28/05/2026
🌬️ Storm Impact Update: Resilience & Recovery 🌳
Our conservation interns have officially completed the comprehensive impact assessment following the severe gale-force winds that hit George on May 11th.
The storm unfortunately took a heavy toll on our canopy, with 332 trees severely affected. Here is the breakdown of the impact:
222 Trees Completely Lost: 174 were directly uprooted by the fierce winds, and an additional 48 were so badly damaged that they safely had to be cut down.
110 Trees with Remaining Damage: These are currently being managed and cared for by our team.
A Lesson in Indigenous Resilience
While losing so many trees is heartbreaking, the aftermath has given us a fascinating look at nature’s design. Hundreds of our indigenous trees stood perfectly firm. Interestingly, two of the largest giants we lost were exotic to the region. Furthermore, the vast majority of the uprooted trees were fast-growing pioneer species like the Keurboom and Boekenhout. While beautiful, these species naturally have weaker root systems compared to slow-growing, deeply anchored climax species like our Yellowwoods and Stinkwoods, which remarkably survived the storm unscathed.
Growing Back Stronger — Together!
We are already actively working to re-tree the hardest-hit areas of the garden. Thanks to the incredible generosity of the Garden Route community, replanting is already underway! > A Massive Thank You: We are deeply grateful for every single tree donation and the overwhelming support we've received from our local community. You are helping us build a more resilient botanical garden for generations to come.
