Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Patricia van der Ross, opened the Majik Forest Renosterveld Garden in Durbanville on September 4. The event included planting 20 locally indigenous trees in celebration of Arbor Month.

Majik Forest is a conservation area managed by the City of Cape Town’s Recreation and Parks Department as a sensitive natural system.

The Renosterveld Garden was developed by the Wildflower Stepping Stones Project (WSSP) group dedicated to conserving pockets of locally indigenous wildflowers to avoid habitat fragmentation.

The garden showcases the indigenous Swartland Shale Renosterveld – an endangered vegetation type that has largely disappeared from the area due to agricultural and urban development.

“We are pleased to open this garden for all Capetonians to enjoy this precious part of our natural heritage. Thanks to all our partners who made this happen,” said Hill-Lewis.

The garden was designed and created by landscaper Leon Kluge and artist Tristan Woudberg in partnership with WSSP and the Recreation and Parks Department.

“This garden shows how important collaboration is with public entities and friend groups like WSSP. They seek to improve public open spaces through creative thinking that can lead to improving natural landscapes within the city and, at the same time, creating a space for people to learn and enjoy our beautiful biodiversity,” said Van der Ross.

Creation of the Renosterveld Garden enables the public to learn and interact with various iconic plant species found in the historic vegetation of the Greater Tygerberg Hills and the passionate people who wish to restore this critically endangered vegetation type.