Critical Biodiversity Area. The vegetation of the coastal dunes of the Greater St Francis area has the highest possible conservation status owing to the high levels of endemic biodiversity, and the threats this biodiversity faces from urban expansion and alien plant invasions. This means that no further habitat loss will be tolerated without detailed plans to mitigate the impacts.
“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” John Muir
Single – R200
Family – R300
Own Donation
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Make a Donation
Foster Members
Operational costs in Rands needed per annum
FOSTER – OUR STORY
The Friends of the St Francis Nature Areas – FOSTER was established 30 years ago. This voluntary organisation shoulders the bulk of the management role for the Seal Bay, Cape St Francis, Irma Booysen & Seal Point Nature Reserves. These wonderful green gems offer a choice of hiking trails through various coastal habitats from rocky shores, beaches, and salt-stunted vegetation to fynbos thickets and coastal dune forests.
The customary role of “Friends” groups is simply to provide support to the responsible statutory authority. In the case of the different nature areas, the responsible bodies are the Kouga Municipality, the Eastern Cape Department of Development, Economic Affairs and Tourism (DEDEAT) and/or Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism (ECPT), and Transnet. Currently none are able/willing to provide the necessary support for the management of the reserves.
Take a Tour of our Reserves
The Irma Booysen Flora Reserve comprises the broad area between the main road leading into Cape St Francis (R330) and the village itself.
IRMA BOOYSEN
CAPE ST FRANCIS
The Cape St Francis Nature Reserve lies between the villages of Cape St Francis and St Francis Bay and extends to the tip of the Cape St Francis headland, locally referred to as Shark Point.
SEAL BAY
The Seal Bay Nature Area is found in the heart of Cape St Francis village lying about half-way along Da Gama Rd, between Drake Place & Shearwater roads and extends down to the sea.
SEAL POINT
The Seal Point Nature Area includes the land on either side of the road approaching the Lighthouse and extends all along the coast to the western boundary of the Cape St Francis village at Sunset Rocks.
Walk Our Trails
Seal Point Trail
Difficulty: Easy
Approximate distance: 1.5km
Approximate time: 1 – 1.5 hours
Lighthouse Trail
Difficulty: Easy
Approximate distance:
Approximate time: 1 hour
Grysbok Trail
Difficulty: Moderate
Approximate distance: 1.8km
Approximate time: 40 min
Fynbos Trail
Difficulty: Easy
Approximate distance: 2.1km
Approximate time: 45 min
Des Green Trail
Difficulty: Moderate
Approximate distance: 3.4km
Approximate time: 1 – 1.5 hours
Kershout Trail
Difficulty: Easy
Approximate distance: 1km
Approximate time: 30 min
Shark Point Trail
Difficulty: Moderate
Approximate distance: 4km
Approximate time: 2hrs
Buchu Trail
Difficulty: Easy
Approximate distance: 1.4km
Approximate time: 45min – 1 hour
Two Bays Trail
Difficulty: Moderate
Approximate distance: 3.8km
Approximate time: 2 hours
Latest News
Chairman Report for 2022 (AGM march 7 2023)
Download the Chairman's report here
Video Library
Our website now also boasts a video library. Please take some time to watch the wonderful explainers by Prof Richard Cowling. Your heart and soul already know that the area is special, in his videos Richard provides you with all the factual reasons why it is so important to protect and conserve our nature areas.
FOSTER – Making a difference, investing in green
Thanks to FOSTER’s efforts over the past 30 years, our region has four well-managed nature reserves, each with unique natural and recreational features, providing residents with many services, for example recreation, nature appreciation, fire hazard reduction and (ask...
Garden trees take root in our reserves – is it climate change?
Richard Cowling In our area most people are keenly aware of alien plants and the negative impact they can have on indigenous flora and fauna. This is not surprising since the St Francis region is one of the worst areas countrywide for dense thicket of alien wattles,...
THE SHELL SHINGLE VEGETATION OF THE CAPE ST FRANCIS COAST
by Richard Cowling When walking from Surfer’s Car Park, past the Cape St Francis lighthouse and thence to the eastern reaches of Rocky Coast, you may have noticed a community of dwarf plants occupying a narrow (10-20-m band) of shell shingle immediately above the high...