SEABIRD CONSERVATION PROGRAMME
Alistair McInnes and Lauren Waller (Endangered Wildlife Trust, EWT) participated in a workshop with small-scale fishers from the Kogelberg region, convened by CapeNature, where they presented on the importance of purse-seine fisheries restrictions to African Penguin conservation around Stony Point, Betty’s Bay.
LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION PROGRAMME
Giselle Murison joined colleagues at the two-day National Other Effective area-based Conservation Measure (OECM) Bootcamp in Pretoria. Giselle participated in a specialist panel on OECMs, providing insights from the Western Cape OECM Pilot Project, and led a break-away group on potential OECMs.
SPECIES CONSERVATION PROGRAMME
Linda van den Heever, Justin Henry and Cassie Carstens attended the EWT Bird of Prey Programme Conference at Swadini Forever Resort, near Hoedspruit, from 20 to 24 November.
EMPOWERING PEOPLE PROGRAMME
Several bird clubs have pledged to support the Empowering People Programme’s work at Ntsikeni, including BirdLife Sani, BirdLife Sandton, BirdLife eThekwini KZN and the Northern Region Bird Club Forum.
REGIONAL CONSERVATION PROGRAMME
Jessica Wilmot attended a two-day OECM Bootcamp in Pretoria with colleagues to understand the way forward in implementing the mechanism in the country as indicated in the 30×30 Global Biodiversity Framework National Implementation Plan.
SCIENCE & INNOVATION PROGRAMME
David Ehlers Smith has been conducting surveys in the mesic grasslands (Memel to Wakkerstroom) for Botha’s Lark. After over 150 point counts and a week with no encounters, with the help of David Nkosi, he came across a site with a nest with eggs! Landowners were informed of this record. Currently, this is the only known breeding site in South Africa!
POLICY & ADVOCACY PROGRAMME
Sam Ralston-Paton participated in an online workshop on birds, bats and wind energy with CapeNature, where she delivered a presentation on the impacts of wind energy on birds in the Western Cape and approaches to mitigation.
HEAD OF CONSERVATION
Hanneline Smit-Robinson joined Giselle, Jessica and Ernst Retief at the two-day National OECM Bootcamp. Hanneline provided feedback on behalf of a break-away group. BirdLife South Africa’s partnership project with Conservation Outcomes in the Western Cape (funded by WWF Nedbank Green Trust), which piloted the identification, assessment, and reporting of OECMs at the provincial level, was well embedded in the bootcamp agenda and a catalyst for informative discussion. BirdLife South Africa, through the support of the WWF Nedbank GreenTrust, contributed to the costs of this workshop.
BUSINESS DIVISION
The Claremont office’s roof was wet during an Opening Function on Tuesday and an Open Day on Thursday, and we’re grateful to Rosie Biden for organising the events. The monthly Marketing Committee meeting was held on Tuesday, and followed by a very productive and successful meeting to discuss an exciting new fundraising idea (watch this space!). Isabel Human has completed the second week of her three-week sabbatical at BirdLife International’s office in Cambridge.