SANParks provides 'flower report' for upcoming wildflower season
According to the parks body and their flower report for 28 July – 1 August, the fields around Skilpad are shaking off their winter chill and showing the first hints of the new season.
And while the landscape is still patchy in places, the early bloom hints at the spectacular wildflower season to come.
For those taking on the 4×4 eco-route at Wildeperdehoek Pass, the experience is also already breathtaking.
'Sweeps of orange, white, and yellow wildflowers line the trail, offering a visual feast for nature lovers and adventure seekers. It's a must-see for anyone exploring the region.' SANParks said.
Even the coastline is beginning to show its colours, a promising sign for the weeks ahead. Visitors can be sure to experience an explosion of floral diversity and colour as the season unfolds.
Visitors can currently enjoy: Namaqualand arctotis (Bittergousblom),
Namaqua parachute-daisy (Bergmagriet),
Cape marigold (Soetgousblom),
Namaqualand daisy,
Sambreeltjies,
Bokbaaivygies
Glansogies,
Blue and white sporries,
Wit-soe,
Various Oxalidaceae (Suurrings),
A variety of vygie species,
Meidestert, and different Gazania species.
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
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The South African
4 days ago
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SANParks provides 'flower report' for upcoming wildflower season
The South African National Parks (SANParks) have revealed that the first signs of spring are beginning to show at Namaqua National Park. According to the parks body and their flower report for 28 July – 1 August, the fields around Skilpad are shaking off their winter chill and showing the first hints of the new season. And while the landscape is still patchy in places, the early bloom hints at the spectacular wildflower season to come. For those taking on the 4×4 eco-route at Wildeperdehoek Pass, the experience is also already breathtaking. 'Sweeps of orange, white, and yellow wildflowers line the trail, offering a visual feast for nature lovers and adventure seekers. It's a must-see for anyone exploring the region.' SANParks said. Even the coastline is beginning to show its colours, a promising sign for the weeks ahead. Visitors can be sure to experience an explosion of floral diversity and colour as the season unfolds. Visitors can currently enjoy: Namaqualand arctotis (Bittergousblom), Namaqua parachute-daisy (Bergmagriet), Cape marigold (Soetgousblom), Namaqualand daisy, Sambreeltjies, Bokbaaivygies Glansogies, Blue and white sporries, Wit-soe, Various Oxalidaceae (Suurrings), A variety of vygie species, Meidestert, and different Gazania species. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading Louw said this assessment was done by Conservation Outcome, a biodiversity non-governmental organisation that supports the development and management of land for biodiversity conservation. They are also a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature - IUCN. 'The scores of specific areas of focus is 43% for bioregional management, 90% for responsible tourism, 66% for biodiversity management, 57% for constituency building, 43% for cultural heritage, 90% for responsible tourism and 89% for effective park management. 'This report provides us with factual and objective information which allows for SANParks to continue with its management of Table Mountain National Park based on science and evidence-based detail,' Louw said. 'This overall positive assessment comes amid the unfortunate circulation of a misleading petition issued by a small group of stakeholders opposed to the current management of TMNP.' Commenting on some of the stakeholders' specific complaints, Louw said they had a crime incident spike in January to March this year, but the figures have since dropped back to single-digit incidents. 'In the past year, the figures were primarily in the region of single digits.' He added that the safety alerts issued by foreign consulates relate to South Africa as a whole and not Table Mountain alone. While fires are started by religious groups, they account for about 10% of fires in the past 3 years. 'Fact is that the majority of fires are caused by arsonists and vagrants. 'We have had a few fires this year, and the infrastructure that burnt down was toilet blocks at Silvermine. No infrastructure was damaged during the Newlands Ravine fire, the Tokai and Muizenberg fires,' Louw said. 'We have a management plan to control alien vegetation. We also have an Extended Public Works programme to clear alien vegetation with the support of collaborative NGOs.' He also addressed the claim that '76% of the R430 million was sent to other parks' and said last year they clarified to Take Back Our Mountain (TBOM) that the R107 million referenced in their claim represents only direct, park-level expenditure. 'It does not account for essential corporate-level costs.' And with regards to the tourism infrastructure left to decay and losing potential revenue, 'we have tenders issued to refurbish and renew infrastructure such as Rhodes Memorial, Hoerikwaggo trail, and Orange Kloof tented camp'. Louw stated that SANParks actively seeks collaborative relationships across all its national parks. 'The organisations concerned are encouraged to rather continue with a relationship that is constructive and collaborative in nature as opposed to acrimony and misleading information.'
