What are the opening hours?

Monday 07:30 - 16:00 Tuesday 07:30 - 16:00 Wednesday 07:30 - 16:00 Thursday 07:30 - 16:00 Friday 07:30 - 16:00 Saturday 07:30 - 16:00 Sunday 07:30 - 16:00

Hillcrest Conservancy inc. Springside Nature Reserve

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Hillcrest Conservancy inc. Springside Nature Reserve

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Non-profit group of volunteers dependent on public support to protect the environment. Springside Nature Reserve, e.g. IAP control and education.

Donations welcomed and used for on-going Hillcrest Conservancy projects inc. Springside Nature Reserve is open daily 7.30am-4pm. Any changes will be advised. Entrance/Address: 93 Springside Road, Hillcrest
Entrance fee: R20 per adult put through the slot on the Kingfisher Centre front wall or pay via Zapper. No dogs or other pets allowed. No alcohol allowed. Enquiries: email [email protected]
Directions to Springside Nature Reserve
Springside Nature Reserve entrance gate is at 93 Springside Road, Hillcrest
If coming from Durban/Kloof on the N2, turn right at Winston Park and cross the bridge into Old Main Road, Hillcrest. Proceed until you reach Oxford shopping centre which will be on your left, with Lillies Quarter opposite. Turn right down Stonewall Road, between Lillies and Shell Garage
At the intersection of Stonewall and Springside Road, turn right and proceed down the steep winding hill
Slow down as you near the bottom of the hill, and warn any following traffic that you intend turning left, as Springside Nature Reserve entrance is a sharp turn on the left. It is well sign-posted. https://www.google.com/maps/place/93+Springside+Rd,+Hillcrest, should give you an interactive map of the area. The red balloon may not show the exact location of the entrance to the Reserve but the map does show the roads.

20/10/2026

We have a few vacancies for next years Eco-exporers. If you know any children between the ages of 5-10 years who may be interested please contact Dawn 0733418211 or email me at [email protected]

12/10/2026

Luci Mitchell and Bobby took the opportunity to highlight the outstanding work which is being done by the Mend The Molweni project on Saturday at the Westville Conservancy event. What a wonderful opportunity to network with like-minded people. The project has run over several years and despite many setbacks, trials and tribulations continues to make an enormous contribution helping to mend our natural environment.

07/10/2026

What a wonderful transformation. Thank you so much fur helping us revamp the Kingfisher room.

03/10/2026

Today's Hillcrest Conservancy Ecoclub in partnership with Steppingstone4Nature Monster Alley event was a lot of fun as we all learnt about the problems associated with Invasive plant species in a fun interactive way. The day would never have been such a success without the artists who freely gave their talents and time to create mini masterpieces depicting the nasty side of IPS. Thank you to the children and parents who embraced the day with such enthusiasm.

A huge thank you to all the Conservancy members who gave up their Saturday to make sure the event was a success. Everyone played such a special part, thank you.
Finally, a huge thank you to Jeanne Tarrant from Anura Africa for their generous prize donations. Prize winners will be notified shortly.

02/10/2026

The maleficent Monster artworks have all arrived and are ready to help us demonstrate that invasive plant species may look beautiful but they definitely have a "darker" side!

We are so grateful to the artists who have participated by creating works of art for our Monster Alley event to be held tomorrow 9 am to 3 pm at Springside Nature Reserve. We do hope you can join us. There will be a short informative talk suitable for all ages from 9 am to 9.30 am. There will be an information table for those who want to delve deeper into learning about invasive plant species.
The Monster/treasure hunt takes the form of a self-guided amble through Springside Nature Reserve.

We do hope you can join us. Suggested donation R30 per person. Bring a picnic and blanket and enjoy a family day out.

Prevashin Naidu delivers his beautiful pastel on black board, inspired by the St Joseph's Lily.

