Free entrance to parks during SA National Parks week
South Africans are invited to the Garden Route National Park (GRNP) for free from Monday to Saturday, 10-15 September. All gates, including visits to the Big Tree, will waive entrance fees to all South African citizens.
Visitors are reminded to carry a South African ID for identification. This applies to all gates in Wilderness (Ebb & Flow Rest Camp, Goudveld, Farleigh, Woodville), Knysna (including the forest areas such as Diepwalle and Harkerville), Tsitsikamma (including Nature's Valley, Storms River Rest Camp and the Big Tree). The GRNP is a mosaic of landscapes and seascapes, a haven for birds and animals including seabirds, rare and endangered species. It comprises approximately 155 000 hectares of land featuring indigenous forests, lakes, rivers, wetlands and the sea. Scientists have recorded over 465 plant species in the forests, over 22 species of amphibians, 24 reptile species, 84 species of water birds, 305 species of birds and about 43% of South Africa's 290 mammal species in the Garden Route National Park (GRNP). According to the IUCN (2001) categories that were used to evaluate the threat status of the South African mammals (Friedmann and Daly 2004), the GRNP protects populations of 28 red data book species. In the "threatened" categories, 7,1% of the park's mammals are listed as endangered (EN) and 14% as vulnerable (VU).
Jessica Hayes, Regional Ecologist at the park, supplied a list of the "Small Ten" to look out for whilst visiting the park:
Knysna seahorse
Blue duiker
Knysna turaco or loerie
Honey badger
Cape clawless otter
Knysna dwarf chameleon
Slender redfin minnow
Velvet worm
African penguin
African crowned eagle
According to priorities set by People and Conservation Officers, the park makes an effort to bus in communities who would otherwise not be able to make it to the park, but the need is great and it is not possible to bus in everyone.
The park encourages visitors to follow them on social media @SANParksGRNP or visit the website www.sanparks.org for planned events for the SA National Parks Week campaign. The campaign is hosted in partnership with Total SA and First National Bank (FNB).
* DID YOU KNOW: The famous Otter hiking trail turns 50 this year - just a little younger than the Tsitsikamma National Park (now the Tsitsikamma section of the Garden Route National Park), which is 54.