Cape Town offers free entry to Nature Reserves during the Great Southern Bioblitz 2025!

The City of Cape Town has announced an exciting opportunity for nature lovers and citizen scientists alike — free entry to all City nature reserves in Cape Town from Friday, 24 October to Monday, 27 October 2025, in celebration of the Great Southern Bioblitz 2025.

This annual event brings together cities across the southern hemisphere in a friendly competition to record and showcase local biodiversity - from plants and insects to birds, mammals, and marine life. The goal is to raise awareness of the region’s incredible ecosystems and inspire communities to take part in conservation.
Participants can join in by simply exploring nature and uploading their wildlife observations to the iNaturalist app or website. Every sighting recorded during the four challenge days will automatically be added to the Cape Town Bioblitz project, helping scientists and environmentalists better understand the city’s natural heritage.

“Each year, cities across the southern hemisphere go head-to-head to see who can capture the widest range of plant and animal species, and Cape Town is always in the running to lead the way. Once again, we’re opening our nature reserves to residents, free of charge, so that everyone can join in the fun of discovering and recording our city’s incredible biodiversity,“ said the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews.

Whether you’re a seasoned birder, a budding photographer, or simply curious about the flora and fauna around you, this is the perfect time to get outdoors, connect with nature, and contribute to real scientific research.

Please note: free entry applies only to access the City of Cape Town's nature reserves for the Bioblitz event. Recreational activities or other paid services within the reserves will still be charged at normal rates.

How to participate:

• Download the iNaturalist app or visit www.inaturalist.org
• Join the Cape Town project page
• Upload your plant and animal sightings between 24 and 27 October 2025

 

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