Karkloof Conservation & Tourism - Karkloof Conservation Centre

Karkloof Conservation Centre

The Karkloof Conservation and Tourism Centre is a unique and exciting joint venture between the Karkloof Conservancy, The Wildlands Trust, SAPPI, Birdlife SA and the Southern KZN Birding Route. This Centre is run by members of the local community, represented by the Karkloof Conservancy.

In true community spirit Charlie McGillvray and his family have kindly opened up part of their farm, Gartmore, to nature lovers by offering to house the office headquarters and a bird hide on their property. The second bird hide nearby is located on Stuart Mackenzie’s farm, Loskop. The Tourism and Conservation Office is based at the entrance of Gartmore Farm, 15km along the Karkloof road, just outside of Howick.

The area is rich in biodiversity and has much to offer. All three Crane species, and many other interesting birds visit wetlands and dams near the bird hides, on a regular basis. There is also a range of special grassland plant species, a few antelope and abundant frog and insect life. A bird guide has been trained to take clients on guided walks and bird watching. Part of her responsibility is to visit local farm schools and present meaningful interactive lessons, about pertinent environmental issues. The Conservancy organizes projects at the four local farm schools. These projects work towards educating the children about the importance of conserving fauna, flora and the environment for future generations.

The public can now enjoy the true splendour of the Karkloof wetlands, grasslands and forests by going for a guided walk or by enjoying it from a comfortable seat in a beautiful bird hide where one really feels part of the natural surroundings.
This project is an exemplary example of how high tech agriculture, conservation and tourism can coexist harmoniously without disturbing ecology.

The centre is open every day of the week from 7:45 to 16:30. An entrance fee of R20 per adult, R10 per child (children under five free) is charged to make sure the centre becomes financially sustainable. The hides can also be booked out for functions.

A golf cart was kindly donated by Afgri, which make the hides accessible to everyone.




	1: Home 2: The Karkloof 2.1: Karkloof History 2.2: Accommodation 2.3: What to do in the Karkloof 2.4: Karkloof Falls 3: The Karkloof Conservancy 3.1: About Us 3.2: Vision and Mission Statement 3.3: Projects 3.4: Conservation Committee 4: Conservation Centre 4.1: Initiative 5: Farming Practices 5.1: No-Till Farming 5.2: Biodiversity/Agriculture 5.3: Biological Fly Control 5.4: Oribi Custodians 5.5: Crane Custodians 5.6: Biodiversity Stewardship Programme 5.7: Predators and Farmers 6: Farm Schools Project 6.1: 2008 6.2: 2011 7: Birding 7.1: Karkloof Sightings 7.2: Birdlist (PDF) 7.3: Photograph Archive 7.4: Bird Ringing 8: Cranes 8.1: Grey Crowned Cranes 8.2: Wattled Cranes 8.3: Blue Cranes 8.4: Wattled Crane Recovery Programme 8.5: KwaZulu-Natal Crane Foundation 8.6: Crane Ringing 9: Environmental Education 9.2: WESSA Share-Net 9.3: Eco-Schools 9.4: Nature Ways DVD 10: Conservation Issues 10.1: Alien Plants 10.2: Mallard Ducks 11: Upcoming Events 12: Useful Links 13: Contact Us	Karkloof Conservation Centre The Karkloof Conservation and Tourism Centre is a unique and exciting joint venture between the Karkloof Conservancy, The Wildlands Trust, SAPPI, Birdlife SA and the Southern KZN Birding Route. This Centre is run by members of the local community, represented by the Karkloof Conservancy. In true community spirit Charlie McGillvray and his family have kindly opened up part of their farm, Gartmore, to nature lovers by offering to house the office headquarters and a bird hide on their property. The second bird hide nearby is located on Stuart Mackenzie’s farm, Loskop. The Tourism and Conservation Office is based at the entrance of Gartmore Farm, 15km along the Karkloof road, just outside of Howick. The area is rich in biodiversity and has much to offer. All three Crane species, and many other interesting birds visit wetlands and dams near the bird hides, on a regular basis. There is also a range of special grassland plant species, a few antelope and abundant frog and insect life. A bird guide has been trained to take clients on guided walks and bird watching. Part of her responsibility is to visit local farm schools and present meaningful interactive lessons, about pertinent environmental issues. The Conservancy organizes projects at the four local farm schools. These projects work towards educating the children about the importance of conserving fauna, flora and the environment for future generations. The public can now enjoy the true splendour of the Karkloof wetlands, grasslands and forests by going for a guided walk or by enjoying it from a comfortable seat in a beautiful bird hide where one really feels part of the natural surroundings. This project is an exemplary example of how high tech agriculture, conservation and tourism can coexist harmoniously without disturbing ecology. The centre is open every day of the week from 7:45 to 16:30. An entrance fee of R20 per adult, R10 per child (children under five free) is charged to make sure the centre becomes financially sustainable. The hides can also be booked out for functions. A golf cart was kindly donated by Afgri, which make the hides accessible to everyone.