Trip report: Repeat photography trip to Tygerberg Nature Reserve

On 18 May 2021, Prof. Timm Hoffman and Hana Petersen joined colleagues from the City of Cape Town (CoCT) and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) at Tygerberg Nature Reserve to discuss the use of repeat photography in monitoring vegetation recovery. After a short project briefing, they walked along one of the many hiking trails to one of the project’s photo sites, with a view of the northern suburbs.

We found that the vegetation had thickened substantially since it had been burnt several years prior to the original photograph. The pine plantation visible on the far slope had not changed in the intervening time period, but some infrastructure is now present. This site at Tygerberg Nature Reserve will continue to be monitored through the use of repeat photography.

Prof. Timm Hoffman (UCT), Prof. Sjirk Geerts (CPUT) and Penny Glanville (CoCT) discuss the changes seen in the landscape (photo: H Petersen)	Penny Glanville taking a repeat photograph (photo: H Petersen)

After the challenging compounded circumstances of COVID-19 restrictions and the UCT fire, being outdoors, doing repeats and engaging with colleagues was reaffirming. We hope to have more opportunities to engage with our colleagues and citizen scientists when it is safer to do so.