Nature's Valley is a holiday resort and small village on the

Garden Route The Garden Route (Afrikaans: ''Tuinroete'') is a stretch of the south-eastern coast of South Africa which extends from Witsand in the Western Cape Province, Western Cape to the border of Tsitsikamma Storms River in the Eastern Cape. The name com ...

along the southern Cape coast of South Africa. Nature's Valley lies between the Salt River, the foothills of the

Tsitsikamma Mountains The Tsitsikamma mountains form an east-west mountain range located in the Garden Route region of the southern South African coast in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces. Tsitsikamma means 'place of much water' in the Khoekhoe language. P ...

, the Indian Ocean and the Groot River lagoon. Nature's Valley has a balmy climate and is surrounded by the de Vasselot Nature Reserve which is part of the Tsitsikamma Park, and in turn part of the Garden Route National Park. Nature's Valley02

History

Nature's Valley, and the surrounding coastline, was occupied by Old Stone Age or Paleolithic man from 1 million years ago. Paleolithic man lived in the area in caves and under overhangs, collecting food in the tidal zone and hunting for a rich variety of wildlife. Various glacial periods interrupted this coastal occupation. San hunter-gatherers lived in this area from about 10,000 years ago until they were displaced by

Khoikhoi Khoekhoen (singular Khoekhoe) (or Khoikhoi in the former orthography; formerly also '' Hottentots''"Hottentot, n. and adj." ''OED Online'', Oxford University Press, March 2018, www.oed.com/view/Entry/88829. Accessed 13 May 2018. Citing G. S. ...

herders from the interior.

The Groot River pass

For a long time travel along the Garden Route parallel to the coastline was impossible, due to the extremely deep and precipitous river gorges blocking all east-west traffic.

Charles Collier Michell Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Collier Michell, Royal Guelphic Order, KH (29 March 1793 in Exeter – 28 March 1851 in Eltham, London), later known as Charles Cornwallis Michell, was a British soldier, first surveyor-general in the British Cape Colon ...

reported in 1839: "''there is no practical way – not even a footpath, from

Plettenberg Bay Plettenberg Bay, nicknamed Plet or Plett, is the primary town of the Bitou Local Municipality in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. As of the census of 2001, there were 29,149 population. It was originally named Bahia Formosa ("beautifu ...

to the Tzitzikamma country''".

Thomas Bain Thomas Bain (December 14, 1834 – January 18, 1915) was a Scottish born Canadian parliamentarian. Bain was born in Scotland, the son of Walter Bain, and migrated to Canada with his family when he was three years old. They settled on a bu ...

built a road from

George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...

Knysna Knysna () is a town with 76,150 inhabitants (2019 mid-year estimates) in the Western Cape province of South Africa. and is one of the destinations on the loosely defined Garden Route tourist route. It lies at 34° 2' 6.3168'' S and 23° 2' 47 ...

, the so-called "Seven Passes Road", which took from 1867 to 1883 to complete. Previously, access to the coastal area which lay further east was possible only via the

Langkloof The Langkloof is a 160 km long valley in South Africa, lying between Herold, a small village northeast of George, and The Heights - just beyond Twee Riviere. History The kloof was given its name by Isaq Schrijver in 1689, and more thorough ...

valley, which lies immediately north of the

. Nature's Valley only became easily accessible after Thomas Bain completed the Grootrivier Pass in 1880. He and Captain Christopher Harison (later Conservator of Forests) first explored the route in 1868 to test its feasibility. Harison's interest in the road stemmed from his belief that it could be used to halt the runaway destruction of the forest started by

Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...

woodcutters in 1777 and carried on by their descendants. At the time that Bain and Harison reconnoitred the route, Bain was supervising the construction of no fewer than six passes, so that 10 years would elapse before he could start work on the Groot River Pass. A hundred years later the demands of road transport would dictate the building of a freeway with enormous concrete bridges – a tribute to the skill of engineers, and bringing in its wake considerable collateral damage to the environment.

Permanent settlement

After Bain's completion of the Groot River Pass, the Forestry Department proclaimed three lots in the Valley – one for its own use and the other two sold to private individuals. The first person to settle in the now accessible valley, and who acquired a 69-hectare lot from Telfer Anderson, was Hendrik Jacobus Hermanus Barnardo lso referred to as Hendrick Grootrivier who had been a foreman at Bain's Groot River construction camp. Barnardo was an enigmatic character who went to extreme lengths to protect the trees of the area, but enthusiastically led the slaughter of wildlife throughout the region. Barnardo married three times and fathered 19 children. The names of his wife's, (no first name) Van Rooyen; with children(4), Michael John, Christian Henry, Susie, Babes. (no first name) Stroebel; with children(2), Harding Jouy, Hercule en Easy. Luanna Toit; with children(6),Maggie, Willem, Eddy, Leon, Benny, Ivy. They lived at Covie, just opposite the graveyard where the forefathers and relatives were buried. It is still in existence (2022). Another member of his family shot the last Tsitsikamma elephant in 1881. In the face of continued pressure to sell a portion of his farm, Barnardo finally relented in 1941 and sold an area of 1.6963

morgen A morgen was a unit of measurement of land area in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Lithuania and the Dutch colonies, including South Africa and Taiwan. The size of a morgen varies from . It was also used in Old Prussia, in the Balkans, Norw ...

to a syndicate of ten buyers for the sum of £755. In 1943 Baron Ulrich Behr of Kurland bought the option to purchase the remainder of Barnardo's property from the Van Reenen family, who had acquired the option in the 1920s, but had never exercised it. Behr then went through all the steps necessary to have the land proclaimed for development. In 1953 the township was declared and formally named "Nature's Valley" by Behr, a name that had been used by the syndicate at the suggestion of Wide du Preez of "The Crags".

