Buttonquail shares a 5 km common boundary with the United Nations registered Kogelberg Biosphere. The Reserve was approved in 1998 and inaugurated at a ceremony on 16th April 1999. Kogelberg is the first biosphere reserve in South Africa and covers 103,629 ha (the core is approx 18 000 ha), with more than 80% consisting of mountainous landscape with high mountain peaks and deep valleys to gentle hills and lower mountain slopes. The remaining area is made up of a gently rolling coastal plain as well as a marine part that covers some 24,500 ha. The coastline is mostly rocky while the rest comprises sandy beaches and estuaries. Kogelberg is situated in the Western Cape Province, within 40 km of Cape Town and it is an area of high conservation significance. It is the floristic heart of the smallest of the world’s floral kingdoms (Cape Floristic Province) and provides habitat for approximately 1,600 plant taxa, of which an estimated 150 taxa are endemic to the area. Kogelberg is the first stage of a proposal to create a large-scale biosphere reserve in the Fynbos biome. The marine environment is part of the warm temperate south coast, and is subject to nutrient-enriching upwelling events that support a highly productive and diverse marine community. The major towns within the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve are Kleinmond (~4,500 inhabitants) and Grabouw (~19,000 inhabitants) and the main activities include apple farming, commercial plantations of pines and tourism. Tourism, specifically ecotourism, has the potential of becoming one of the major economic activities in the region, with some 60,000 people visiting the area during the holiday season. Environmental education for school children and students is provided in the region and a wilderness school has been established. History: The Kogelberg area has evidence of early stone age hunters, who probably lived off game, shellfish and edible plants. Khoi people inhabited the area from about 100 000 years ago until modern times, and their middens and burial sites can be found along the coast. Eighteenth century European explorers described the beauty of the area and the plentiful game, but early farmers found the area too rugged for agriculture. This meant that the Kogelberg was left practically untouched over the years, unlike many other areas of the Cape.In 1810 the government of the Cape demarcated certain Crown Lands, which included the Kogelberg area. Access was extremely difficult until 1935 when a road was built. In 1937 the then Department of Forestry became responsible for the area and declared it a State Forest. During World War II, a military road was built around the coast and the peripheral coastal area slowly became more developed. Kogelberg was transferred to Cape Nature Conservation in 1987, and declared a nature reserve. Biosphere Reserve Kogelberg Nature Reserve is now managed according to the internationally accepted principles of a biosphere reserve. This implies that the sensitive core area of 18 000 ha remains pristine and essentially wild, with a high level of biological diversity, and is buffered by a more resilient area. Beyond the reserve's borders, agriculture and the South African Forestry Company Limited's (SAFCOL) pine plantations form a transitional zone. The biosphere concept accommodates conservation and development, and ensures that sensitive areas and biological diversity are adequately protected. Climate The climate of the Kogelberg is fairly typical of the Western Cape. Winters are cold and wet, and very occasionally snow may fall on the higher peaks in mid winter. The summer months are hot, dry and sometimes windy in unprotected areas. Hikers should note that the weather conditions are variable and unpredictable. Vegetation The long isolation of the Kogelberg area has helped to protect its floral wealth and keep it clear of alien vegetation, and today the reserve presents perhaps the finest example of mountain fynbos in the western Cape. It has approximately 1 600 plant species, of which about 150 are endemic. Many spectacular members of the protea family occur in the reserve. These include the endangered marsh rose, Orothamnus zeyheri, once on the brink of extinction, and now known to occur on a few inaccessible peaks; and the highest concentration of Mimetes species in the Cape, most notably the endangered M. hottentoticus and M. capitulatus. Kogelberg has three patches of relic indigenous forest, Louwsbos, Platbos and Oudebos. These patches are similar to the Knysna forests, and includes yellowwood, stinkwood and boekenhout trees. The Palmiet River and its associated riparian vegetation is of the most pristine in the south-western Cape. Wild almond, rooi-els, yellowwood and Cape beech are among the trees occurring in the riverine scrub along the water courses. Much of the early botanical documentation was done by T.P. Stokoe, a Yorkshireman who emigrated to South Africa in 1911. Stokoe collected numerous specimens in the Kogelberg, many of which were named after him, including the now extinct Mimetes stokoei. His ashes are scattered near Stokoe's Bridge in the reserve. Animals The Kogelberg does not have many large animals. There are a few leopards; the Cape clawless otter may be seen in or near water; smaller antelope include klipspringer and grysbok; honeybadgers and baboons, dassies and hares are fairly common. Peregrine falcons, black eagles, Jackal Buzzards and fish eagles hunt and nest in and around the reserve, with occasional showings of Blue crane. An endemic freshwater crab and the endangered micro-frog are found in the area. A herd of wild horses which were abandoned by a British garrison after World War II roam the flats of the Bot River estuary at Rooisand. A zoning explanation: Kogelberg is zoned “Core” this represents the highest protection status available in the Republic and would equate with that of the Kruger Park. “Buffer” represents the separation of farmlands from the “Core” area and may not be used for farming as such. The zoning favours “eco tourism”, game farming and associated activities. Buttonquail is zoned Buffer. “Transition” represents conventional farming activities. Sensitive Wetlands. The lake in front of Black Eagle camp had its zoning status changed to “Sensitive Wetlands” at the time of the inauguration of the Biosphere. This was due to the persistent and tireless work of Kobio (a private sector initiative based at Kleinmond) which also had the proposed Palmiet Storage Dam scheme permanently sidelined in favour of the less sensitive Skuifraam Dam near Franschoek. Subsequently the Palmiet Catchment Management Steering Committee was formed tasked with the long overdue restoration of the riverine vegetation, avian species and marine life in the system.