Enjoy a wonderful line up of virtual talks, walks & activities. Help the Lower Mpushini Valley raise funds for conservation. 

We invite you to a programme of Walks, Talks & Activities hereunder.  All Funds go for the conservation of the Lower Mpushini Valley, including game guard, anti-poaching, river care and alien invasive weed eradication. 

Ashburton Aloe Festival 2021

Welcome to the fifteenth Ashburton Aloe Festival! This year we offer a programme of talks, walks and activities aimed at celebrating the magnificent wildflowering Aloe candelabra in the Lower Mpushini Valley Conservancy. The Festival started in 2007 as a way of sharing this beautiful bushveld valley with visitors for A Day in Nature. We hope that this festival brings you a sense of hope and renewal amidst the crisis of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Lower Mpushini Valley Conservancy is situated just east of Ashburton on the outskirts of Pietermaritzburg, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. We wish you a wonderful Ashburton Aloe Festival 2021!

Highlights of the Ashburton Aloe Festival 2020

Visitors to the 2018 Ashburton Aloe Fest learn about indigenous trees with Richard Boon 2mg
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Projects of the Lower Mpushini Valley Conservancy

Duzi Disaster Fund

Established after the Willowton Industrial Spill into the Msunduzi River on the 13th August 2019, The Duzi Disaster Fund raises funds for River Care Activities including Alien Invasive Species Eradication and restoration work along the 30 km stretch of the Msuduzi River and its tributaries. 

Anti-Poaching Activities

Anti-Poaching activities include the services of a full time game guard who implements wildlife monitoring patrols, snare removal and surveillance activities.  Members of the Conservancy form part of a rapid response team that assist with wildlife monitoring and anti-poaching activities..

Enviro-Education

The Conservancy  hosts school and interest groups with a focus on environmental education, ecology and river health.  A number of trails provide a variety of different eco-systems and a wide variety of biodiversity.  The valley is rich in cultural heritage with educational opportunities.

A Part of the Mpushini Protected Environment

The Lower Mpushini Valley Conservancy is home to a wide variety of wildlife, birds and other species.  These include Leopard, Caracal, Civet, Large Spotted Genet, African Wildcat, Wildebeeste, Zebra, Kudu, Impala, Nyala, Reedbuck, Bushbuck, Grey Duiker, Blue Duiker, Warthog, Bushpig, Porcupine, Aardwolf, Cape Clawless Otter, Leguvaan, African Rock Python, 240 bird species includingg Crowned Eagle, Fish Eagle, Crested Eagle, Narina Trogon and Ground Hornbill, over 100 different butterfly species, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.

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Wild flowering Aloe Candelabra (2)
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Wild Aloe Candelabra in flower (4)
What Do We Do…?

  • Species Conservation

  • Anti-Poaching

  • Wildlife Monitoring

  • Alien Invasive Species Eradication

  • River Restoration

  • Species Lists

  • Research

  • Ashburton Aloe Festival

  • Duzi Disaster Fund

  • River Care Team

  • No More Blasting in the Mpushini Valley

  • Community Conservation Fund

  • Environmental Education

  • Public Participation 

  • Hiking Trails

  • Nature Guiding

  • River Walks

  • Birding

  • Nature Photography

  • Picnics

  • Nursery

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum presenters on this website do not necessarily reflect the opinions beliefs and viewpoints the Ashburton Aloe Festival 2020 Goes Virtual organisers, the Lower Mpushini Valley Conservancy or its membership.  We advocate for social and environmental justice and optimum well-being for people and planet and contextualise our concept within a local understanding of what it means to be on that journey.  Always consult with your local doctor, veterinarian and alternative healing specialists when undertaking new forms of therapy or medication.  It is outside of the expertise or scope of the Lower Mpushini Valley Conservancy to make recommendations in this regard.