The Valley and surrounding area

A network of trails covers the surrounding hills and beaches. The lagoon offers sheltered water for sailing and canoeing, without powerboating and beach buggies. A walk along beaches and a rocky path leads to the Salt River Mouth after crossing Pebble Beach, a large area completely covered in sea-smoothed cobbles. East of Nature's Valley is the Groot River Lagoon, which marks the end of the Otter Trail, starting at Storms River Mouth, 60 km further east. This 5-day trail is considered by many hikers to be the finest in South Africa, being strenuous, scenic and extremely varied. The route meanders along the coast through evergreen forest, past boulder-strewn beaches and frequently crossing tannin-stained streams. Huts are available for the hiker at the end of each day, but bookings have to be made well in advance. The Brenton blue butterfly, '' Orachrysops niobe'', was first described from

Roland Trimen Roland Trimen FRS (29 October 1840 in London – 25 July 1916 in London) was a British-South African naturalist, best known for ''South African Butterflies'' (1887–89), a collaborative work with Colonel James Henry Bowker. He was among ...

in 1858, and was not seen again until discovered in 1977 at Nature's Valley and shortly thereafter in 1979 at Brenton-on-Sea. The Nature's Valley population was assumed to be extinct when no more sightings were made after 1984. The cause of this decline was felt to be the absence of fynbos fires causing a shortage of the butterfly's foodplant ''Indigofera erecta'', and accordingly a controlled burn was carried out in April 2003, with a reintroduction of butterfly eggs in August 2005. In 2000 researchers from the Albany Museum in

Grahamstown Makhanda, also known as Grahamstown, is a town of about 140,000 people in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is situated about northeast of Port Elizabeth and southwest of East London. Makhanda is the largest town in the Makana ...

discovered a number of aquatic insect species new to science in the Salt River, which lies at the western end of Nature's Valley. The isolated position of the river, a lack of fish and its acidic and unpolluted water are thought to have been factors in ensuring the undisturbed survival of these primitive forms. New housing developments within the catchment area of the Salt River may threaten the continued existence of these unique insects.

Selected fauna and flora of Nature's Valley

Mammals

*''Chlorotalpa duthieae'' – Duthie's golden mole *''Amblysomus hottentotus devilliersi'' –

Hottentot golden mole The Hottentot golden mole (''Amblysomus hottentotus'') is a species of mammal in the golden mole family, Chrysochloridae. It is found in South Africa, Eswatini, and possibly Lesotho. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, subtropical or ...

*''Amblysomus iris corriae'' – Knysna golden mole *''Myosorex varius'' – forest shrew *''Crocidura flavescens'' – greater red musk shrew *''Rousettus aegyptiacus leachii'' –

Egyptian fruit bat The Egyptian fruit bat or Egyptian rousette (''Rousettus aegyptiacus'') is a species of megabat that is found in Africa, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and the Indian subcontinent. It is one of three '' Rousettus'' species with an African-M ...

*''Rhinolophus clivosus'' – Geoffroy's horseshoe bat *''Rhinolophus capensis'' – Cape horseshoe bat *''Nycteris thebaica'' –

Egyptian slit-faced bat The Egyptian slit-faced bat (''Nycteris thebaica'') is a species of slit-faced bat broadly distributed throughout Africa and the Middle East. It is a species of microbat in the family Nycteridae. Six subspecies are known. Description The Egypt ...

*''Miniopterus fraterculus'' – lesser long-fingered bat *''Kerivoula lanosa'' –

lesser woolly bat The lesser woolly bat (''Kerivoula lanosa'') is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found in Botswana, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Li ...

*''Myotis tricolor'' – Cape hairy bat *''Pipistrellus kuhlii broomi'' – subspecies of Kuhl's pipistrelle *''Eptesicus hottentotus'' – long-tailed house bat *''Cercopithecus pygerythrus'' –

vervet monkey The vervet monkey (''Chlorocebus pygerythrus''), or simply vervet, is an Old World monkey of the family Cercopithecidae native to Africa. The term "vervet" is also used to refer to all the members of the genus ''Chlorocebus''. The five distinct ...

*''Papio ursinus'' –

chacma baboon The chacma baboon (''Papio ursinus''), also known as the Cape baboon, is, like all other baboons, from the Old World monkey family. It is one of the largest of all monkeys. Located primarily in southern Africa, the chacma baboon has a wide vari ...

*''Lepus saxatilis'' – scrub hare *''Myomyscus verreauxi'' – Verreaux's mouse *''Thamnomys dolichurus'' – woodland thicket rat *''Otomys irroratus'' –

vlei rat African vlei rats (''Otomys''), also known as groove-toothed rats, live in many areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Most species live in marshlands, grasslands, and similar habitats and feed on the vegetation of such areas, occasionally supplementing ...

*''Dendromus mesomelas'' – Brant's climbing mouse *''Graphiurus ocularis'' – spectacled dormouse *''Graphiurus murinus'' – woodland dormouse *''Hystrix africae-australis'' –

Cape porcupine The Cape porcupine (''Hystrix africaeaustralis''), Cape crested porcupine or South African porcupine, is a species of Old World porcupine native to central and southern Africa. Description left, 180px, head Cape porcupines are the second large ...

*''Bathyergus suillus'' – Cape dune mole-rat *''Georychus capensis'' – Cape mole-rat *''Cryptomys hottentotus'' –

common mole-rat The common mole-rat, African mole-rat, or Hottentot mole-rat, (''Cryptomys hottentotus'') is a burrowing rodent found in Southern Africa, in particular in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It also occurs in Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, M ...

