Helderberg Nature Reserve

Helderberg Nature Reserve
284px Helderberg mountainside
Map of Cape Town
Location	Cape Town, South Africa
Coordinates
Area	398 ha (980 acres)
Established	1960

Helderberg Nature Reserve is a 398-hectare (980-acre) nature reserve in Cape Town, South Africa.

This nature reserve is located on the southern slopes of the Helderberg mountains. Its 398 ha consist mostly of “Kogelberg Sandstone Fynbos” (an incredibly species-rich vegetation type) with smaller patches of “Boland Granite Fynbos” and “Southern Afrotemperate Forest”. Altogether about 600 species of plant have been recorded here, including a wide range of proteas. Particularly prominent plants include the pincushion proteas (Leucospermum sp.), cone bushes (Leucadendron sp.), sugar bushes (Protea sp.), heaths (Erica sp.) and the waboom tree (Protea nitida).

Animals that can be found here include a group of tame leopard, caracal, grey duiker, Cape grysbok, steenbok, mongoose, angulate and padloper tortoises and over 170 species of bird.

The reserve hosts outdoor music concerts in the summer, and has a café, picnic area, gift shop, Environmental Education Centre and museum displays.

• Helderberg Nature Reserve - Fynbos 3.JPG

  King protea in Kogelberg Sandstone Fynbos

• Afrotemperate forest at Helderberg Nature Reserve - Afromontane Cape Town.JPG

  Indigenous Southern Afrotemperate Forest

• Helderberg Nature Reserve - Fynbos 2.JPG

  Flowering Watsonia geophyte

• Phylica pubescens MS 9313.jpg

  Phylica pubescens

• Leucospermum cordifolium MS 9316.jpg

  Leucospermum cordifolium

• Chersina angulata MS 9329.jpg

  Angulate tortoise

See also

• Biodiversity of Cape Town
• List of nature reserves in Cape Town
• Kogelberg Sandstone Fynbos
• Boland Granite Fynbos
• Index: Fynbos - habitats and species.
• Southern Afrotemperate Forest

External links

• The Helderberg Nature Reserve
• Helderberg Nature Reserve