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Garden Route Environmental Forum

1 December 2025 Media Release: GREF and NMU to Co-Host Sustainability Seminar in Gqeberha

GREF and NMU to Co-Host Sustainability Seminar in Gqeberha

For immediate release
1 December 2025

“The Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) and Nelson Mandela University (NMU) will co-host the 2026 Sustainability Seminar at the NMU South Campus in Gqeberha. The event theme, “Building Partnerships for People, Land and Nature,” highlights the importance of collaboration in responding to environmental challenges affecting both the Garden Route and the Eastern Cape” says GREF convener Cobus Meiring.

Peter du Toit of Future iQ in Knysna will deliver the keynote presentation on “Empowering Better Climate Decisions through Science and Simulation.” His address will focus on how science-based planning and modelling can support effective climate adaptation and better long-term decision-making.

The Garden Route and Eastern Cape share extensive environmental connectivity well beyond formal boundaries. This includes marine and coastal systems, river catchments, estuaries and shared climate pressures. A major area of joint interest is the Garden Route Biosphere Reserve, stretching from George to the Van Stadens River and extending into the Klein Karoo. Alongside it, the Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve (GCBR), managed from Riversdale, forms the second biosphere reserve in the region. Together, these internationally recognised areas reinforce the need for cooperative landscape-level management.

GREF, Garden Route District Municipality and NMU have maintained a strategic working relationship for many years, strengthened further by the involvement of the NMU Faculty: Life, Earth, Environmental and Agricultural Sciences. This year’s seminar continues to build on that partnership by bringing academia, conservation authorities and practitioners into a shared space for learning and planning.

SANParks will also participate, with Dr Nomvuselelo (SANParks: Social Cohesion) providing insights into the future of conservation and new opportunities for inter-institutional collaboration. The Tsitsikamma National Park, which forms part of the Garden Route National Park, is a central ecological node within the Garden Route Biosphere Reserve and reflects the region’s interconnected environmental heritage.

The seminar takes place on Thursday, 4 December 2025, at NMU South Campus. It will also mark the official launch of the Eastern Cape Sustainability Forum (ECSF), which will serve as a sister platform to GREF and help strengthen cross-provincial cooperation.

For more information, contact louiselouisamare@gmail.com.

The Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) is a public platform for environmental managers and practitioners and serves as a regional climate-change think-tank.
More information: www.grefecsf.org.za.

12 November 2025 Media Release: GREF: Western Cape Nature Reserves Offer a Safe Haven for Biodiversity and Holiday Visitors

Media Release: GREF: Western Cape Nature Reserves Offer a Safe Haven for Biodiversity and Holiday Visitors

For immediate release
12 November 2025

As the holiday season approaches, the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) highlights the importance of the Western Cape’s nature reserves, which continues to stand out as a beacon of conservation excellence and effective environmental management in South Africa.

A recent report by the EMS Foundation (NGO) on 53 provincial nature reserves across South Africa paints a grim national picture: widespread decay, biodiversity loss, and crumbling infrastructure threaten the future of many protected areas. The Western Cape, through CapeNature, remains a rare exception. Its network of reserves, spanning marine, coastal, and estuarine ecosystems is renowned for strong management, skilled personnel, and innovative conservation practices.

Partnerships with SANParks and private landowners and conservancies further extend the province’s conservation footprint, while collaboration with local authorities ensures a coordinated approach to protecting fragile ecosystems. In addition, private reserves and conservancies, driven by passionate environmental custodians, contribute invaluable expertise, resources, and on-the-ground stewardship to safeguard biodiversity and habitats that are increasingly rare.

“Our quality of life depends on how we manage what remains of the Western Cape’s biodiversity and unique ecosystems,” says Cobus Meiring, GREF Convener. “Through responsible stewardship, public–private partnerships, and community engagement, these reserves continue to thrive — providing safe havens for wildlife and natural beauty for all to enjoy.”

Holidaymakers visiting the Western Cape this season can look forward to exploring well-managed, secure, and scenic reserves, from coastal pathways to pristine fynbos landscapes and vibrant estuaries. GREF encourages visitors to respect these special places: leave no trace, avoid littering, and follow reserve guidelines to ensure that every footprint remains clean.

GREF applauds CapeNature, private reserve managers, and the province’s conservancy networks for their tireless efforts to protect biodiversity. These reserves are more than tourist attractions — they are essential to the ecological health of the Western Cape and the protection of its natural legacy for future generations.

By working together, authorities, landowners, and visitors can ensure that the Western Cape remains a model of conservation excellence in South Africa — protecting biodiversity while offering unforgettable holiday experiences.

The Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) is a regional platform for environmental managers and conservation entities, serving as a climate change think tank.

For more information, visit: www.grefecsf.co.za

Issued by:
Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF)
Enquiries: cobus@naturalbridge.co.za

ENDS

11 November 2025 Media Release: GREF: Western Cape Nature Reserves Offer a Safe Haven for Biodiversity and Holiday Visitors

Media Release: GREF: Western Cape Nature Reserves Offer a Safe Haven for Biodiversity and Holiday Visitors

For immediate release
11 November 2025

As the holiday season approaches, the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) highlights the importance of the Western Cape’s nature reserves, which continue to stand out as a beacon of conservation excellence and effective environmental management in South Africa.

A recent report by the EMS Foundation (NGO) on 53 provincial nature reserves across South Africa paints a grim national picture: widespread decay, biodiversity loss, and crumbling infrastructure threaten the future of many protected areas. The Western Cape, through CapeNature, remains a rare exception. Its network of reserves, spanning marine, coastal, and estuarine ecosystems is renowned for strong management, skilled personnel, and innovative conservation practices.

Partnerships with SANParks and private landowners and conservancies further extend the province’s conservation footprint, while collaboration with local authorities ensures a coordinated approach to protecting fragile ecosystems. In addition, private reserves and conservancies, driven by passionate environmental custodians, contribute invaluable expertise, resources, and on-the-ground stewardship to safeguard biodiversity and habitats that are increasingly rare.

“Our quality of life depends on how we manage what remains of the Western Cape’s biodiversity and unique ecosystems,” says Cobus Meiring, GREF Convener. “Through responsible stewardship, public–private partnerships, and community engagement, these reserves continue to thrive — providing safe havens for wildlife and natural beauty for all to enjoy.”

Holidaymakers visiting the Western Cape this season can look forward to exploring well-managed, secure, and scenic reserves, from coastal pathways to pristine fynbos landscapes and vibrant estuaries. GREF encourages visitors to respect these special places: leave no trace, avoid littering, and follow reserve guidelines to ensure that every footprint remains clean.

GREF applauds CapeNature, private reserve managers, and the province’s conservancy networks for their tireless efforts to protect biodiversity. These reserves are more than tourist attractions — they are essential to the ecological health of the Western Cape and the protection of its natural legacy for future generations.

By working together, authorities, landowners, and visitors can ensure that the Western Cape remains a model of conservation excellence in South Africa — protecting biodiversity while offering unforgettable holiday experiences.

The Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) is a regional platform for environmental managers and conservation entities, serving as a climate change think tank.

For more information, visit: www.grefecsf.co.za

Issued by:
Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF)
Enquiries: cobus@naturalbridge.co.za

ENDS

28 August 2025 Media Release: Groundbreaking initiative launched to combat high risk environmental threats in the Garden Route

Media Release: Groundbreaking initiative launched to combat high risk environmental threats in the Garden Route

28 August 2025

A first-of-its-kind platform to combat primarily Invasive Alien Plants (IAPs) in the Garden Route was launched today during an engagement, chaired by Paul Gerber from the National Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE). Through this initiative, the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) also joined hands with the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) and key partners to address some of the region’s most urgent environmental and wildfire risks, bringing together government, conservation bodies, and local stakeholders.

The key obstacle to achieving high-impact and effective results remains the lack of funding, which was one of the issues that cut across the board.

Cobus Meiring from GREF, said: “The drive to launch this platform is also rooted in past occurrences and helps prevent similar instances like the Knysna and Bitou wildfires of 2017 and the Outeniqua fires of 2018, where IAPs fuelled the intensity and spread of these disasters. Furthermore, rather than just sharing information, stakeholders involved in this platform will focus on executing tangible actions”.

“It is important to note that while post-fire rehabilitation has progressed, AIPs have re-emerged more aggressively, worsening the wildfire risk for the region and threatening the Garden Route’s biodiversity.”

The platform has set a bold interim vision: to reduce IAP coverage across the Garden Route by 30% by 2030. This will support biodiversity conservation, water security, and wildfire risk reduction.

“We cannot afford to lose further control of wildfires. IAPs are choking our rivers, threatening ecosystems, and putting lives, infrastructure, and local economies at risk. This platform is about coordinated action,” said Cobus.

According to Gerhard Otto, GRDM Head of Disaster Management, “We need to roll out block burning to achieve greater impact over the next two to three years. IAPs have already been flagged by the GRDM as one of the highest risks for the region and we need to focus on block-burning the highest risk areas.”

