NVT

A week of WESSA awards and celebrations!

NVT is incredibly proud of our achievements and grateful for the recognition received at this year’s WESSA awards! These acknowledgements celebrate the ongoing commitment of our team, partners and local community to protecting our beautiful coastline and promoting responsible, sustainable tourism.

Green Coast: 5 Years of Recognition
Nature’s Valley has been recognised for completing five years as a Green Coast site, as well as receiving Recognition of Excellence! This milestone celebrates continued commitment to coastal conservation, environmental education, community participation and responsible tourism.

Blue Flag 2026–2027
We also celebrate the Blue Flag status awarded to several of local beaches in the Bitou Municipality:
The Dunes, The Waves, Singing Kettle, Nature’s Valley and Lookout Beach.

Congratulations to and all those involved in maintaining these high standards, as well as Robberg V for its Blue Flag pilot status and Offshore Adventures for the recognition of its tourism boats, Robberg Express and Oceanic.

This year’s celebrations are particularly special as WESSA marks 100 years of environmental stewardship and 25 years of the Blue Flag programme in South Africa.

A heartfelt congratulations to all the award recipients, especially those recognised for 10, 15 and 25 years of continued commitment. These achievements reflect years of dedication, collaboration and care for our natural heritage.

Thank you to WESSA Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa and , our partners, local community and everyone who plays a part in keeping our coastline healthy, thriving and accessible for future generations. Here’s to many more years of working together for nature! 💚

🌿 2027 NVT CALENDAR — NOW AVAILABLE TO ORDER! 📅

The final selection is in! 🎉

A huge thank you to everyone who entered photographs and to everyone who voted. We received an incredible number of votes, and the final choices were very close!

The 2027 calendar brings together a wonderful range of photographers and perspectives, capturing the many different ways we experience and appreciate the landscapes, wildlife and everyday life around us. 🌿📸

👉 𝐎𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScVAsC_hxPojlAZDvXOaoKWuCE8rDYPoqqCD7KICeKtkoIisw/viewform?usp=header

𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞, so order yours soon! Calendars will be ready for local delivery before Christmas, making a beautiful gift for family, friends or a little something special for your own home. 🎁

📸 R300 per calendar
📐 A3 size — plenty of space for your notes and plans while showcasing beautiful local photographs.

⚠️ 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦 so that we have one central record and can make sure every order is captured correctly.

📖 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚: Add the latest 𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒’𝑠 𝐿𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠 journal for R200 and discover more of the conservation, research and community work taking place in and around Nature’s Valley.

Limited calendars available — don’t miss out!🌿💚

A wonderful way to mark 100 years of caring for the Earth!

We are honoured to share that NVT is the recipient of the WESSA 100 Conservation Leadership Award – Groups Category for 2026.🏆

“WESSA recognises their outstanding and sustained contribution to biodiversity conservation, applied research, environmental education and community empowerment along the Garden Route and beyond. Through more than two decades of science-led conservation and meaningful community engagement, NVT Tsitsikamma has demonstrated how local action an deliver lasting environmental and social impact across diverse ecosystems and communities.”

The winners were announced this morning at the WESSA 100th Annual General Meeting, celebrating a century of people coming together to educate, advocate and act for a more sustainable future.

We are incredibly grateful to WESSA Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa for this recognition, and to our team, volunteers, supporters, partners and communities who make the work we do possible. This award belongs to all of the people who contribute to conservation and environmental education across the landscapes and communities we work in.

Congratulations to WESSA on 100 years of people caring for the Earth! 🌍💚 What an incredible legacy to celebrate, and we look forward to being part of the next chapter of community conservation in action.

Thank you, WESSA, for the recognition and for a century of leadership, collaboration and commitment to conservation.

Here’s to the next 100 years!

💛 A Little Help Goes a Long Way

We have put together a Wishlist of practical items that will help us create welcoming spaces for learning, creativity, skills development and community connection.

