Grootbos Foundation

About

The Grootbos Foundation is a non-profit organisation that was established in 2003, to implement conservation and community upliftment projects to support the communities surrounding Grootbos Private Nature Reserve. 

Objectives

• Conserving, rehabilitating and protecting the natural environment of the Western Cape region, particularly the flora and fauna on Grootbos Private Nature Reserve and the Walker Bay region
• Providing education relating to indigenous horticulture, agriculture, conservation, ecotourism, greening and life skills education
• Training and skills development for disadvantaged persons to enable them to obtain employment or become self-employed
• Using sports and sports facilities as a tool for social integration, promoting healthy lifestyles for youth, and increasing environmental awareness and life skills amongst communities
• Researching ecological, educational, social and scientific research on topics related to our core programmes
• Developing sustainable and innovative solutions to tackle the issue of food insecurity.
• Protecting and supporting vulnerable communities in meaningful ways during the Covid 19 pandemic

Grootbos Private Nature Reserve

Grootbos Private Nature Reserve is set on 2,500-hectares in the smallest of the six recognised floral kingdoms of the world, the Cape Floral Kingdom. The reserve provides a unique chance to immerse oneself in the fynbos and forests that feature 885 plant species while observing the birds, animals and amphibians that live in them.

Botanist and Conservation Director Sean Privett, and the late Heiner Lutzeyer explored, recorded and photographed the region’s flora for more than a decade, resulting in one of the most detailed botanical studies ever undertaken in the Cape Floral Kingdom. A collection of 885 plants were identified, seven of which were new to science, namely:

1. Erica magnisylvae
2. Cliffortia anthospermoides
3. Lachenalia lutzeyeri
4. Pterygodium vermiferum
5. Capnophyllum lutzeyeri
6. Dasispermum grandicarpum
7. Indigofera wenholdiae

Find out more about this sustainable eco-reserve and its award-winning lodges, villas and experiences, here: Grootbos Private Nature Reserve

Siyakhula

The Grootbos Foundation’s Siyakhula project focuses on uplifting the communities within the Cape Floral Kindom that neighbour Grootbos Private Nature Reserve:

Green Futures

The Grootbos Foundation’s Green Futures project focuses on the education and upliftment of the local community and the conservation of the area they call home.

Education

• Green Futures College
• Eco-Tourism Training
• Hospitality Training
• Indigenous Fynbos Nursery
• Alien Vegetation Management Training

Conservation

• Future Trees
• Protected Environment Project
• Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy
• Ecosystem Restoration
• Ecological Research (botanical, faunal, entomological)

Football Foundation

The Grootbos Foundation’s Football Foundation focuses on:

• Multi-Sports Programming (soccer, athletics, hockey, canoeing, swimming)
• Holiday Programmes
• Grassroots HIV / AIDS Awareness
• Educational Programmes
• Shewana Female Empowerment Programme

Awards & Mentions

The Grootbos Foundation proudly carries the following awards and mention:

Imvelo Travel 

• Imvelo

Condé Nast Traveller 

• Condé Nast Traveller’s Annual Green List

World Travel & Tourism Council

• Best in Poverty Reduction

Responsible Tourism Awards 

• Best for Conservation of an Endangered Species

World Travel & Tourism Council 

• Tourism for Tomorrow Awards (finalist)

Donors, Partners & Sponsors

A special word of thanks goes to private individuals from around the world for their donations, each cent makes a difference!  

Donate Now

The Grootbos Foundation thanks you for your valuable donation: 

• R100 - Student’s Gardening Tools
• R350 - Plant a Tree 
• R220 - Buy a Grootbos Field Guide 
• R1,000 - Donate a Student Uniform 
• R1,500 - Donate a Child's Sports Kit