Next to the Durbanville Racecourse is a special triangle of land. This 6 ha reserve is where Critically Endangered Swartland Shale Renosterveld and Cape Flats Sand Fynbos meet. The area became a nature reserve in 1966, after local residents had found a rare plant, Aristea lugens, growing there and persuaded what was then the Durbanville Town Council to set aside the land for conservation purposes. Alien vegetation was cleared, an indigenous garden was planted, and an education centre was developed.
The reserve also manages a patch of critically important natural vegetation in the centre of the Durbanville Racecourse. There are about 130 plant species, three endemic to Cape Town and ten threatened with extinction. The small grey mongoose (Galerella pulverulenta), angulate tortoise (Chersina angulata) and the Vulnerable Cape rain frog (Breviceps gibbosus) can also be seen.
ADDRESS: Racecourse Road, Durbanville
OPENING HOURS: 07:30-16:00 (weekdays), closed on weekends
SIZE: 6 ha
ENTRANCE FEE (2020): None
PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Taxi or bus
ACTIVITIES AND FACILITIES: Picnic sites, wheelchair-friendly pathways, birdwatching, meeting room
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION: Educational activities for children in partnership with Cape for Kids (booking essential)
CONTACT: Tel 021 979 0060; fax 021 979 0093
E-MAIL: durbanville.naturereserve@capetown.gov.za
Source: City of Cape Town (2010) City of Cape Town nature reserves: A network of amazing biodiversity. City of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