*''Mellivora capensis'' –

ratel The honey badger (''Mellivora capensis''), also known as the ratel ( or ), is a mammal widely distributed in Africa, Southwest Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. Because of its wide range and occurrence in a variety of habitats, it is listed a ...

*''Ictonyx striatus'' – striped polecat *''Aonyx capensis'' –

African clawless otter The African clawless otter (''Aonyx capensis''), also known as the Cape clawless otter or groot otter, is the second-largest freshwater otter species. It inhabits permanent water bodies in savannah and lowland forest areas through most of sub- ...

*''Genetta tigrina'' –

Cape genet The Cape genet (''Genetta tigrina''), also known as the South African large-spotted genet, is a genet species endemic to South Africa. As it is common and not threatened, it is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Like other genets, it ...

*''Herpestes ichneumon cafer'' –

Egyptian mongoose The Egyptian mongoose (''Herpestes ichneumon''), also known as ichneumon (), is a mongoose species native to the coastal regions along the Mediterranean Sea between North Africa and Turkey, tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrub ...

*''Herpestes pulverulentus'' –

Cape grey mongoose The Cape grey mongoose (''Herpestes pulverulentus''), also called the small grey mongoose, is a small mammal native to South Africa, Lesotho and southern Namibia. Appearance It is a small species (55–69 cm long, weight range 0.5 – 1 ...

*''Atilax paludinosus'' –

marsh mongoose The marsh mongoose (''Atilax paludinosus''), also known as the water mongoose or the vansire, is a medium-sized mongoose native to sub-Saharan Africa that inhabits foremost freshwater wetlands. It has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red L ...

*''Felis lybica cafra'' –

wildcat The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while th ...

*''Leptailurus serval'' –

serval The serval (''Leptailurus serval'') is a wild cat native to Africa. It is widespread in sub-Saharan countries, except rainforest regions. Across its range, it occurs in protected areas, and hunting it is either prohibited or regulated in ran ...

*''Caracal caracal'' –

caracal The caracal (''Caracal caracal'') () is a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long tufted e ...

*''Panthera pardus melanotica'' – leopard *''Loxodonta africana'' – African bush elephant *''Procavia capensis'' –

Cape hyrax The rock hyrax (; ''Procavia capensis''), also called dassie, Cape hyrax, rock rabbit, and (in the King James Bible) coney, is a medium-sized terrestrial mammal native to Africa and the Middle East. Commonly referred to in South Africa as the das ...

*''Potamochoerus porcus koiropotamus'' –

bushpig :''"Bush pig" may also refer to the red river hog. The bushpig (''Potamochoerus larvatus'') is a member of the pig family that inhabits forests, woodland, riverine vegetation and cultivated areas in East and Southern Africa. Probably introduce ...

*''Pelea capreolus'' –

grey rhebok The grey rhebok or gray rhebuck (''Pelea capreolus''), locally known as the ''reebok'' in Afrikaans, is a species of antelope native to South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini (Swaziland). The specific name ''capreolus'' is Latin for 'little goat' ...

*''Tragelaphus scriptus sylvaticus'' –

bushbuck The Cape bushbuck (''Tragelaphus sylvaticus'') is a common and a widespread species of antelope in sub-Saharan Africa.Wronski T, Moodley Y. (2009)Bushbuck, harnessed antelope or both? ''Gnusletter'', 28(1):18-19. Bushbuck are found in a wide ra ...

*''Cephalophus monticola'' –

blue duiker The blue duiker (''Philantomba monticola'') is a small antelope found in central, southern and eastern Africa. It is the smallest duiker. The species was first described by Swedish naturalist Carl Peter Thunberg in 1789. 12 subspecies are i ...

*''Oreotragus oreotragus'' –

klipspringer The klipspringer (; ''Oreotragus oreotragus'') is a small antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. The sole member of its genus and subfamily/tribe, the klipspringer was first described by German zoologist Eberhard August Wilhelm von Zim ...

*''Raphicerus melanotis'' – Cape grysbok

Birds

* Cape spurfowl *

Red-necked spurfowl The red-necked spurfowl or red-necked francolin (''Pternistis afer''), is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae that is a resident species in southern Africa. Taxonomy The red-necked spurfowl was described in 1776 by the German zoologis ...

* Common quail * Helmeted guineafowl *

Egyptian goose The Egyptian goose (''Alopochen aegyptiaca'') is a member of the duck, goose, and swan family Anatidae. It is native to Africa south of the Sahara and the Nile Valley. Egyptian geese were considered sacred by the Ancient Egyptians, and appear ...

African black duck The African black duck (''Anas sparsa'') is a species of duck of the genus ''Anas''. It is genetically closest to the mallard group, but shows some peculiarities in its behavior and (as far as they can be discerned) plumage; it is accordingly p ...

Yellow-billed duck The yellow-billed duck (''Anas undulata'') is a 51–58 cm long dabbling duck which is an abundant resident breeder in southern and eastern Africa. This duck is not migratory, but wanders in the dry season to find suitable waters. It is h ...

Red-billed teal The red-billed teal or red-billed duck (''Anas erythrorhyncha'') is a dabbling duck which is an abundant resident breeder in southern and eastern Africa typically south of 10° S. This duck is not migratory, but will fly great distances to fin ...

Scaly-throated honeyguide The scaly-throated honeyguide (''Indicator variegatus'') is a species of bird in the family Indicatoridae. Range thumb , left , 200px , Dorsal view, Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, coastal Kenya It is found in Angola, Burundi, DRC, Eswatini, Ethiopia, ...

Greater honeyguide The greater honeyguide (''Indicator indicator'') is a bird in the family Indicatoridae, paleotropical near passerine birds related to the woodpeckers. Its English and scientific names refer to its habit of guiding people to bee colonies. Claims t ...