30/09/2026

The wildflowers are out in Springside Nature Reserve after our controlled burn, but sadly so is the Bracken fern! Bracken fern is a really terrible invasive monster which smothers our critically endangered KZN Sandstone Sourveld grasslands, it requires ongoing efforts to control it. It is costly, labour intensive and backbreaking to eradicate.
We would love to see you at our Monster Alley event at Springside Nature Reserve this Saturday between 9 am and 3 pm. The event is primarily to educate all ages on the damage invasive plant species cause to nature and secondly to raise funds through donations to help us control these Monster plants in Springside.
There is no need to book, take a self-guided walk around the reserve and hunt our Monster Plants.
Several local artists, schools and organizations have created wonderful monster artworks to depict various invasive plant species.
We look forward to seeing you all.

28/09/2026

We can't wait to see Woza Moya's artistic interpretation of the invasive Red Canna (commonly called Indian Shot). I'm sure all Hillcrest residents will agree that Woza Moya makes our hearts sing! We have watched them over the years as it demonstrated that no problem is too big or too small if one is committed to making a positive change in the world. As a voluntary organization the Hillcrest Conservancy can learn a lot from Woza Moya - tenacity; endurance, faith hope and love as we care for nature. The environment can never be separated from people. Humans will never thrive if the environment is neglected, and people will not have the reserves to protect the environment if they are not thriving. In many ways we tackle the same problem from different angles.

Woza Moya is the economic empowerment project of the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust.
Home to over 450 local crafters, Woza Moya has been nurturing creativity, preserving culture, and strengthening communities since 2002.

The Red Devil is a collaborative mixed-media sculpture — a striking interpretation of the red canna flower. Crafted from welded metal and adorned with recycled plastic collected by the community, the piece transforms discarded material into beauty. It challenges perceptions of waste, showing how what harms our environment can be reimagined into something vibrant and life‑affirming.

This artwork celebrates both the resilience of people and the power of creativity to bring renewal — turning pollution into possibility, and community effort into art.
Thank you for being part of the Monster Alley event.

26/09/2026

"Many of our invasive plant species started off as attractive garden plants but sadly they spread too aggressively. It is sometimes difficult to convince people to eradicate invasive plant species because the plants themselves are often very pretty." Barry Lang.

Monster Alley is a family-friendly outdoor experience that uses imaginative monster sculptures, poetry and artwork to highlight the hidden threat of invasive alien plants. Enjoy a self-guided Monster Hunt at your own pace, discovering colourful creations by local artists and school learners while learning how invasive species impact our natural environment.
The event will run from 9 am to 3 pm at Springside Nature Reserve, Hillcrest, with an educational talk for those wanting to delve deeper into the topic from 9 am to 9.30 am.
There will be Conservancy members on hand to assist you thoughout the day with any queries you may have concerning invasive plant species.

23/09/2026

Our Monster Alley event, due to be held on 3 October has two main purposes. It's primary function is to explain why Invasive Plant Species are so detrimental to our wild spaces in a fun interactive way. The second purpose is to raise funds (through donations) for the eradication of invasive plant species in Springside Nature Reserve.

Preparations are well underway. We do hope you can join us.

17/09/2026

The monsters are gathering for the Monster Alley event to be held on 3 October at Springside Nature Reserve! The event aims to be fun, interactive and suitable for the whole family. The event aims to draw awareness of the problems associated with alien plant species.

This tiny little Dragon represents a fearfully destructive plant commonly found in Springside Nature Reserve. Do come along and visit us on the 3 October and try to find him. If you think you know which plant he represents let us know in the comments below.

Address

93 Springside Road, Hillcrest: Enq: Hillcrestconservancy@gmail. Com
Hillcrest
3610

Opening Hours

Monday	07:30 - 16:00
Tuesday	07:30 - 16:00
Wednesday	07:30 - 16:00
Thursday	07:30 - 16:00
Friday	07:30 - 16:00
Saturday	07:30 - 16:00
Sunday	07:30 - 16:00

Telephone

+27739013902

Website

http://www.hillcrestconservancy.co.za/

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