Dr Warwick and Michèle Tarboton have created Waterberg BioQuest, an open, free-to-load website listing all fauna and flora known to occur in the Waterberg. Already extremely comprehensive, beautifully illustrated and easy to access, the site is updated continuously as new data are received. Visit the site at www.waterberg-bioquest.co.za.
The Waterberg Nature Conservancy (WNC) is a voluntary, not-for-profit organisation that exists to promote environmental conservation, cultural and historical interest in the local community. Founded in 1989, the WNC now has a membership of almost a hundred, representing over a hundred thousand hectares of land ownership on the Waterberg plateau. It holds four or five open meetings a year in Vaalwater, each hosting two or three presentations from a variety of speakers. www.waterbergnatureconservancy.org.za.
The Biosphere was created in 2000 and is a UNESCO-accredited entity, covering a total of 654 033 hectares on and around the Waterberg plateau. It is an area of unique and precious biodiversity that forms part of UNESCO’s Man & Biosphere Programme. This non-profit organisation works to manage the needs of the communities and nature conservation to ensure lasting sustainable development that does not deplete the fragile ecosystem or neglect communities living within its boundaries. The site describes specific projects the Biosphere is involved with, and the work that is being done. Beautiful images, its latest newsletter and links to its social media platforms can also be found there, as well as more information about how you can get involved in protecting the wonderful Waterberg. www.waterbergbiosphere.com.
Waterberg Tourism is a registered NPC and PBO, devoted to the promotion of tourism opportunities, activities, training programmes and accommodation facilities across the region. www.waterbergtourism.com
The Waterberg Research Support Centre (WRSC) is a registered NPC and PBO, founded in 2021. Its main focus is the collation, co-ordination, facilitation and implementation of a diversity of research studies in the Waterberg Bio-Region. Its mission is to undertake and co-ordinate focused environmental and social research, and to create educational content that informs and inspires, leading to sustainable development, management, conservation and use of the Waterberg. It has been appointed as the research implementing agent for the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve. Visit its website at www.waterbergresearch.org.za