As nature awakens from winter dormancy, offering the promise of warmer, longer days and fresh beginnings.
This Tourism Month, South Africa’s national botanical gardens, under the management and custodianship of the SA National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), is inviting people to invest in themselves and spend time reconnecting with nature in these treasures of South Africa’s biodiversity.
Every season is a delight in a national botanical garden, and every day of the year offers a special treat. However, September, when South Africans mark Tourism Month and welcome spring, is an especially enchanting time to visit a national botanical garden as nature starts awakening from winter dormancy, offering all the promise of warmer, longer days and fresh beginnings.
SANBI is issuing an invitation this Tourism Month to #TreatYourself: make the most of the restorative and relaxing power of nature by becoming a SANBI member and securing an unlimited number of national botanical garden visits from now until September, next year.
“There are so many ways to treat yourself in a national botanical garden,” says Nontsikelelo Mpulo, SANBI Marketing, Communication and Commercialisation Director. “Besides the natural and unique biodiversity and beauty each of the gardens offer, they are ideal venues to spend quality time with the people you care about, enjoy the fresh air and sunshine, indulge in healthful outdoor exercise, and admire the astonishing diversity of life in the gardens.”
There is no better investment than an investment in yourself and the people you love. The SA National Biodiversity Institute now makes it easy to make this investment through the annual SANBI membership that gives unlimited access for a year to all the national botanical gardens, the National Zoological Garden in Pretoria and the Mokopane Wildlife Centre.
“Treating yourself to spending time in a national botanical garden quickly becomes habit-forming,” Ms Mpulo says.
“The SANBI membership card makes all the national botanic gardens affordable and accessible. Investing in membership means you can pop into a garden any time you like simply by declaring your membership at the gate. Membership puts the restorative power of nature within very easy reach. It also gives you the assurance of knowing you are investing in helping to protect and maintain these national treasures.”
South Africa’s national botanical gardens have a variety of special treats in store this Tourism Month. They include competitions with exciting prizes, a #TreatYoursef selfie campaign, a Guess the Garden treasure hunt and a series of photographic challenges. Look out for these on social media by following the #SpringAtSANBI, #SANBIMembership,#TreatYourself and #SANBITourismMonth #SANBIGardens #ExploreSANBI hashtags.
The 14 SANBI properties are: Free State, Harold Porter, Hantam, Karoo Desert, Kirstenbosch,Kwelera, KwaZulu-Natal, Lowveld, Pretoria, Thohoyandou, Walter Sisulu and Richtersveld Desert Botanical gardens; the National Zoological Garden (NZG) and Mokopane Biodiversity Centre. Please see here for more details on each garden, on specific Tourism Month activities, and on the benefits of becoming a SANBI member.
Media enquiries:
Ednah Sekwakwa
Deputy Director: Marketing Communications
E-mail: e.sekwakwa@sanbi.org.za