SEABIRD CONSERVATION PROGRAMME
Reason Nyengera and Victor Ngcongo, of Imvelo Agency, deployed and extracted data from Bird Scaring Line compliance devices on vessels in the Saldanha and Cape Town harbours, as part of the Albatross Task Force’s pilot project for a fleet-wide implementation of the devices.
LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION PROGRAMME
Steve McKean received positive feedback and approval for the latest Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) project report from the WWF Nedbank Green Trust. The report was approved, and funding was received for the next phase of the project.
SPECIES CONSERVATION PROGRAMME
Justin Henry travelled to Kimberley for a meeting between the Northern Cape Raptor Conservation Forum and the prospective buyers of Dronfield Nature Reserve. Justin held meetings with neighbouring farms of Dronfield Nature Reserve to collect data on the use of non-lead ammunition for the upcoming hunting season and visited an animal sanctuary outside Kimberley, where White-backed Vultures regularly occur, to discuss the Vulture Project and assess the feasibility of capturing adult vultures at the site.
EMPOWERING PEOPLE PROGRAMME
John Kinghorn attended a virtual workshop on “Sound Recording for Conservation,” hosted by BirdLife International and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The collaboration between BirdLife South Africa (BLSA) and Cornell to drive the Big Year of African Sounds initiative as a tool for citizen science, ecotourism, education, and community empowerment was duscussed. John was also hosted as a guest presenter on an episode of “The Birding Life” podcast, alongside Ian Davies from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, where host Adam Cruikshank, interviewed them both about the Big Year of African Sounds, BLSA’s involvement, bird song, and the importance of bird song as a tool for citizen science.
REGIONAL CONSERVATION PROGRAMME
The Regional Conservation Programme facilitated a virtual mini-workshop, with input from Hanneline Smit-Robinson, the Science & Innovation Programme, and the Landscape Conservation Programme, to develop a single, coherent list of migratory birds for mainland South Africa. A follow-up mini-workshop with broader BLSA participation will be scheduled in April 2026 to review input and agree on a list of priority sites for migratory bird species.
SCIENCE & INNOVATION PROGRAMME
David Ehlers Smith presented a talk on Birding Big Day at the first Conservation Conversations webinar in 2026. He highlighted the partnership with Return Africa and high levels of enthusiasm and participation from birders around the country.
POLICY & ADVOCACY PROGRAMME
Policy and Advocacy finalised and submitted the proposal to the Lewis Foundation for a further three years of funding for the Birds and Renewable Energy Project.
HEAD OF CONSERVATION
Hanneline attended several meetings, including a special meeting to discuss a potential funding model for African Penguin conservation, meetings focused on the Kruger Challenge and the Learn About Birds (LAB) events, and a mini-workshop on developing a list of migratory birds for mainland South Africa.
BUSINESS DIVISION
It was a busy week of meetings, including the first monthly Staff Meeting of the year and the first Senior Management Meeting of the year. The final preparation for Flock to St Helena Island was completed, and the guests were couriered their branded golf shirts, branded water bottles and folders of relevant information (including programme for their visit, and the bird list). Mark Anderson and Tarryn McKechnie presented a talk to a Auria – Royal View, a retirement establishment in Sandringham. Mark and Tarryn also engaged with a number of current and prospective donors. Mark had a productive and enjoyable 11 km walk-meeting with Cindy Lee-Cloete, CEO of WESSA, during which they shared ideas and insights.