If you have something on our list sitting unused at home — please consider giving it a new purpose at KuCoNa Create and Connect Centre in the Crags. 🌱

Every donation, big or small, helps us grow

📞 To donate or find out more please contact: Angelique – 061 738 4081

Your unused item could become part of something meaningful. 💙

🌿 2027 NVT 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫 𝐎𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧! 📅

With a fantastic turnout of photos and lots of votes already coming in, we’re excited to soon help you bring a little piece of Nature’s Valley into your home, office, or gift it to someone special with the beautiful 2027 Nature’s Valley Calendar! Final photo selection will be announced next week!

👉 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScVAsC_hxPojlAZDvXOaoKWuCE8rDYPoqqCD7KICeKtkoIisw/viewform?usp=header

📸 R300 per calendar
📐 Standard A3 size, perfect for showcasing stunning local photographs while still providing plenty of space for appointments, notes and monthly plans.

⚠️ Important: All calendar 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦. Please avoid placing orders via email, phone calls or messages, as these can easily be missed. Using the form gives us one central record of all orders and helps ensure that every order is captured correctly.

🗓️ 𝐎𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 to allow for printing and delivery in November, ready for the new year.

📖 Optional extra: Add a copy of the latest 𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒’𝑠 𝐿𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠 Journal for R200. Start or continue your collection and follow the incredible conservation, research and community work taking place in and around Nature’s Valley over the years.

📸 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲! With so many beautiful images submitted, choosing just a few has been no easy task.

Thank you for supporting NVT and helping us celebrate the beauty and stories of Nature’s Valley.

NVT 2027 Calendar Order Form Order your calendar(s) now via this google form. R300.00 per calendar. Delivery within South Africa (PUDO Locker to Locker) at an additional cost that will be added on the invoice. The calendars are A3 size on high-quality paper. As always, thank you for all the support and for being part of this be...

We’re very excited to see this important work published!

Marine ecosystems are facing increasing pressures from human activities and environmental change. Understanding how these pressures overlap and interact is essential for better (MSP) and for making informed decisions about the future of our oceans.

The new Data Toolbox Volume 3, How to Use Cumulative Impact Assessment for Marine Spatial Planning, provides practical guidance on using (CIA) to understand the combined effects of multiple pressures on marine ecosystems.

We’re especially proud that Alejandra Vargas, NVT’s Marine Programme Manager and Research Associate at the Institute for Coastal and Marine Research (CMR), contributed to this publication and the work behind it. Her contribution reflects CMR and NVT’s growing involvement in advancing practical, evidence-based approaches to marine conservation and spatial planning.

Designed for MSP practitioners, data analysts, researchers and decision-makers, the toolbox supports a stronger evidence base for planning and managing marine spaces.

Explore the Data Toolbox: https://shorturl.at/JltfP

Synchronised whale watching day for the Western Indian Ocean

On August 17th, Dr. Alejandra Vargas and the NVT interns joined this incredible annual event, teaming up with ( ) and Dr. for a day of land-based whale watching at Robberg Nature Reserve!

This survey happens every year, and it never fails to be an amazing learning experience. Our team was just one of many groups (conservationists, researchers, and interns) stationed along the East African coast, all tracking the movement and numbers of humpback whales on the same day.

The results from our watch point? We spotted around 15 humpback whales, a pod of 8 humpback dolphins and many different bird species.

We spent the whole day scanning the horizon for any sign of these gentle giants: blows, breaches, flipper slaps, and flukes diving beneath the surface.

The goal of this regional initiative is simple but powerful: to simultaneously document humpback whale numbers on a single day, shining a light on these majestic creatures and their epic annual migration from the icy waters of Antarctica to the warm currents of the Indian Ocean.

What an incredible day to be part of! 🐋💙

Thanks to CapeNature for kindly granting us access to Robberg, IndoCet for organising the initiative, and all our interns and KuCoNa Youth Ambassadors for their hard work and support.

IndoCet Consortium

Institute for Coastal and Marine Research- CMR
KuCoNa Create and Connect Centre

COMMUNITY CLEAN-UP WEEKEND🧹🌊

This past weekend, NVT brought together a wonderful team for a community clean-up across and around Nature’s Valley — from the forests 🌳 to the estuary 🌊, through the village 🏡 and down to the beach 🏖️.