Lesser honeyguide The lesser honeyguide (''Indicator minor'') is a species of bird in the family Indicatoridae. Range It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Rep ...

Brown-backed honeybird The brown-backed honeybird (''Prodotiscus regulus''), also known as Wahlberg's honeybird, Wahlberg's honeyguide and sharp-billed honeyguide, is a species of bird in the family Indicatoridae. This bird is named after the Swedish naturalist Johan A ...

* Knysna woodpecker *

Cardinal woodpecker The cardinal woodpecker (''Dendropicos fuscescens'') is a widespread and common resident breeder in much of sub-Saharan Africa. It occurs in a wide range of habitats, ranging from dense forest to thorn bush. It is fairly vocal and is easily ident ...

* Olive woodpecker *

Crowned hornbill The crowned hornbill (''Lophoceros alboterminatus'') is an African hornbill. Description It is a medium-sized bird, in length, and is characterized by its white belly and black back and wings. The tips of the long tail feathers are white. Th ...

African hoopoe The African hoopoe (''Upupa africana'') is a species of hoopoe in the family Upupidae. Previously considered as a subspecies (''Upupa epops africana'') of the Eurasian hoopoe, it is a resident species of southern Africa. Taxonomy The African ...

Green wood hoopoe The green wood hoopoe (''Phoeniculus purpureus'') is a large, up to long, near-passerine tropical bird native to Africa. It is a member of the family Phoeniculidae, the wood hoopoes, and was formerly known as the red-billed wood hoopoe. Descr ...

Narina trogon __NOTOC__ The Narina trogon (''Apaloderma narina'') is a largely green and red, medium-sized (32–34 cm long), bird of the family Trogonidae. It is native to forests and woodlands of the Afrotropics. Though it is the most widespread and ca ...

European roller The European roller (''Coracias garrulus'') is the only member of the roller family of birds to breed in Europe. Its overall range extends into the Middle East, Central Asia and the Maghreb. The European roller is found in a wide variety of hab ...

Half-collared kingfisher The half-collared kingfisher (''Alcedo semitorquata'') is a kingfisher in the subfamily Alcedininae that is found in southern and eastern Africa. It feeds almost exclusively on fish and frequents streams, rivers and larger bodies of water. The ...

Malachite kingfisher The malachite kingfisher (''Corythornis cristatus'') is a river kingfisher which is widely distributed in Africa south of the Sahara. It is largely resident except for seasonal climate-related movements. Taxonomy The malachite kingfisher was de ...

* Brown-hooded kingfisher * Giant kingfisher *

Pied kingfisher The pied kingfisher (''Ceryle rudis'') is a species of water kingfisher widely distributed across Africa and Asia. Originally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, it has five recognised subspecies. Its black and white plumage and crest, as well as ...

Speckled mousebird The speckled mousebird (''Colius striatus'') is the largest species of mousebird, as well as one of the most common. It is found throughout most of Central, Eastern and Southern Africa. Taxonomy The speckled mousebird was formally described i ...

* Red-faced mousebird *

Red-chested cuckoo The red-chested cuckoo (''Cuculus solitarius'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is a medium-sized bird found in Africa south of the Sahara. In Afrikaans, it is known as "Piet-my-vrou", after its call. Description The red-ches ...

Black cuckoo The black cuckoo (''Cuculus clamosus'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. The species is distributed widely across sub-Saharan Africa. There are two subspecies. This cuckoo has a very wide range and is quite common so it is classifi ...

* Klaas's cuckoo * African emerald cuckoo *

Diederik cuckoo The diederik cuckoo (''Chrysococcyx caprius''), formerly dideric cuckoo or didric cuckoo is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes, which also includes the roadrunners and the anis. Taxonomy The diederik cuckoo was described ...

* Burchell's coucal * Alpine swift *

African black swift The African black swift (''Apus barbatus''), also known as the African swift or black swift, is a medium-sized bird in the swift family. It breeds in Africa discontinuously from Liberia, Cameroon, Zaire, Uganda and Kenya southwards to South Afri ...

Little swift The little swift (''Apus affinis''), is a small species of swift found in Africa and southwestern Asia, and are vagrants and local breeders in southern Europe. They are found both in urban areas and at rocky cliffs where they build nests in a wa ...

* Horus swift *

White-rumped swift The white-rumped swift (''Apus caffer'') is a species of swift. Although this small bird is superficially similar to a house martin, it is not closely related to that passerine species. The resemblances between the swallows and swifts are due ...

Knysna turaco The Knysna turaco (''Tauraco corythaix''), or, in South Africa, Knysna loerie, is a large turaco, one of a group of African musophagidae birds. It is a resident breeder in the mature evergreen forests of southern and eastern South Africa, and Sw ...

* Barn owl *

Cape eagle-owl The Cape eagle-owl (''Bubo capensis'') is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is one of several large species of the eagle-owl genus ''Bubo''. Range Its range is limited to the southernmost regions of southern Africa as well as parts ...

Spotted eagle-owl The spotted eagle-owl (''Bubo africanus'') also known as the African spotted eagle-owl and the African eagle-owl, is a medium-sized species of owl, one of the smallest of the eagle owls. Its length is and its weight is from . It has a wingspan. ...

* African wood owl *

Fiery-necked nightjar The fiery-necked nightjar (''Caprimulgus pectoralis'') is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae, which is found mostly in Africa south of the equator, though it has been spotted in a few countries north of the equator. It is most oft ...

European nightjar The European nightjar (''Caprimulgus europaeus''), common goatsucker, Eurasian nightjar or just nightjar, is a crepuscular and nocturnal bird in the nightjar family that breeds across most of Europe and the Palearctic to Mongolia and Northwest ...

