Members of the Botanical Society of South Africa (BotSoc) that start or renew their membership by 31 March, will have free access to all the national botanical gardens in the country for the rest of the year.
Members, and plant and nature lovers in general, have up to 31 March to renew their BotSoc membership or become a member for the first time.
The national botanical gardens is managed by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI).
Depending on the BotSoc membership option you choose, you will be allowed to visit gardens such as the Free State National Botanical Garden, Kirstenbosch, Walter Sisulu, Lowveld, Harold Porter, KwaZulu-Natal and more for the next year, free of charge, as often as you like.
If you renew your membership or become a new member of BotSoc from 1 April onwards, you will receive a 10% discount on your garden entry for the next year.
BotSoc members enjoy a number of benefits – including a copy of the acclaimed Veld & Flora magazine, plant-focused webinars and the chance to join fun activities organised by BotSoc branches across the country. As part of these benefits, members have in the past also received free access to SANBI gardens, set out in the collaboration agreement between the two organisations.
According to BotSoc general manager Antonia de Barros, “Following negotiations with SANBI, this benefit will change going forward. So, if your membership is due to expire shortly, or even if it is not, it is a great opportunity to extend your free garden access benefit by purchasing a new membership before end March this year.”
SANBI has agreed to honour all existing BotSoc Life Memberships. These primary members will continue to enjoy unlimited garden access, as long as they contact the national BotSoc team before the end of January to confirm their details. Life Members’ guest cards are valid for free garden access until 31 March 2024. Unfortunately, no new Life Memberships can be sold.
BotSoc is a civil society organisation made up of members across South Africa. These plant lovers get involved to know, grow, protect, and enjoy our country’s incredible indigenous plants.
Antonia says, “At the heart of our work as a non-profit organisation is our involvement in protecting our plants through our conservation activities. We work to protect important plant areas and threatened species, and to respond to the plant-poaching crisis. Growing capacity of plant guardians – especially the youth – is important to us. Given the terrifying rate of biodiversity loss, this work has never been more important.”
BotSoc has also, since its inception nearly 110 years ago, provided support to national botanical gardens, assisting with plant collections, guiding, plant propagation, flower shoes and plant sales and any other help they needed.
“The value of our volunteers, as they give time, knowledge and resources as a way of showing their love and connection to plants, is phenomenal. For the sake of our rich plant diversity, this support to the gardens will continue at this time.”
The revised collaboration agreement between BotSoc and SANBI will remain in place until 31 March 2024 and the benefits honoured until 31 March 2025. Memberships can be bought and renewed on Webtickets.
Some of the events on the programme of the Free State branch of BotSoc for 2023 are a plant sale on 4 February, a talk on local trees on 11 February, a talk on seed dispersal by birds by the estate manager of the Free State National Botanical Garden Loyd Vukeya, and many more.
Direct enquiries about the local branch to the chairperson, Deon Potgieter, on 083-599-7145.
