BETTY’S BAY CONSERVANCY
The Betty’s Bay Conservancy (BBC) was initially established in 2005 and was officially endorsed by Cape Nature on 1st October the same year. After many years of dormancy, the Conservancy was reconstituted and relaunched in April 2021.
The Betty’s Bay Conservancy is located in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve (KBR). The Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, with an area of 100 000 hectares, was registered with UNESCO in December 1998 and is the first internationally recognised Biosphere Reserve in South Africa.
As privileged property owners and residents, we are custodians of this rich natural heritage of the KBR. The community has a role to play in ensuring that everyday living, proposed development, property maintenance and recreational activities are appropriate, sustainable and compatible with the conservation ethos of the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve.
Want to become a member? Click here.
Those of us that chose to live here will find ourselves deeply immersed in the natural environment surrounded by rare and endemic plants along with a diverse array of fauna. It is incumbent on us to help protect this special place, of global significance, both for ourselves and future generations. Decisions we make, on a daily basis, regarding our lifestyle choices and/or construction practices will each have an impact on the delicate natural balance.
As this website is developed it will provide a rich source of information and education about “Biosphere Living” amidst the beauty of Bettys Bay within its unique place in the Kogelberg Biosphere.
What is a Conservancy?
According to Cape Nature, a conservancy is established through a voluntary agreement between two or more landowners to cooperate towards the conservation of the environment on their combined properties.
Through partnerships between civil society and conservation authorities this concept has grown into a national conservation movement.
The Vision of the Betty’s Bay Conservancy is that Betty’s Bay, located in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, will be a place where people live in a harmonious and sustainable relationship with their natural surroundings, guided by conservation principles.
The Mission of the Conservancy is to promote and coordinate environmentally sustainable living in Betty’s Bay and to protect the long term ecological integrity, biodiversity and global significance of the region; thereby enabling the wonder, beauty and importance of our rich natural heritage to endure for future generations.
The main Objective of the Conservancy is to promote and facilitate the sustainable use and management of the environment in the area of the Conservancy, thereby protecting the natural heritage and upholding the premises on which the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve was designated international status by UNESCO in 1998.
If you would like to join the Betty’s Bay Conservancy or for more information, please contact us on bettysbayconservancy@gmail.com
Follow our growing facebook page on https://www.facebook.com/groups/188173089692496.