Franco Three Fountains, located in the Three Fountains Estate, part of the Klein Dassenberg farm, is now a Provincial Nature Reserve.
Cape Nature said this marks a significant conservation turning point in the protection of the Cape Vernal Pools (a rare and endangered type of seasonal wetland ecosystem found within the Greater Cape Floristic Region).
The land, owned by the Franco Property Trust, is home to Critically Endangered habitats and species, including Atlantic Sand Fynbos and Swartland Shale Renosterveld, which protects vernal pools, streams that feed into the Donkergat River system and ultimately drain the Blaauwberg Nature Reserve into Melkbosstrand.
Jodie Franco, a Trustee, said “what began as an effort to clear invasive plants, has grown into a long-term commitment to restore rare and threatened habitats. The declaration shows what is possible when private landowners embrace conservation as a shared responsibility.”
The news was shared by CapeNature because it is facilitating the legal administrative process to declare these sites as protected areas, in terms of the National Environmental Protected Areas Act (NEMPAA).
Anton Bredell, MEC of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, said “the establishment of this Provincial Nature Reserve, is yet another positive step in conserving the irreplaceable biodiversity of the Western Cape.”
Picture: Supplied
Which other nature reserves were proclaimed in 2025? Read more (page 3):
https://www.earthnews365.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/source-2.pdf