The Cape Flats Nature Reserve represents the conservation efforts at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) to preserve a biodiverse site, featuring the unique flora and fauna that once flourished in the surrounding area before urbanisation occurred. The reserve is privately owned by the UWC and occupies about 25% of the campus.
The Cape Flats Nature Reserve was originally created as a refuge for Strandveld and Coastal fynbos, and now also functions as a base for ecological teaching, environmental education and research.
Housing, industrialisation and agriculture have all taken their toll on the natural areas of the Cape over the years. Strandveld fynbos is highly threatened by coastal developments and alien plants, and only about 32% of the original vegetation remains with less than 1% conserved in small areas.
The reserve was proclaimed in 1974, and in 1978 it became a National Monument. Today it is known as a Provincial Heritage site.