Rock dove The rock dove, rock pigeon, or common pigeon ( also ; ''Columba livia'') is a member of the bird family Columbidae (doves and pigeons). In common usage, it is often simply referred to as the "pigeon". The domestic pigeon (''Columba livia domes ...

Lemon dove The lemon dove or cinnamon dove (''Columba larvata'') is a species of bird in the pigeon family (biology), family Columbidae found in montane forests of sub-Saharan Africa. The São Tomé lemon dove is usually treated as a subspecies. The lemon d ...

Laughing dove The laughing dove (''Spilopelia senegalensis'') is a small pigeon that is a resident breeder in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Western Australia where it has established itself in the wild after being released from Perth Zoo in 1898. T ...

Cape turtle dove The ring-necked dove (''Streptopelia capicola''), also known as the Cape turtle dove or half-collared dove, is a widespread and often abundant dove species in East and southern Africa. It is a mostly sedentary bird, found in a variety of open ha ...

Red-eyed dove The red-eyed dove (''Streptopelia semitorquata'') is a dove that is a widespread and common in Sub-Saharan Africa. It has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2004. Taxonomy The red-eyed dove was formally described by the G ...

Tambourine dove The tambourine dove (''Turtur tympanistria'') is a pigeon which is a widespread resident breeding bird in woodlands and other thick vegetation in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Its range extends from Senegal east to Ethiopia and Kenya and sou ...

Emerald-spotted wood dove The emerald-spotted wood dove (''Turtur chalcospilos'') is a bird of the family Columbidae, resident across eastern and southern Africa. It is a species of open drier deciduous woodland and second growth. It is absent from evergreen rainforests a ...

Speckled pigeon The speckled pigeon (''Columba guinea''), or (African) rock pigeon, is a pigeon that is a resident breeding bird in much of Africa south of the Sahara. It is a common and widespread species in open habitats over much of its range, although there ...

African olive pigeon The African olive pigeon or Rameron pigeon (''Columba arquatrix'') is a pigeon which is a resident breeding bird in much of eastern and southern Africa from Ethiopia to the Cape. Populations also are found in western Angola, southwestern Saudi Ara ...

* Denham's bustard * African finfoot *

Buff-spotted flufftail The buff-spotted flufftail (''Sarothrura elegans'') is a species of bird in the family Sarothruridae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, ...

* Striped flufftail *

Common moorhen The common moorhen (''Gallinula chloropus''), also known as the waterhen or swamp chicken, is a bird species in the rail (bird), rail family (Rallidae). It is distributed across many parts of the Old World. The common moorhen lives around well-v ...

Red-knobbed coot The red-knobbed coot or crested coot, (''Fulica cristata''), is a member of the rail and crake bird family, the Rallidae. It is a resident breeder across much of Africa and in southernmost Spain on freshwater lakes and ponds. It builds a nest o ...

* Common whimbrel *

Common greenshank The common greenshank (''Tringa nebularia'') is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae, the typical waders. The genus name ''Tringa'' is the New Latin name given to the green sandpiper by Aldrovandus in 1599 based on Ancient Greek ''trungas'' ...

Marsh sandpiper The marsh sandpiper (''Tringa stagnatilis'') is a small wader. It is a rather small shank, and breeds in open grassy steppe and taiga wetlands from easternmost Europe to the Russian Far East. The genus name ''Tringa'' is the New Latin name give ...

Wood sandpiper The wood sandpiper (''Tringa glareola'') is a small wader. This Eurasian species is the smallest of the shanks, which are mid-sized long-legged waders of the family Scolopacidae. The genus name ''Tringa'' is the New Latin name given to the gree ...

Common sandpiper The common sandpiper (''Actitis hypoleucos'') is a small Palearctic wader. This bird and its American sister species, the spotted sandpiper (''A. macularia''), make up the genus ''Actitis''. They are parapatric and replace each other geographic ...

Ruddy turnstone The ruddy turnstone (''Arenaria interpres'') is a small cosmopolitan wading bird, one of two species of turnstone in the genus ''Arenaria''. It is now classified in the sandpiper family Scolopacidae but was formerly sometimes placed in the plov ...

Sanderling The sanderling (''Calidris alba'') is a small wading bird. The name derives from Old English ''sand-yrðling'', "sand-ploughman". The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''kalidris'' or ''skalidris'', a term used by Aristotle for some grey-colou ...

Ruff Ruff may refer to: Places *Ruff, Virginia, United States, an unincorporated community *Ruff, Washington, United States, an unincorporated community Other uses *Ruff (bird) (''Calidris pugnax'' or ''Philomachus pugnax''), a bird in the wader fami ...

* Water thick-knee * Spotted thick-knee * African black oystercatcher *

Black-winged stilt The black-winged stilt (''Himantopus himantopus'') is a widely distributed very long-legged wader in the avocet and stilt family ( Recurvirostridae). The scientific name ''H. himantopus'' is sometimes applied to a single, almost cosmopolitan sp ...

Grey plover The grey plover or black-bellied plover (''Pluvialis squatarola'') is a large plover breeding in Arctic regions. It is a long-distance migrant, with a nearly worldwide coastal distribution when not breeding. Taxonomy The grey plover was forma ...

* White-fronted plover *

Blacksmith lapwing The blacksmith lapwing or blacksmith plover (''Vanellus armatus'') is a lapwing species that occurs commonly from Kenya through central Tanzania to southern and southwestern Africa. The vernacular name derives from the repeated metallic 'tink, ti ...

