbooms Catchment 🌿
The Garden Route Biosphere Reserve was excited to join the, Eden to Addo Corridor Initiative, Natures Valley Trust, Forest Song, and the Avo Vision team last week to continue shaping an ambitious new landscape restoration and bioeconomy initiative in the Keurbooms catchment, with a pilot focus in the Bitou Corridor. 🌿
The project aims to tackle one of the region’s biggest environmental challenges, invasive alien vegetation, while simultaneously creating meaningful livelihood opportunities through small enterprise development.
By supporting locally based enterprises focused on alien clearing and biomass beneficiation, the initiative seeks to restore ecosystems, improve water security, reduce wildfire risk, and stimulate a local bioeconomy that benefits both people and nature.
What makes this process particularly exciting is seeing the project begin to move from concept toward something more tangible as we spend time together, building trust, refining ideas, and explore what collaborative implementation and success could look like in practice. There is still a long road ahead, but the momentum is growing and the foundations are starting to take shape.
This initiative brings together ecological restoration, climate resilience, social innovation, and local economic development in a way that reflects the interconnected nature of people and landscapes in the Garden Route.

22/05/2026

22 MAY: Biodiversity Day
🧬 Biodiversity is system stability 🧬
Biodiversity is not just about the number of species — it is about how ecosystems function.
In the Garden Route Biosphere Reserve, biodiversity supports:
• Water purification in catchments
• Soil stability and nutrient cycling
• Resilience against fire, drought, and invasive species
💡 The more diverse an ecosystem is, the more stable it becomes under change.
Loss of biodiversity doesn’t happen all at once — it reduces resilience step by step.

21/05/2026

🌍 21 May: World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
On this World Day celebrating Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development we highlight the richness of global cultures and the critical role of intercultural dialogue in achieving peace and sustainable development. The day promotes understanding the value of diversity to "learn to live together better" and supports cultural diversity as a driver for economic growth and stability.
Today we recognize and celebrate the variety of cultures, languages, traditions, and beliefs worldwide, while combating stereotypes and promoting inclusion.
We highlight dialogue as a tool for peace, particularly because most global conflicts occur in regions with low intercultural dialogue and we recognise culture as a driver for sustainable development.
So, today you can share customs with others, visit different places of worship and sites of cultural significance, cook and share traditional foods or start the journey of learning a new language.

20/05/2026

🐝 World Bee Day
In the Garden Route Biosphere Reserve, pollination is not just an ecological process—it is invisible infrastructure holding landscapes together.
Every bloom in the fynbos carries a relationship: between plant and pollinator, soil and season, survival and return. Bees are part of that quiet exchange that keeps ecosystems regenerating year after year.
In this landscape, native pollinators sustain:
• The reproduction of fynbos species found nowhere else on Earth
• Indigenous fruiting plants that feed birds, mammals, and insects
• Surrounding agricultural systems that depend on healthy surrounding biodiversity
But this system is finely balanced.
Pollinator decline is linked to:
• Loss and fragmentation of natural habitat
• Exposure to pesticides in agricultural and urban edges
• Declining plant diversity, especially nectar-rich native species
💡 In ecosystems like ours, pollinator loss doesn’t cause immediate collapse—it causes a slow unravelling of important systems. Fewer seeds. Fewer flowers. Fewer connections.
Like the bees themselves, these connections are often unseen—but everything depends on them.
This World Bee Day, we are reminded that protecting pollinators means protecting the relationships that hold the landscape together.

17/05/2026

🌱 Free learning opportunities for nature practitioners 🌱
The UNDP Learning for Nature platform is offering a range of free online courses and learning journeys designed to strengthen skills in biodiversity, climate action, and sustainable development.
These resources bring together global expertise and practical tools for anyone working in or alongside conservation, restoration, and environmental governance.
📚 Featured courses include:
• Assisted Natural Regeneration Practitioner Training Course (2026) – ecosystem restoration planning, implementation, and monitoring
• Youth for Climate Action – climate change knowledge and pathways for advocacy
• Operationalizing Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement – cooperative approaches for climate action
• Nature for Life Hub dialogues – insights on transforming finance, policy, and values for a nature-positive future
🌍 Also available are short, self-paced “learning journeys” on topics such as:
• Nature for Development
• Food Security
• Water Security
• Gender Equality
• Peace and stability
These courses are designed to be flexible, accessible, and practical — supporting professionals to integrate nature-based thinking into real-world decision-making.
💡 In biosphere reserve and conservation work, continuous learning is key — bridging science, policy, and practice across landscapes and communities.
🔗 Explore more via UNDP Learning for Nature https://www.learningfornature.org/en/

03/05/2026

We’re proud to share that the Garden Route Biosphere Reserve was featured on the front page of the World Network of Island and Coastal Biosphere Reserves newsletter for our work on the TRANSECTS TILL 2025 project.
The Transdisciplinary International Learning Laboratory brought together postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows from South Africa, Canada, and Germany for an immersive sustainability learning experience in the Garden Route.
It was an incredible opportunity to contribute to building the next generation of sustainability leaders through intercultural, international, and transdisciplinary collaboration.
Thank you to all partners, researchers, students, and community collaborators who made this possible.

Address

George

Website

https://gardenroutebiosphere.org.za/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Garden Route Biosphere Reserve posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Want your organization to be the top-listed Non Profit Organization in George?