Its goals include:

• Creating a community-driven monitoring system to help reduce illegal dumping
• Improving water quality
• Providing local communities, authorities and other stakeholders with the information needed to bring about positive change.

Through the project, titled ‘Kogelberg Biosphere UNESCO Citizen Science for Solid Water & River Health Project in Grabouw’, citizen scientists from the community are assisting to collect the data under the guidance of Project Coordinator Nomfusi Msitho.

It uses three complementary field methods:

1. Dumpsite mapping:

Rangers walk designated blocks of Grabouw, recording every illegal dumpsite larger than one square metre, noting size, the types of waste present and whether it’s visible and accessible to the public, as well as what would be needed to remove it.

2. Riverbank litter surveys:

The Biosphere Rangers collect, count and weigh every piece of litter they find between the high-water mark and the water’s edge monthly at three fixed sites: Palmiet River at Shoprite, Klipdrift River and Industrial Road Stream.

3. Floating macro-litter observations: Rangers observe what’s actually moving through the water at the three sites on a weekly basis, giving a real-time picture of how much waste is actively being transported downstream.

4. Water quality monitoring:

Through the South Africa Scoring System version 5 (SASS5) monitoring method, river health is determined by sampling aquatic macroinvertebrates and interpreting their presence, diversity and sensitivity to pollution.

​5. Community co-design:

Once the information has been collected, it will be use to co-create solutions involving community members, agricultural stakeholders, municipalities and other partners.

But the Biosphere team cannot achieve success without the buy-in of our Biosphere residents, and other partners and stakeholders.

That’s why it’s vital that we raise awareness around the importance of this natural area, and why it needs to be protected. But more than that – that we use our platforms to showcase the many projects that we roll out, and the strength of the partnerships in our Biosphere.

To achieve this, the Kogelberg Biosphere team has created a communications plan according to which we operate – guided by and implemented by the Kogelberg Biosphere team and Directors, working with LoveGreen Communications.

Raising awareness on our digital platforms

Working with partners, we have revamped the website to showcase our work. The goal of the website is not only to raise awareness with residents and visitors, but also to encourage greater interaction and involvement in the Biosphere.

We also relaunched on social media platforms, to excite our Biosphere Living residents about how they can benefit from living in a Biosphere, and to show how all residents have a role to play to help nature and people.

A newsletter is sent quarterly to those who have signed up, sharing up-to-date and relevant information regarding Biosphere projects, as well as tips on how to live closer to nature, and how to protect homes and natural areas against possible threats that relate to Biosphere Living. These newsletters are also uploaded later to our Resources page

Wherever we can, we share stories with our partners in the media, to encourage greater reach. We’re grateful to our wonderful media partners, such as The Village News and the Overstrand Herald for reporting on vital Biosphere-related matters.

Partnerships are also vital for the Biosphere, and we work closely with a number of partners, who share our news and collaborate on printed works (such as books).

To find out more, check out our social media

 LATEST NEWS

You can take the next step, to become even more involved in the Kogelberg Biosphere.

And remember to include us in your social media posts, by using the hashtag: #BiosphereLiving.