After a long week at work where we spend most of the time staring at screens and sitting in traffic, one of the best ways to relax and reset is through indulging in the natural beauty that South Africa has to offer. Thanks to urban nature conservation projects, experiencing nature is a lot closer to your backdoor than you might think!
How can we experience nature in the city?
If you want to feel nature right outside your backdoor, while contributing to nature conservation on a small scale, create a garden of indigenous South African plants by planting trees and shrubs. Indigenous plants, trees and shrubs are sources of food for native wildlife and also serves as safe nesting spaces for many indigenous South African birds, which turns your garden into the perfect place for birdwatching.
Some birds and other animals you might come across in your garden when you spend more time outside include:
- Slender Mongoose
- Bush Baby
- Small-spotted Genet
- Lizards
- Snakes
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Garden birds
- Owls
Not too keen about gardening?
Urban nature conservation projects connect people with nature in the city, even if they do not have the time, space, or skills to create an indigenous garden. These projects allow us to spend more time in nature and give us the opportunity to partake in activities such as birdwatching, game viewing and trail walking not too far from our own backdoor.
Another great way to ensure you spend more timeutilize the other ways that you can experience and support nature conservation in your area by frequenting in nature is to join a group of like-minded people, who also make time to appreciate a bit of nature in their busy lives. An example of such a group; is the Friends of Nature group, which is a community-based group in South Africa affiliated with the Wildlife and Environmental Society of South Africa (WESSA). However, if that does not sound like the thing for you, you can still support nature conservation just by showing up and inviting a friend along for the fun!
If you would just like to relax, visit the local picnic and braai facilities in your community. For a quick weekend getaway, you can make use of camping facilities close and far from home.
By making small, mindful changes in our lifestyle, we can spend more time in nature and make an impact by conserving nature right in our backyard. Create fun, lasting memories while supporting the growth of nature conservation projects.
Read more about urban nature conservation and how you can get involved in Ernst Wohlitz’s book, Bring nature back to the city:
