News

Enjoy the republished article, written by Peter Slingsby, and initially released on the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve website on the 15th February 2019.

In July, the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve team will be hosting a graduation, celebrating the seven graduates of the recently co-facilitated qualified guides’ course. Since January, the participants have done weekly pre-assignments aligned with the course syllabus, followed by an intensive in-person programme…

Since 2015, the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve (CWBR) management team have implemented the Edulink project, in partnership with Athénée Action Humanitaire NGO. A long-standing initiative that supports education, cross-cultural learning through volunteer programmes…

Sharing a recent blog post by Cape Leopard Trust, a re-survey of the Boland Mountain Complex. Spanning across the Cape Winelands and Kogelberg Biosphere Reserves.

In October, the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve team wrapped up the five-month introductory course in field and culture guiding, co-funded by Stellenbosch Municipality. The programme was designed to equip emerging guides with foundational knowledge of the region’s natural and cultural heritage, helping to build local capacity within Stellenbosch’s growing eco-tourism and community-led tourism sectors.

Earlier in the year, the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve (CWBR) Education on the Move (STEAM-Y Mobile classroom), was one out of 120 nominations world-wide submitted for the 2025 UNESCO Japan Prize. In November…

From high mountains and lush mangroves to arid deserts and dense forests, this updated edition showcases all 784 UNESCO Biosphere Reserves across 142 countries—places where people and nature collaborate for a sustainable future.

In July 2025, Iimbovane, in collaboration with the education team of the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve, hosted a youth camp for learners to develop important conservation and life skills. The camp provided learners with direct experience in…

This afternoon, we met a larger group of young girls at the “Blossom Café.” The girls meet every two weeks. The local Flourish host is one of the people responsible for organizing it.

We all sat in a circle, and we started right away with a dance…

As part of their protected landscapes and community sustainable course, 13 students alongside two professors from Paul Smiths College, New York, based in the Champlain Adirondack Biosphere Network (CABN), visited South Africa for a 10-day biosphere to biosphere learning exchange to develop a comparative analysis of sustainable development strategies and actions in both countries.

As part of facilitated eco-educational outings in the region, the CWBR incorporates source to sea education. The CWBR team, in collaboration with partners, regularly facilitate excursions for youth from underrepresented vulnerable inland communities…

Mothers, children, the Villiersdorp community, Provincial and National stakeholders gathered together to celebrate the official opening of a new centre in Villiersdorp. A shared space for young mothers, mental and physical disability support through Tools for Life, and skills development workshops.  In partnership with Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve (CWBR)...

In the heart of Kommetjie, Cape Town, the Freshwater Research Centre (FRC) became our classroom for an in-depth training course in Aquatic Biomonitoring using the South African Scoring System Version 5 (SASS5). Alongside fellow participants from all corners of the country and a dedicated Citizen Scientist, Sinazo Fatyi, we delved into a structured program that explained the complexities of assessing river health.

On the 17th of April 2024, Audrey Azoulay the UNESCO Director General, was hosted at the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve (CWBR) head office in Franschhoek for an afternoon showcase of the current CWBR activities and projects, as part of her official visit to South Africa.

The Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve team took 24 participants from Bonnie Peoples Project, based in Bonnievale, and four visiting guests from Aidons Tous Solidarité, Luxembourg, to De Hoop Nature Reserve for a very special weekend of camping.

Meet one of the river monitors, who is part of the UNESCO Be Resilient South Africa project.  She has weekly monitored and gathered data on the river health at one of the selected sites along the lower reaches of the Eerste river since 26th January 2023.

The Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve team has hosted its first two-day camp of 2023 in January, bringing together local youth from two different communities in Franschhoek. Just in time for starting school, the camp focused on helping them set positive intentional goals for the new year.