South Africa’s “Secret Garden” Gets Protected Status in Conservation Breakthrough
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South Africa’s precious Renosterveld has gained a major conservation victory with the declaration of Haarwegskloof as a provincial nature reserve. Once mistaken for dull shrubland, Renosterveld reveals breathtaking biodiversity each spring, with vivid blooms and rare insects thriving among its soils. Some of these—geometer moths, scarab beetles, and bombyliid and tabanid flies—cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Renosterveld’s fertile soils made it prime agricultural land, resulting in the loss of over 90% of its original extent. Now, thanks to years of collaboration between CapeNature, the World Wide Fund for Nature, and the Overberg Renosterveld Trust, the largest remaining connected stretch has received the highest level of legal protection. Conservationists hail this as a vital win not only for biodiversity but also for climate resilience, sustainable science, and future generations.
Daily Maverick