* Black-winged lapwing *

Arctic skua The parasitic jaeger (''Stercorarius parasiticus''), also known as the Arctic skua, Arctic jaeger or parasitic skua, is a seabird in the skua family Stercorariidae. It is a migratory species that breeds in Northern Scandinavia, Scotland, Iceland ...

Kelp gull The kelp gull (''Larus dominicanus''), also known as the Dominican gull, is a gull that breeds on coasts and islands through much of the Southern Hemisphere. The nominate ''L. d. dominicanus'' is the subspecies found around South America, part ...

Grey-headed gull The grey-headed gull (''Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus''), also known as the gray-hooded gull, is a small species of gull which breeds patchily in South America and Africa south of the Sahara. It is not truly migratory, but is more widespread i ...

Caspian tern The Caspian tern (''Hydroprogne caspia'') is a species of tern, with a subcosmopolitan but scattered distribution. Despite its extensive range, it is monotypic of its genus, and has no accepted subspecies. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ' ...

* Swift tern *

Sandwich tern The Sandwich tern (''Thalasseus sandvicensis'') is a tern in the family Laridae. It is very closely related to the lesser crested tern (''T. bengalensis''), Chinese crested tern (''T. bernsteini''), Cabot's tern (''T. acuflavidus''), and elega ...

* Roseate tern *

Common tern The common tern (''Sterna hirundo'') is a seabird in the family Laridae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution, its four subspecies breeding in temperate and subarctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migrator ...

* Arctic tern *

Osprey The osprey (''Pandion haliaetus''), , also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor reaching more than in length and across the wings. It is brown o ...

Black-winged kite The black-winged kite (''Elanus caeruleus''), also known as the black-shouldered kite (not to be confused with the closely-related Australian species of the same name), is a small diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae best known for it ...

African marsh harrier The African marsh harrier (''Circus ranivorus'') is a bird of prey belonging to the harrier genus ''Circus''. It is largely resident in wetland habitats in southern, central and eastern Africa from South Africa north to South Sudan. Description ...

Black harrier The black harrier (''Circus maurus'') is a medium-sized African Harrier (bird), harrier whose range extends from South Africa to Botswana and Namibia. It has a wingspan of and a body length of . When perched, this bird appears all black. However, ...

African harrier-hawk The African harrier-hawk, harrier hawk or gymnogene (''Polyboroides typus'') is a bird of prey. It is about in length. It breeds in most of Africa south of the Sahara. The only other member of the genus is the allopatric Madagascar harrier-haw ...

* African cuckoo-hawk *

African goshawk The African goshawk (''Accipiter tachiro'') is an African species of bird of prey in the genus ''Accipiter'' which is the type genus of the family Accipitridae. Description The African goshawk is a medium-sized to large ''Accipiter'' which is m ...

Little sparrowhawk The little sparrowhawk (''Accipiter minullus'') is a species of Afrotropical bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is the smallest member of the genus ''Accipiter'' and forms a superspecies with the red-thighed sparrowhawk (''Accipiter er ...

Rufous-chested sparrowhawk The rufous-breasted sparrowhawk (''Accipiter rufiventris''), also known as the rufous-chested sparrowhawk and as the red-breasted sparrowhawk, is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of ...

Black sparrowhawk The black sparrowhawk (''Accipiter melanoleucus''), sometimes known as the black goshawk or great sparrowhawk, is the largest African member of the genus ''Accipiter''.Arkive. Black goshawk (''Accipiter melanoleucus''). In: Arkive: Images of Lif ...

* Palmnut vulture * Steppe buzzard *

Forest buzzard The forest buzzard (''Buteo trizonatus''), is a species of bird of prey found in Africa, though some authorities have placed it as a subspecies of another species, the mountain buzzard, ''Buto oreophilus''. This is a resident breeding species in ...

Jackal buzzard The jackal buzzard (''Buteo rufofuscus'') is a fairly large African bird of prey. The taxonomy of this species has caused some confusion in the past and it almost certainly belongs in a species complex with other African ''Buteo'' species. Some ...

Black eagle The black eagle (''Ictinaetus malaiensis'') is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae, and is the only member of the genus ''Ictinaetus''. They soar over forests in the hilly regions of tropical and subtropical South ...

* Booted eagle *

Martial eagle The martial eagle (''Polemaetus bellicosus'') is a large eagle native to sub-Saharan Africa.Ferguson-Lees & Christie, ''Raptors of the World''. Houghton Mifflin Company (2001), . It is the only member of the genus ''Polemaetus''. A species of t ...

* Long-crested eagle * African crowned eagle *

African fish eagle The African fish eagle (''Haliaeetus vocifer'') or the African sea eagle, is a large species of eagle found throughout sub-Saharan Africa wherever large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply occur. It is the national bird of Malawi, Na ...

Rock kestrel The rock kestrel (''Falco rupicolus'') is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family (biology), family Falconidae. It was previously considered a subspecies of the common kestrel (''Falco tinnunculus''). This spec ...

* Peregrine falcon * White-faced whistling duck *

Little grebe The little grebe (''Tachybaptus ruficollis''), also known as dabchick, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''takhus'' "fast" and ''bapto'' "to sink under". The specific ''ruficollis'' is from Lati ...

* Red-tailed tropicbird *

Cape gannet The Cape gannet (''Morus capensis'') is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. They are easily identified by their large size, black and white plumage and distinctive yellow crown and hindneck. The pale blue bill is pointed with fine ...

African darter The African darter (''Anhinga rufa''), sometimes called the snakebird, is a water bird of sub-Saharan Africa and Iraq. Taxonomy The African darter is a member of the darter family, Anhingidae, and is closely related to American (''Anhinga anh ...

