‘Don’t rob us, don’t rob our children and don’t rob our grandchildren of the beauty that’s been given to us...’ - Edward Copperfield About Princess Vlei
The Princess Vlei is the gateway to the wetland system that runs through Grassy Park. The Vlei has a big history, and has long been treasured by the many citizens who have enjoyed its beauty and tranquility. In 2014 the community won a huge victory in stopping the proposed development of a shopping mall. Since then, the Princess Vlei Forum has been working with the City of Cape Town to restore the biodiversity and transform the 100 ha Greater Princess Vlei Conservation Area into a world class heritage site celebrating its rich natural, social and cultural heritage. Watch the video below to learn more about our work, or read more... Recently Princess Vlei Project Manager Denisha Anand gave a Ted Talk on custodianship and care at Princess Vlei. Watch the recording below:
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Events
View the City of Cape Town's Finalised Conceptual Development Framework for the Greater Princess Vlei Area
Join the Forum
The Princess Vlei Forum is working with the City of Cape Town on the ongoing improvement and management of Princess Vlei. All are welcome to join us. Read more... |
NEWS FLASHPrincess Vlei Heritage Site Victory
After a campaign going back several years, the Greater Princess Vlei Conservation Area was awarded Provincial Heritage status in September 2020. Read More |
7 April : A magical tiny toad for the Wetland Wizards
We saw a stick insect and grasshoppers and a tiny Western Leopard Toad” This was reported by our thirty young wetland explorers at the Princess Vlei Forum’s Wetland Wizard event on 7 March who came to Princess Vlei to find out what creatures live in the wetland, and what is needed to create a safe habitat where they can thrive... Read more 
5 April : Gentle eyes and a very listening ear
The Princess Vlei community has been greatly saddened by the loss of George Davis, who passed away on 27 February this year after a long illness. George was a founding member of the Princess Vlei Forum in 2012, but his involvement in Princess Vlei goes back to 2008.... Read more. 
16 December : Adventures of the toad explorers
Princess Vlei is a good and safe place for toads to live. This was the finding of young toad explorers from Buck Road Primary, Harmony Primary and Levana Primary, who came to Princess Vlei on a field trip to investigate what toads need to live well, and to breed... Read more. 
27 October : Dance weavers move with nature
The quiet streets of Sasmeer Estate came to life on Saturday as the Princess Vlei Dance Weaver procession wound through the neighbourhood. Heralded by twenty-five young drummers, the procession of over 200 nature enthusiasts included eighty young 'dance-weavers', teachers, volunteers and performers, as well as colourful banners and ten giant bird puppets... Read more. 
21 September : Ten years of serving nature and community
The Princess Vlei Forum's 10th AGM provided a wonderful opportunity for old and new Princess Vlei champions to come together and plot out the future of the organisation.Thirty-four people attended the meeting at St Stephen's church in Bergvliet,. The hand-painted Save Princess Vlei banner was a good reminder of how this organisation began in 2012... Read more. 
4 September : Growing Community Conservation
The presentations were really excellent. I took out valuable insights from all three addresses. This was some of the feedback from the twenty six people from twelve community conservation organisations who attended the Princess Vlei Forum’s Growing Community Conservation Workshop held at Zandvlei on 27 August.. Read more. 
2 September : Honouring Mother Earth on Women's Day
On August 9 th , Women’s Day, women and men, young and old and from diverse backgrounds gathered to plant 1000 seedlings or ‘plugs’ in the seep on the west side of the Vlei. The eastern shore of the Princess Vlei is often said to resemble a young woman’s profile Read more. 
1 August : Don't step on Steve
45 Primary School learners from Floreat and Levana Primary came to plant at Princess Vlei on July 22. The learners were planting on the Northern Shore, in the restoration area adjoining Briana Crescent. As this part of Princess Vlei was once Cape Flats Sand Fynbos, a critically endangered vegetation type, restoring the plant life there has enabled the re-establishment of many Red List species. Read more. 
21 July : Grounding our heritage on Mandela Day
'I tell my children the story of the Princess as a bed time story, I want to bring them here just so that they are grounded, and grounded in their heritage.’ Emile Jansen. Getting grounded in our heritage was literally what our planting on Mandela Day was all about, when twenty-five people came together to create a heritage garden at Princess Vlei. Read more. 
May & June : Winter brings new growth to Princess Vlei
Winter is planting month in Cape Town. During May and early June, the Forum hosted three planting events with community members and school learners as part of our efforts to restore the indigenous vegetation at Princess Vlei. Read more. |