GRDM Fire Chief Deon Stoffels emphasised that, “fynbos fires are part of the natural cycle, but IAPs create unnaturally high fuel loads that make fires catastrophic.”

A Coordinated Effort for Risk Reduction

The multi-stakeholder Task Team includes DFFE, GRDM Disaster Management and Fire Services, local municipalities, CapeNature, SANParks, the Southern Cape Fire Protection Association, and several NGOs and research institutions.

Together, the team will:

  • Coordinate alien invasive plant management across administrative boundaries.
  • Strengthen fire management capacity through integrated planning and joint operations.
  • Support ecological rehabilitation in exit plantation areas (such as Buffelsnek, Bergplaas and Jonkersberg).
  • Explore leveraging technology like drone mapping, geo-referenced data, and machine learning for cost-effective clearing and monitoring.
  • Engage landowners and communities in coordinated clearance and fire mitigation efforts.

Stakeholders stressed that the funding challenge is immense. Clearing the IAPs between George and Nature’s Valley alone would cost R2.3 billion (2018 figures). This is far beyond individual landowners’ means. GRDM over the past few years submitted two multi-million rand funding applications of which none were approved; financial resources therefore remain limited.

Call-to-Action

The Task Team is open to consult with all stakeholders who play a role or is responsible for the management of IAPs, including private landowners. Participation is vital to ensure that IAP clearance takes place at an ecological and landscape level, not just in fragmented administrative blocks. More details about how to get involved will be communicated soon.

Next Steps

In the coming quarter, the sub-teams will be to “connect the dots” of what has been done so far, enforcement efforts, consolidate available funds and more.

ENDS

09 July 2025 Media Release: Climate experts agree that red lights are flashing

Media Release: Climate experts agree that red lights are flashing

For immediate release
09 July 2025

“Experts presenting at the 2025 GREF Climate Change Indaba in collaboration with Nelson Mandela University did not paint a rosy picture”, says Cobus Meiring of the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF).

At this point in time scientific data used to monitor climate change indicate that the meeting of targets and time frames to avert global catastrophe are unlikely to be achieved.

Already South Africa is feeling the pain as fire, torrential rain and angry seas hammer coastal provinces with increasing regularity causing death and destruction.

What is reported in mainstream media does not always portray wider implications. One example is local rural roads and infrastructure which are repeatedly damaged and not rehabilitated given slow economic growth and capacity. In many places the damage caused by floods to access roads and infrastructure isolate rural communities from the outside world and negatively affect mobility, trade, service delivery, economic prosperity and rural productivity.

The take- home massage for South Africa is that the country will have to get its act together and do so very fast. There is simply no more room for wasting sparse resources,  counter- productive policies and tolerating predatory entities hampering vital maintenance, construction, service delivery and development.

The development of resilient infrastructure and responsible environmental management must be escalated from “nice to have” to essential. Fire, floods and drought are real and present dangers. The state of South African water quality, rivers and catchments is dire and deteriorating fast. These systems are vital not only for the sake of bio- diversity conservation, but for ensuring water security going forward.

All is not lost just yet and there are promising signs that the reaching of some climate tipping points might just be averted, but nothing can be left to chance in a fast changing natural world and failure to plan ahead will no doubt have severe implications.

Issued by:
The Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) – a climate change and environmental management think- tank. 

Photo: Expert panel at GREF
Mr Peter du Toit, Dr Roy Marcus, Dr Anna Taylor, Mr Anton Cartwright, Dr Albert van Jaarsveld, Dr Bianca Curry

ENDS

22 May 2025 Media Release: Fire danger place Invasive Alien Plants in the spotlight

Media Release: Fire danger place Invasive Alien Plants in the spotlight

For immediate release
22 May 2025

Approaching winter fronts have the Garden Route on edge as fears of a repeat of the 2017 mega fire disaster looms as a clear and present danger”, says Cobus Meiring of the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF).

Regional environmental and disaster management agencies are in agreement that the 2017 conditions conducive to the worst fire disaster in South African history are again ready for the perfect storm.

Despite best efforts and collaboration between landowners affected by the 2017 fire disaster, Invasive Alien Plants (IAP’s) have made a comeback on the Knysna as well as the 2018 Outeniqua burn scars providing more fuel for a wild fire than ever before. Not only is Knysna and surrounds again in the path of danger, but many other areas including George, Wilderness, Sedgefield and Great Brak.

The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), George Municipality the Southern Cape Fire Protection Association and many other entities involved with – fighting has ramped up their collective strength to deal  with an increasingly number of wild fires, but the core problem remains: Invasive Alien Plants on the Southern Cape landscape.

