First-ever SANBI Spring Festival at the Garden

The inaugural SANBI Spring Festival is currently taking place across South Africa, and for residents of Roodepoort and its surrounding areas, the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden (WSNBG) is a must-visit to celebrate it.

The Festival is ideal for gardeners, fans of all things floral, nature lovers, outdoor enthusiasts, families looking for a wonderful day out, and everyone celebrating the arrival of warmer weather.

Running until the end of October, the festival has been launched to showcase and draw visitors to the network of exceptional National Botanical and Zoological Gardens across the country.

Roodepoort’s 300 hectare WSNBG consists of a mosaic of grassland and savanna, with dense bush in kloofs and along streams.

The variety of habitats in the Garden accommodates over 600 naturally occurring plant species and is home to an abundance of wildlife.

Some 412 indigenous tree species can be found in the WSNBG, of which 69 (17 per cent) occur naturally in the garden.

Visitors to the Garden can look forward to seeing the Sasol Dam, with bird lovers in for a treat. The bird hide is perfectly positioned to spy on the feathered residents without disturbing them.

Excitingly, the first-born from the resident Black Eagle couple took to the skies for the first time recently.

The eaglet, which hatched in June, is the first offspring from the new couple and was recently given the name Motsumi.

The famous Sisulu Expess train has also resumed operations for visitors to hitch a ride, and there is Yoga in the Garden on Sundays.

Voted as among the best places for a picnic in Gauteng, the Eagle’s Fare Restaurant also serves light and hearty fare throughout the day.

The SANBI Spring Festival also happens to coincide with National Garden Day, a much-loved annual event that took place on 11 October.

For more information on the SANBI Spring Festival and the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, visit www.sanbi.org/gardens/walter-sisulu/.