* Reed cormorant * Crowned cormorant * White-breasted cormorant *Cape cormorant *Little egret *Cattle egret *Grey heron *Black-headed heron *Purple heron *Green-backed heron *Black-crowned night heron *White-backed night heron *Dwarf bittern *Hamerkop *Lesser flamingo *Hadeda ibis *African sacred ibis *African spoonbill *Great frigatebird *African penguin *Indian yellow-nosed albatross *Southern giant petrel *Pintado petrel *Blue petrel *White-chinned petrel *Black-headed oriole *Fork-tailed drongo *Blue-mantled crested flycatcher *African paradise flycatcher *Black-backed puffback *Southern tchagra *Southern boubou *Olive bushshrike *Cape batis *Cape crow *Pied crow *White-necked raven *Southern fiscal *Grey cuckooshrike *Black cuckooshrike *Barn swallow *White-throated swallow *Greater striped swallow *Brown-throated martin *Rock martin *Common house martin *Black saw-wing *Cape bulbul *Sombre greenbul *Terrestrial brownbul *Cape grassbird *Victorin's warbler *Long-billed crombec *Little rush warbler *Knysna warbler *Yellow-throated woodland warbler *Willow warbler *Cape white-eye *Grey-backed cisticola *Levaillant's cisticola *Neddicky *Karoo prinia *Bar-throated apalis *Bleating warbler *Cape rock thrush *Olive thrush *Southern black flycatcher *Fiscal flycatcher *Spotted flycatcher *African dusky flycatcher *White-starred robin *Cape robin-chat *Chorister robin-chat *White-browed scrub robin *African stonechat *Red-winged starling *Black-bellied starling *Wattled starling *Common starling *Orange-breasted sunbird *Grey sunbird *Amethyst sunbird *Malachite sunbird *Collared sunbird *Southern double-collared sunbird *Greater double-collared sunbird *Cape sugarbird *Cape weaver *Yellow bishop *African quailfinch *Swee waxbill *Common waxbill *African firefinch *Pin-tailed whydah *House sparrow *Southern grey-headed sparrow *Cape wagtail *Cape canary *Brimstone canary *White-throated canary *Protea seedeater *Streaky-headed seedeater *Cape siskin *Golden-breasted bunting

Amphibians

* ''Breviceps fuscus'' - Plain rain frog/blaasoppie * ''Amietophrynus rangeri'' – Ranger's toad * ''Cacosternum boettgeri'' – Boettger's dainty frog * ''Hyperolius horstockii'' – Arum frog * ''Amietia fuscigula'' – Cape river frog * ''Strongylopus bonaspei'' – Banded stream frog * ''Strongylopus grayii'' – Gray's stream frog * ''Tomopterna delalandii'' – Delalande's sand frog * ''Xenopus laevis'' – African clawed frog

Snakes

*''Pelamis platurus'' - yellow-bellied sea snake *''Rhinotyphlops lalandei'' – pink earth snake *''Leptotyphlops nigricans'' – black worm snake *''Lycodonomorphus rufulus'' – brown water snake *''Lycophidion capense'' - Cape wolf snake *''Lamprophis aurora'' – Aurora snake *''Lycodonomorphus inornatus'' – olive house snake *''Boaedon fuliginosus'' – brown house snake *''Philothamnus hoplogaster'' – green water snake *''Philothamnus natalensis'' – Natal green snake *''Prosymna sundevallii'' – southern shovel-snout snake *''Pseudaspis cana'' – mole snake *''Duberria lutrix'' – slug-eater snake *''Dasypeltis scabra'' – common egg-eater snake *''Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia'' – red-lipped snake *''Amplorhinus multimaculatus'' – reed snake *''Dispholidus typus'' – boomslang *''Psammophylax rhombeatus'' – spotted grass snake *''Psammophis crucifer'' – cross-marked grass snake *''Homoroselaps lacteus'' – spotted harlequin snake *''Hemachatus haemachatus'' – rinkhals *''Naja nivea'' – Cape cobra *''Causus rhombeatus'' – night adder *''Bitis arietans'' – puff adder *''Bitis atropos'' – berg adder *''Bitis albanica'' – hornsman adder

Lizards

* ''Pachydactylus geitjie'' - Ocellated thick-toed gecko * ''Afrogecko porphyreus'' – Marbled leaf-toed gecko * ''Lygodactylus capensis'' - Cape dwarf gecko * ''Agama atra'' – Southern rock agama * ''Bradypodion damaranum'' – Knysna dwarf chameleon * ''Ninurta coeruleopunctatus'' – Blue-spotted girdled lizard * ''Acontias meleagris'' - Cape legless skink * ''Eremias lineocelata'' - Sand lizard * ''Pedioplanis lineocellata'' - Spotted sand lizard * ''Trachylepis capensis'' – Cape skink * ''Trachylepis homalocephala'' - Red-sided skink * ''Gerrhosaurus flavigularis'' - Yellow-throated plated lizard * ''Tetradactylus seps'' - Short-legged seps * ''Chamaesaura anguina'' - Cape grass lizard * ''Cordylus cordylus'' - Cape girdled lizard * ''Pseudocordylus microlepidotus'' - Cape crag lizard * ''Tropidosaura gularis'' - Yellow-striped mountain lizard * ''Varanus exanthematicus'' - Rock monitor

Tortoises, turtles and terrapins

* ''Eretmochelys imbricata'' - Hawksbill sea turtle * ''Chelonia mydas'' - Green turtle * ''Caretta caretta'' - loggerhead turtle * ''Dermochelys coriacea'' - leatherback turtle * ''Stigmochelys pardalis'' - leopard tortoise * ''Chersina angulata'' - angulate tortoise * ''Homopus areolatus'' - common padloper * ''Pelomedusa subrufa'' - marsh terrapin https://www.sanparks.org/assets/docs/conservation/scientific/coastal/appendix08.pdf