Garden Route landowners in the urban edge are especially exposed as they can only do so much in terms of safeguarding their properties by creating defendable zones, cleaning their gutters and prepare escape routes. All river systems, mountains and river corridors in the garden Route are infested with high density IAP plant growth.

Landowners are not unaware of the danger invasive plants pose, but more often than not lack the resources to do anything meaningful about it. Still, fire- proofing the Garden Route is important, and a collective effort u

Government efforts (e.g. The DFFE Working for Water Programme) to eradicate IAP growth has collapsed as a result of a lack of funding, no further investment in bio- control and limited capacity to enforce legislation.

GREF will be focusing on climate change and Invasive alien plant implications at the Annual Climate Change and Environmental Indaba in partnership with Nelson Mandela University on 27 June. At stake is not only fire risk, but hard hitting drought is looming in coming years and loss of critical bio diversity is negative for the region’s appeal as a world class destination.

The Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) is a public platform for environmental managers and landowners, and a climate change think tank. (www.grefscli.co.za).

ENDS

07 April 2025 Media Release: Garden Route coastline and estuaries protected as the Wild Coast falters

Media Release: Garden Route coastline and estuaries protected as the Wild Coast falters

For immediate release
07 April 2025

“Via the Garden Route Estuaries Forum and the Garden Route Marine and Coastal Committee (MCC) encompassing all layers of governmental authorities and mandated entities including SANParks, Cape Nature Conservation (CNC) and inclusive of all civil conservation bodies an effective monitoring system guarding the regional coastline and estuaries has been established, ” says Cobus Meiring of the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) and MCC Chairperson.

The functioning of these Forums are vital in order to ensure and maintain a high level of oversight preventing invaluable natural infrastructure from further decline to the point where unique coastal habitats and eco- systems completely collapse and disappear.

In contrast a recent report by the Daily Maverick on the state of the Eastern Cape Wild Coast by esteemed South African environmental practitioners and investigative journalists reflect upon “Environmental Anarchy” destroying with what is no doubt one of Africa’s most precious and vulnerable coastlines. Unregulated sand mining, illegal land occupation, complete disregard for environmental legislation, corrupt traditional authorities, clearing of invaluable ancient dune forests, the destruction of wetlands as well as unbridled harvesting of all manner of marine life already impacts on the Eastern Cape Wild Coast’ s sustainability.

Until fairly recently the Garden Route boasted a much richer bio-diversity and interlinked marine and coastal habitats and eco- systems which today resemble but a fraction of what once thrived unbounded. Today the Garden Route is subjected to dense linear coastal development, commercial agriculture, mega invasive alien plant impact as well as exponential human influx with much more on the way as the Western Cape proves to be a must- see local and global destination.

The Southern Cape population prospers and continue to grow socio-economically as local market values rise along with increasing popularity from local and international tourism as the region is globally recognized as an iconic and safe destination.

The preservation of the Eastern Cape coastline should be elevated to a national priority, and it has to start with the collaboration of all governmental structures with the political will to ensure its preservation for future generations also facing challenges posed by a changing climate. The Wild Coast has the potential to be an easy match for the Western Cape environmental management success, but environmental lawlessness has to make way for responsible conservation, tourism, job creation and prosperity to follow.

The Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) is a public platform for environmental managers and conservationists and a climate change think- tank. (www.grefscli.co.za).

ENDS

11 March 2025 Media Release: Global Events Heavily Impact South African Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation

Media Release: Global Events heavily impact South African Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation

For immediate release
11 March 2025

“When Russia invaded Ukraine in April 2022, environmentalists sounded the alarm that as the world shifted focus and resources to the war, it would have a detrimental effect on global efforts to address climate change,” says Cobus Meiring of the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF).

Since 2022, this prediction has not only proven to be true, but the situation has worsened due to more recent events, such as the USA withdrawing from the UN Convention on Climate Change Paris Agreement and halting vital funding that sustains environmental efforts globally. In Countries like South Africa few realized the scale and impact of American financial support until it was retracted overnight.

The theme for the June 2025 GREF Annual Climate Change and Environmental Management Indaba is “A Global Reassessment of Sustainable Funding Mechanisms for Environmental Projects.” The Indaba will focus on finding alternative, innovative, and sustainable funding mechanisms for environmental management.

South African conservation and environmental efforts are already suffering as government and private funding has dwindled over time due to slow economic growth and rising costs. Ironically, the environment is the bedrock of the South African economy, yet given the financial predicament, it is being forced to take a back seat.

