Nestled in the suburbs of Cape Town is an escape from the modern sprawl, an urban passage into nature. False Bay Nature Reserve comprises six sections: Zeekoevlei, Strandfontein, Pelican Park, Slagetjiebos, Zandwolf, and Rondevlei, a biologically diverse area of almost 2,200 hectares. Driven By Nature Foundation visited the Rondevlei section of False Bay Nature Reserve to experience their conservation efforts in person. As a critically important habitat for the breeding of various species, including the Western Leopard Toad, this section is around 290 hectares of mostly permanent wetland. Rondevlei is home to a wide range of indigenous animals and plants, including over 200 species of birds and a group of hippos. This remains one of the few sanctuaries for wildlife in the area. Urban nature reserves are more than areas for biodiversity and habitat conservation – although that is a crucial aspect of their role. Outside of protecting our natural world, urban reserves offer people a chance to rest and reconnect in nature. We arranged with the team at Rondevlei to visit their site and create a short film of their work in conserving this incredible landscape. Join us as we capture its magic.
Short Film with False Bay Nature Reserve
In August of 2024, Driven By Nature Foundation headed to Rondevlei with our videography team. With plenty of shots to capture and interviews to engage in, we were excited for the day ahead of us. We met with the team there and then headed to shoot an early morning at the reserve, from the scenery to the wildlife. Once we had filmed and felt the landscape, we started our discussions with workers on the reserve. Our short film features plenty of engaging interviews with Rondevlei’s custodians, each offering unique insights into the process of conserving a delicate ecosystem. Our team spoke with Bongani Zhungu, the reserve manager, Mthokozisi ‘Reward’ Nzuza, the reserve supervisor for the Rondevlei section, Brownwen Foster, head of people, conservation & environmental education, Thato Matonyane, a work-integrated learning (WIL) student, as well as Lubabalo Sidinana and Andrew Arries, who are visitor control officers. We captured the operation of the nature reserve, its various facilities such as the museum, environmental education centre, resource centre and trails and towers inside the reserve. Rondevlei’s footpaths are walkable and well-maintained, offering visitors from the general public a chance to take a beautiful walk through natural land. As we captured breathtaking scenes of the reserve, our team had conversations with the team and learnt more about its importance in preserving biodiversity – not just in False Bay, but the entirety of the Western Cape. The full short film is available to watch on our YouTube channel, offering reflections on the management, highlights and challenges of working on an urban reserve.
Why We Chose to Capture Rondevlei
Rondevlei is home to a large population of birds, including pelicans and flamingos. It houses the critically endangered Cape Flats sand fynbos and Cape Flats dune strandveld across its land, a haven to preserve these indigenous plant species. The reserve’s waterways support an abundance of biodiversity with a population of mammals such as the hippo, cape clawless otter, two types of mongoose and buck. With such a wide range of important species to conserve, Rondevlei stands as a reminder of our past and a look into our future. Our world has progressed, while pushing animals and plant life aside – these sanctuaries are a glimpse into nature outside of city streets and skyscrapers. Keeping nature at the heart of our cities ensures its continuation and our connection to it. As well as being an important area for Cape Town’s biodiversity, visitors to Rondevlei can enjoy the scenery with trails and picnics through the reserve. Anyone who has visited False Bay Nature Reserve in any section will understand the refreshing atmosphere and peace that it provides, an underrated service in modern-day hustle. Capturing these moments in nature, we aimed to explain both the beauty and challenge of maintaining the delicate balance of life in the modern world.
The Importance of Urban Reserves
Urban nature reserves are an oasis of greenery in developed areas. They are both spaces for species and biodiversity conservation as well as human activities. With Rondevlei as an example, many people who visit partake in birdwatching, both fulfilling their hobby and the reserve’s commitment to preserving bird species. Another critical element of urban reserves is environmental education for children and adults alike. School or university groups may be brought to the area to observe and learn about the natural world. Learning about our intricate ecosystem, indigenous flora, fauna, and the efforts being made to protect them helps the population understand how urgently we need to protect our Earth. Through being exposed to the benefits of nature as well as what threatens it, we set ourselves and future generations up for environmental awareness and advocacy. As our temperatures get hotter and the climate becomes drier, urban reserves also offer green spaces to reduce emissions and combat climate change. Spotlighting these locations as an aspect of conservation within our city’s limits shows us that the wild is not apart from us – it’s connected to everything we are and do. Driven By Nature Foundation greatly respects the efforts of the Rondevlei team for sharing their stories and showing us the beauty of urban reserves.