Trees, shrubs and lianes

*''Acokanthera oppositifolia'' *''Afrocanthium mundianum'' *''Afrocarpus falcatus'' *''Allophylus decipiens'' *''Apodytes dimidiata'' *''Berzelia intermedia'' *''Brachylaena glabra'' *''Brachylaena neriifolia'' *''Brunia nodiflora'' *''Buddleja saligna'' *''Buddleja salviifolia'' *''Burchellia bubalina'' *''Calodendrum capense'' *''Canthium kuntzeanum'' *''Canthium ventosum'' *''Capparis sepiaria'' var. ''citrifolia'' *''Carissa bispinosa'' *''Cassine aethopica'' *''Cassine crocea'' *''Cassine eucleaeformis'' *''Cassine papillosa'' *''Cassine parvifolia'' *''Cassine peragua'' *''Cassine tetragona'' *''Cassinopsis ilicifolia'' *''Celtis africana'' *''Chionanthus foveolatus subsp. foveolatus'' *''Chrysanthemoides monilifera'' *''Clausena anisata'' *''Clematis brachiata'' *''Clutia affinis'' *''Colpoon compressum'' *''Cunonia capensis'' *''Curtisia dentata'' *''Cussonia thyrsiflora'' *''Cyathea capensis'' (L.f.) J. E. Sm. *''Cynanchum ellipticum'' (Harv.) R. A. Dyer *''Diospyros dichrophylla'' *''Diospyros glabra'' *''Diospyros whyteana'' *''Dodonaea viscosa'' var. ''angustifolia'' *''Dovyalis rhamnoides'' *''Ekebergia capensis'' *''Empleurum unicapsulare'' (L. f.) Skeels *''Erica floribunda'' *''Euclea polyandra'' *''Euclea racemosa'' *''Euclea schimperi'' var. ''schimperi'' *''Euclea undulata'' *''Euryops virgineus'' (L.f.) DC. *''Excoecaria simii'' (Kuntze) Pax *''Faurea macnaughtonii'' *''Ficus burtt-davyi'' *''Ficus sur'' *''Gnidia denudata'' *''Gonioma kamassi'' *''Grewia occidentalis'' *''Gymnanthemum mespilifolium'' (Less.) H.Rob. *''Halleria lucida'' *''Hartogiella, Hartogiella schinoides'' Codd *''Heteromorpha arborescens'' *''Hippobromus pauciflorus'' *''Ilex mitis'' *''Kiggelaria africana'' *''Lachnostylis hirta'' *''Laurophyllus capensis'' *''Leucadendron adscendens'' *''Leucadendron conicum'' *''Leucadendron eucalyptifolium'' *''Leucospermum attenuatum'' *''Maerua cafra'' *''Maerua racemulosa'' *''Maytenus acuminata'' *''Maytenus heterophylla'' *''Maytenus nemorosa'' (Eckl. & Zeyh.) Marais *''Maytenus peduncularis'' *''Myrica humilis'' *''Myrica cordifolia'' *''Myrica serrata'' *''Nuxia floribunda'' *''Ochna arborea'' *''Ocotea bullata'' *''Olea capensis'' subsp. ''capensis'' *''Olea capensis'' subsp. ''macrocarpa'' * Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata, ''Olea europaea'' subsp. ''cuspidata'' *''Olea exasperata'' *''Olinia cymosa'' *''Passerina falcifolia'' *''Phylica paniculata'' Willd. *''Pittosporum viridiflorum'' *''Platylophus trifoliatus'' *''Podocarpus latifolius'' *''Polygala myrtifolia'' *''Protea mundii'' *''Protea neriifolia'' *''Prunus africana'' *''Pseudophyllanthus ovalis'' *''Psoralea pinnata'' *''Psychotria capensis'' *''Psydrax obovata'' *''Pterocelastrus rostratus'' *''Pterocelastrus tricuspidatus'' *''Pyrenacantha scandens'' Planch. ex Harv. *''Rapanea melanophloeos'' *''Rhamnus prinoides'' *''Rhoicissus tomentosa'' *''Rhus chirindensis'' *''Rhus crenata'' *''Rhus glauca'' *''Rhus longispina'' *''Rhus lucida'' *''Rhus tomentosa'' *''Rhus undulata'' *''Rothmannia capensis'' *''Salix mucronata'' subsp. ''capensis'' *''Schefflera umbellifera'' *''Scutia myrtina'' *''Secamone alpini'' *''Schotia afra'' var. ''afra'' *''Schotia latifolia'' *''Scolopia mundii'' *''Scolopia zeyheri'' *''Secamone alpini'' *''Sideroxylon inerme'' *''Sparrmannia africana'' *''Strelitzia alba'' *''Strychnos decussata'' *''Tarchonanthus camphoratus'' *''Trichocladus crinitus'' *''Trimeria grandifolia'' *''Vepris lanceolata'' *''Virgilia oroboides'' *''Zanthoxylum capense'' *''Zanthoxylum davyi''

References

*''Southern Cape Forests and Trees'' – F von Breitenbach (Government Printer, Pretoria 1974) *''A Checklist of Birds of Nature's Valley'' – Geoff McIlleron (Nature's Valley Trust 2005) *''The Story of Nature's Valley'' – Nora and Chris Sinclair (Nature's Valley Trust 2005)
Pristine river threatened by projectsNature's Valley newsletterGetaway Magazine article
*Ross, Graham – ''The Romance of Cape Mountain Passes'' (David Philip, Cape Town 2002)

External links

*
Nature's Valley Ratepayers Association

{{Garden Route District Municipality Populated places in the Bitou Local Municipality