The “You Are Nature – Support It!” campaign by WWF and SANParks is calling on South Africans to help protect the country’s parks as natural treasures by means of the following:
Maintain a hectare of national parkland and win a prize:
By making a donation of R300, individuals will contribute towards the maintenance of the more than four-million hectares (comprising 70 per cent of the protected areas under state management) overseen by SANParks. With each donation, individuals stand in line to win one of the following prizes:
• First prize: An opportunity for two people to accompany the SANParks game capture team for one day as they conduct game capture operations in a South African national park.
• Second prize: An opportunity for a group of four people to experience a wilderness trail in the Kruger National Park.
• Third prize: Three winners will each receive two nights’ accommodation for two people.
Donations can be made on the SANParks website under donations here.
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Visit some of the beautiful SANParks sites:
SANParks manages a system of 19 functional national parks in seven of the nine provinces of the country. South Africans can enjoy these precious landscapes which hold natural and cultural heritage assets including:
• Wild flower phenomenon – At the moment, for instance, the flower season is in full bloom in the Western Cape. Usually drawing thousands of visitors from around the country, the changing weather patterns mean the wild flowers bloom well into late October. The West Coast National Park is a good viewing spot and the Postberg section is open from 09:00 until 16:00 with last entry at 15:00.
• Archaeological sites – The historical wonders of Mapungubwe can be admired by booking a guided heritage tour. Popular sites in the Kruger include Thulamela and Masorini. Most other parks also have a variety of Stone Age and Iron Age sites.
• Rock art – Impressive and ancient rock art was left by San and Khoekhoen throughout South Africa. Parks such as the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage Site, Tsitsikamma Area of the Garden Route National Park, Mountain Zebra National Park and Kruger National Park offer opportunities to view these rock paintings.
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The “You Are Nature – Support It!” campaign aims to raise between R3 to R5 million and will run until end October 2020.
Commenting on the campaign, Justin Smith, head of business development with WWF South Africa said, “The lockdown has reminded many of us about the true value of nature, how much we need it, and how much we crave it when we cannot access it.
“Now that restrictions have been relaxed, it’s more important than ever to support our world-class national parks as they are the core of our country’s protected areas, for our wildlife and wild spaces, and the many people who rely on tourism for a living.”
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SANParks’ managing executive: tourism development and marketing, Hapiloe Sello said, “Our acclaimed national parks yield invaluable socio-economic, cultural and wellness benefits.
“Conservation is a public good that is often underfunded. Yet, our protected areas play such a special part as refuge for our country’s natural assets as one of the megadiverse countries in the world, support important ecological infrastructure and contribute to the national GDP directly and indirectly. Through this campaign we hope to accelerate much-needed conservation activities and support local employment for our national parks which are places of value and shared pride for all South Africans,” he said.