The recent return of the SA Agulhas II research ship from its annual voyage conducting vital research in Antarctica and open oceans was a momentous occasion. However, even this prestigious South African endeavour faces uncertainty, as looming budget cuts threaten its sustainability.

The loss of American funding, particularly from USAID, will have far-reaching effects on critical initiatives such as the South African Just Energy Transition Programme (JETP), which aims to move away from fossil fuels. Many other essential conservation projects funded through American grants, including anti-poaching efforts and biodiversity conservation, are also at risk.

As the global drive to protect the environment faces increasing threats, South Africans must take responsibility for ensuring better environmental management to secure a high quality of life for all who depend on our natural infrastructure and resources.

The Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) is a public platform for environmental managers and a regional climate change think tank. (www.grefscli.co.za)

Feature Image: In the face of less funding South Africans must do much more to protect the environment – Waste management

28 January 2025 Media Release: Knysna has sympathy for the people of Los Angeles

Media Release: Knysna has sympathy for the people of Los Angeles

For immediate release
28 January 2025

“For the moment overshadowed by President Trump’s inauguration, the full impact of the Los Angeles (LA) fire disaster is fast unfolding, and the hearts of the Knysna and Plettenberg Bay communities who endured a similar experience in 2017 goes out to the people of LA,” says Cobus Meiring of the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF).

From the Knysna experience, trauma and loss experienced by all those who lived in the LA burn scar and the city as a whole, is something that will take time to fully manifest and much hardship lies ahead for all affected.

Fire damage done to LA is seemingly obvious but only time will tell how bad it will be for the environment given that the toxins and debris from 12 000 burnt structures are severe. Because of the toxins present, homeowners are currently banned from cleaning their own property. It is feared that toxins are already finding their way into the ocean through rain water running down seep lines and stormwater systems and dispersed through wind, and is expected to have a detrimental impact on marine life.

Globally experts agree that the severity of wildfires has been growing because of climate change. This has put more homes in danger.

Over time the Garden Route will burn again and again and as long as invasive alien plants on the landscape prevail, the fire danger rating will remain unnecessarily high and rapidly increase. As a result of climate change and unpredictable weather, the regional fire season is now all-year round impacting on sparse resources of those tasked with fire-fighting.

GREF would like to urge landowners at risk to clear their land of invasive alien plants and in the process prevent an imminent repeat of the 2017 Knysna disaster.

(The Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) is a public platform for environmental managers and a Climate Change think-tank – www.grefscli.co.za).

Photo: Remains of a Knysna homestead following the June 2017 wildfire disaster – (Cobus Meiring)

13 January 2025 Media Release: Garden Route environment key to its economic prosperity, but wild fires remain a threat

Media Release: Garden Route environment key to its economic prosperity, but wild fires remain a threat

For immediate release
13 January 2025

“Thousands of tourists from all over the world flocked to the Garden Route over the 24/25 holiday season to experience one of the most beautiful places on earth, and in doing so, they make a vital contribution to the regional economy,” says Cobus Meiring of the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF).

Garden Route regional and local government and conservation bodies consistently go to great lengths to ensure that all necessary measures are taken to ensure a well- managed environment for all to enjoy. These efforts do come at a cost for those responsible for managing the environment, but the return on investment is high and the jobs created through the tourism sector is vital to the quality of life for all those living in the region.

Easily accessible clean and safe beaches, several world class nature reserves, hiking trails through forests and mountains, picnic spots, restaurants and high standard accommodation options – all contribute to the Garden Route value proposition for tourists.

Unfortunately during the festive season, the Garden Route suffered from increasingly frequent wild fires which kept authorities busy in actively fighting and monitoring several wild fires scattered all over the region. This ever- present threat will only increase as summer temperatures are set to rise to record highs in 2025.

The devastating fires presently raging through Los Angeles is a stark reminder to Garden Route residents who experienced the Knysna wildfire disaster back in June 2017. Fact is that, as climate change shows its teeth, the danger of regional wild fire disasters are clear and present and on the increase, and in many respects, there are correlations between the factors which contributed to the ferocity of the LA and Knysna wildfire disasters.

Garden Route regional authorities and professional firefighting entities such as the Southern Cape Fire Protection Association (FPA), are better prepared than ever to prevent and manage wildfires. Despite best efforts and equipment, the Los Angeles disaster showed that when nature unleashes its full fury, nothing will stop it from destroying everything in its path.

The Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) is a public platform for environmental managers and a climate change think- tank (www.grefscli.co.za)

Photo: The scenic Garden Route is a major draw card for thousands of tourists and makes an invaluable contribution to the economic prosperity of the region.