Cape Town's extinct water lily returns in honor of Earthshot Prize

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STORY: Absent from the wetlands of Cape Town since the mid-1900s, the Cape Water Lily has been reintroduced to its native habitat.

Now known as the Earthshot Lily, it was brought back to mark the first time the African continent hosted the Earthshot Prize.

“We decided to restore this water lily to this wetland as a symbol of conservation and it also speaks to the ethos of what the Earthshot prize is all about"

Alex Lansdowne is the chairperson of Cape Town's mayoral advisory committee on water quality.

"They're supporting local action in local communities and small conservation projects, many of them were in different places, in cities all around the world.”

With 20 vegetation types, 11 of which are critically endangered and seven unique to the area, Cape Town is one of the most biodiverse cities in the world.

"What we will be able to do in coming years is actually be able to plant this water lily and other wetlands we had used to occur on the Cape Flats, so that members of the public and future generations of Capetonians will be able to come and see this water lily, just like their forefathers did.”

Founded by Britain's Prince William in 2020, the Earthshot Prize serves as a global platform for discovering innovative climate and environmental solutions.