Our Conservation Work
Restoring and protecting the mountain’s heritage
The Kaapsehoop Preservation Record
The Kaapsehoop Preservation Record
This page documents the ongoing, independently funded preservation and archival work undertaken in Kaapsehoop.
It reflects a living record of conservation, research, and public access initiatives carried out in the interest of heritage preservation.
Cemetery Preservation & Record Management
- Digital mapping of Kaapsehoop Cemetery (Chronicle)
- Creation of structured burial records
- Hand-cleaning of many historic headstones
- Refurbishment of the weather-damaged cross on Pte William Cooke’s grave (a Boer War burial) — reset and re-cemented
- Ongoing archival research and verification
Commemoration & Historical Record
- Recognition of Boer War, WWI, WWII, and Border War veterans
- Installation of wreaths and coordination of formal tribute proceedings
- Inclusion of both local and international historical narratives
- Ongoing documentation of commemorative practices within the village
Wild Horse Conservation Measures
- Funded and installed ten roadside warning signs to reduce horse-related road incidents — paid for and placed independently.
- Ran a BackaBuddy fundraising campaign for the Kaapsehoop Conservancy, with all proceeds donated to the Conservancy.
- The Kaapsehoop Conservancy provides the horses’ veterinary care, herd monitoring and emergency response, supported by funds raised.
- Ongoing advocacy for the protection of the Kaapsehoop wild horse population.
Public Access & Heritage Interpretation
- Establishment of a self-guided heritage trail, freely accessible to the public
- Development of QR-linked historical content across key sites
- Mapping and identification of historically significant locations within the village
- Public access to previously undocumented or overlooked historical material
Digital Archive & Historical Research
- Creation and ongoing development of kaapsehoop.net as a central archival platform
- Archival research drawn from:
- Government records
- Historical texts
- Burial registers
- Translation and interpretation of primary historical material
- Development of a living digital archive of Kaapsehoop
Environmental & Landscape Documentation
- Establishment of a geographically defined biodiversity record on iNaturalist
- Consolidation of public observations into a continuously expanding environmental dataset
- Documentation of Kaapsehoop as a living landscape, encompassing both ecological and historical dimensions
All work presented here has been independently initiated, funded and carried out — Discover Kaapsehoop is run single-handedly by its custodian — forming part of a long-term effort to document, preserve, and interpret the heritage of Kaapsehoop.
Explore the Work in Context
A Living, Independent Archive
This is not a static archive, but an evolving record of Kaapsehoop’s history, landscape, and people.
The work continues as research, documentation, and conservation efforts expand.
Environmental Documentation
The Kaapsehoop Mountain Biodiversity record forms part of this broader documentation of the escarpment landscape.
Environmental & Landscape Documentation
Kaapsehoop had no boundary of its own on iNaturalist, the global citizen-science platform — so nature records made here had nowhere to gather. Discover Kaapsehoop mapped the village onto iNaturalist for the first time and created an open, joinable project that now holds the mountain’s living record of plants, animals, and fungi.
→ Join the Kaapsehoop Mountain Biodiversity Record on iNaturalist