We wanted to see what each part of our landscape would show us, and sadly, one thing was consistent across them all: litter. ♻️

Together, our team collected an incredible 59.69 kg of waste! 💪🌿

A big thank you to the NVT members, students and interns, , Youth Ambassadors and local residents who came out to help. 🤝💚 It was fantastic to see people giving their time to care for the places we all share.

Among the most common items we found were:
🧴 Plastic and glass bottles
🥫 Tins
🍔 Food-related packaging
🛍️ Other plastic items
🏗️ Construction-related waste

Each piece of litter collected is one less piece that can make its way into our rivers, estuaries, forests and ocean. 🌊🌱

But the day didn't end there! In the afternoon, we headed to Kurland for a clean-up with the children from the KuCoNa NatureCredits Club. 🌿👧🏽👦🏽

The afternoon was about much more than picking up litter. Together, we explored the links between environmental health and human health, the importance of sense of place, and how recycling and reducing what we send to landfill can help protect the places we call home. 🌍💚♻️

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the day possible. Community action really does make a difference. 💚

Cleaner communities. Healthier environments. Stronger connections to place. 🌿🌊🤝

🌳 FOREST WEEK 🌿

This Forest Week the interns took part in various forest related activities. We revisited the forest that burnt down during the 2025 wildfire; the recovery of the forest is spectacular to witness first hand. We saw plots that were devoid of any vegetation post-fire now boasting lush ferns, moss clad soils and countless tree seedlings. 🌱🌿 Some species that germinated in the barren soil include Forest Knobwood (𝑍𝑎𝑛𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑥𝑦𝑙𝑢𝑚 𝑑𝑎𝑣𝑦𝑖), Tree Fuchsia (𝐻𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑎 𝑙𝑢𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑎) and Cape Beech (𝑅𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑎 𝑚𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑙𝑜𝑒𝑜𝑠). 🌳 The resilience and patience of the forest became evident as it navigates succession after the massive fire-driven disturbance. 🔥➡️🌱

📚 A forest lecture was held wherein the secret world of fruit-seed insects associated with forest trees were explored. 🐛🌳

🪵 We also cut down many invasive tree saplings to make poles. These were used to attach signs to, and placed out at 50 rehabilitation plots across the area. Interns assisted with this, which took a whole day. 💪🌿

🦋 Interns also assisted Rudi in monitoring the Tent Falsegeo (𝐸𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑚𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑠 𝑐ℎ𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑜𝑧𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑎), a lichen clad moth which can be found hiding on tree trunks in forests. This species relies on lichen and cool moist conditions in the forest understorey, and is thus a vital indicator of forest health. 🌿🔎

🐋 This month, we had the incredible opportunity to experience the waters of Plettenberg Bay from a very special perspective, thanks to the amazing team at Ocean Safaris_Plettenberg Bay_Western Cape. 🌊

Guided by the Ocean Safaris team, we set off on an unforgettable journey, surrounded by the beauty and extraordinary wildlife of Plettenberg Bay.

We were incredibly lucky to encounter majestic humpback whales, which frequent the waters of Plettenberg Bay at this time of year, as well as southern right whales, including both males and females displaying courtship behaviour, and mothers with their calves. 🐋🐋 It was particularly special to see these mothers and calves staying close to shore, where the shallow, sheltered waters provide a safe space for nursing. 💙

Along the cliffs of the bay, we also witnessed a large seal colony, with hundreds of seals relaxing in the sunshine while others rolled, swam and played in the water. 🦭☀️🌊 And, of course, beautiful seabirds accompanied us throughout the journey, including cormorants and terns. 🐦

A very special thank you to for making this experience possible and for guiding us throughout the day with such care and respect for the animals and their space. 💙 Their responsible approach to marine wildlife viewing made the experience even more meaningful. 🌊🐋

An experience we won't forget! 💙🌊