GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - SA National Parks Week got underway this weekend and locals and schools are out and about in the wonder-filled Garden Route National Park.
Activities planned for those not able to attend educational excursions include a Spring Walk in Knysna on Sunday, the 15th September and an Open Day in Tsitsikamma on Saturday, the 14th.
South Africans are expected to come out in numbers to popular picnic spots like Island Lake, Diepwalle during the weekend.
Wow facts about the Garden Route National Park.
- South Africa’s number 1 estuary in terms of biodiversity significance is the Knysna Estuary.
- There are 3 estuaries in the Garden Route where the Knysna seahorse can be found - the Knysna Estuary, Swartvlei and Keurbooms
- Several of the estuaries in the Garden Route National park, particularly the larger systems, are high conservation value ecosystems assessed according to their physical and biological attributes, habitat importance and rarity (Turpie et al. 2002). Out of South Africa’s ±250 estuaries, Swartvlei is 6th, and Knynsa 1st.
- Forest is 84 000 and Fynbos 44 000 hectares. The forest is a haven for 470 plant species.
- In excess of 22 species of amphibians, 24 reptile species, 305 bird species and 69 mammal species have been recorded in the Garden Route National Park.
- 80 is the number of camera traps that were used for the Knysna elephant study, set up in the Knysna forest to gather baseline data on mammal species presence as well as human activities in and around the forests.
- +R127 million is the amount spent on clearing alien invasive species by implementing agencies (Working for Water and SANParks) since 2002 in and around the Garden Route National Park. Funding is received through the EPWP via DEA’s Natural Resource Management Programme. Funding has been received and implemented into the GRNP by the BSP since 2000.
- 50 is how old the Otter hiking trail turned in 2018.
'We bring you the latest Knysna, Garden Route news'
