local bird clubs

Do you want to take part in the world's fastest growing hobby? Do you want to understand and enjoy the wild birds around you? Do you want the diversity of wild birds in South Africa to thrive forever?

You will enrich your life by joining BirdLife South Africa and one of its branches. Visit www.birdlife.org.za to fill in the application form online.

Alternatively join your local bird club AND BirdLife South Africa. Mpumalanga has two active bird clubs.

1. BirdLife Lowveld

BirdLife Lowveld is one of the most active bird clubs in Mpumalanga and benefits to members include:

The club magazine called The Hornbill which contains news of birding activities in the area, accounts of members' birding experiences and reports of projects taking place. It comes out four times a year.
A programme of events, advising you of all forthcoming club activities.
The opportunity to participate in regular day outings to interesting and varying localities where experienced birders will help you gain most from your excursion.
Regular evening meetings at which talks and slides are presented.
Most importantly, the opportunity to become involved in the conservation of birds and their habitat by joining the club, you are contributing to bird conservation in two ways. Firstly, you are contributing membership fees which go to a host of worthy research and conservation projects, and secondly you are adding your voice to the credibility of BirdLife South Africa, as a body which can campaign to government and business for the protection of our birds.

You can join BirdLife Lowveld by contacting Karen Bullen, Membership Secretary on 013-752 4308 or 083 305 8553 or sweets25@soft.co.za

BirdLife Lowveld Diary 2009

Tuesday 11 August 19h30 Captains Cabin Lowveld High School, Nelspuit	Indoor Meeting Neil McCormick, former Treasurer of the Southern African Ornithological Society "In the Olden Days"
Tuesday 8 September 19h30 Captains Cabin Lowveld High School, Nelspuit	Indoor Meeting Quiz Evening
Sunday 6 September	Outing to Nelspruit Nature Reserve Meet at the Trim Park at 06h00
Sunday 11 October	Outing to Butterfly Farms at Jeppes Reef/Malelane Meet at the Orchards Shopping Centre, Nelspruit at 05h45 to depart at 06h00
Tuesday 13 October 19h30 Captains Cabin Lowveld High School, Nelspuit	Members Photographic Evening Watch this space for more info about this fun evening
Tuesday 10 November	End of Year Function Guest Speaker: Mark Anderson, Executive Director, BirdLife South Africa. Venue to be confirmed.
Sunday 15 November	Outing to Leo's at Hilltop on the Barberton Road. Meet at West End Spar at 06h00

For more information about meetings and outings, please contact John Broodryk on +27 (0)83 254 0896 or nvpjohn@telkomsa.net or Bernard Heritage on +27 (0)82 453 5939 or heritagb@global.co.za

2. Barberton Bird Club

You can join the Barberton Bird Club by contacting David Mourant on +27 (0)82 923 5366 or amourant@iafrica.com