Stellenbosch takes part in global city nature challenge
Stellenbosch Municipality calls on all residents of the municipal area (WC024) to participate in the City Nature Challenge (CNC). This is the first time that the Stellenbosch and Franschhoek regions have been nominated to participate in this global challenge.
Mayor Gesie van Deventer says that it is a great honour to be participating in this international competition and urges parents, outdoor enthusiasts, cyclists and educators to get behind this drive to put Stellenbosch on the map.
“We have such a unique natural heritage and our region boasts with some of the richest biospheres of animal and plant life in the world. Let’s get behind this challenge and show the world what we can do”
The Challenge takes place in two parts: From 29 April – 2 May participants can take pictures of plants, animals, marine life, fungi and other interesting organisms within the Stellenbosch area.
Then, from 29 April – 8 May, uploading and identification of these photos will take place. This is a fun and interactive way of exploring Stellenbosch’s rich natural heritage, getting some fresh air and learning about the environment around us.
This year, ten South African cities/regions are taking part in the City Nature Challenge. Six of these cities/regions are in the Western Cape: Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Overstrand, Southern Overberg, West Coast, and the Garden Route.
The City Nature Challenge is a friendly ‘competition’ among cities across the globe to see which city can find and document the most wildlife over a four-day period. The City of Cape Town participated in the 2019 event and won the category for most species observed out of 159 cities that participated worldwide. Let’s give our neighbours a go this year.
All you need to do, is to register on the iNaturalist app. Then grab your cellphone or camera and begin taking photos of our rich fauna and flora – birds, insects, plants, and all forms of life (apart from humans and pets) and then upload them to onto the database. This influx of information gives scientists, educators, urban planners and policy makers, valuable insight into the biodiversity of locations around the world.
For more information, or to chat to one of our officials spearheading this initiative, please contact:
• Ms T. Leibrandt on 021 808 8180 or tammy.leibrandt @stellenbosch.gov.za
• Miss W. Mhlauli on 021 808 8167 wendy.mhlauli@stellenbosch.gov.za