community & conservation projects
Birds are globally recognised as THE indicator of the state of health of the enviroment. They occupy and play an imoportant ecological role in every habitat on earth, not to mention the pleasure they give millions of birders worldwide.
BirdLife Zululand seeks to become the lead organisation in Zululand for advice and action on the conservation of birds, ensuring that all indigenous bird species Zululand maintain viable populations forever. BirdLife Zululand seeks to actively involve all sectors of Zululand and South African society and work through people to conserve birds and their natural habitats.
To achieve this we need your involement. To get involved with any of our conservation projects please e-mail our conservation officer.
Our objectives include:
- To ensure the long-term survival of all wild bird species and their habitats in Zululand, including species formerly present but now extinct as breeding species.
- To ensure the long-term conservation of all areas in Zululand which are rated as globally important to birds.
- To promote the enjoyment of birds by all Zululanders.
- To promote the development of birding as an industry in Zululand.
- To promote research into wild birds and the monitoring of their populations as the basis for wise conservation action.
- To assist and promote bird conservation by central, provincial and local government departments.
- To establish education programmes as a vital long-term approach to the conservation and enjoyment of birds in Zululand.
- To involve all sectors of Zululand society in the conservation of birds.
- To help achieve this BirdLife Zululand acitvley promotes and runs various bird conservation, education and census programs they are :
1) The Important Bird Areas (IBA) Conservation Programme.
2) BIRP - Birds in Reserves Project is run by the Avian Demography Unit and is to be a direct follow-on from SABAP and its methods will be very similar. The main difference is that we will not be atlasing grid squares but instead will focus on specific localities, namely reserves, sanctuaries, protected forests, etc... This Data also ties in closely with the IBA program.
3) CWAC - Co-ordinated Waterbird Counts
This is another project of the Avian Demography Unit, and focusses primarily on systematic monitoring of waterbirds at a number of selected waterbird localities. CWAC http://web.uct.ac.za/depts/stats/adu/p_cwac.htm
4) CAR - Co-ordinated Avifaunal Roadcount
Avian Demography Unit project. CAR http://web.uct.ac.za/depts/stats/adu/p_car.htm
5) The Nest Record Card Scheme (NERCS) is a long-standing project of BirdLife South Africa and its predecessor, the Southern African Ornithological Society, and has accumulated in excess of 100 000 nest record cards since the 1950s. NERCS http://web.uct.ac.za/depts/stats/adu/p_nercs.htm
Ongoye ecotourism project
The community project is an initiative of Zululand Birding Route, It gives you the opportunity to interact with the people of Mzimela community while experiencing the Ongoye forest endemics like the Green Barbet and Red Squirrel, the community guides service includes ,
- Mountain bike tours in the village and valleys of Ongoye forest
- Cultural/historical tours
- Walking/hiking trails in Ongoye Forest
- Environmental education tours for school.
- Packed lunches
- Visit to Kwabulawayo cultural village
- Safety parking & car guards
Direction
Mtunzini, turn off the N2 freeway and head inland (west). At a T-junction (BP garage) turn right and take the old road north to Empangeni (R102). About 4km north of the Forest Inn, turn left onto a dirt road (to the direction of the Birders Camp), just before what was an old Shell Service station. P525 is a winding tar road but is badly potholed, with many pedestrians, animals and taxis – proceed carefully! After about 4,5 km the tar ends. At this point turn off to the right onto the D1554, immediately cross a bridge over a tiny stream. Continue along this winding dirt road which is good, but rough. After about 8,5 km you will see, up on your left, at 100 m intervals, an old church, a graveyard and a school, the last school buildings is where you will meet your guides.
GPS coordinates:Lat: 28 51 51.64 S
Lon: 31 44 48 .20 E
Contact details
- E-mail: guides@zbr.co.za
- Sbo Mthembu: 076 811 2996
- Abednigo Dube: 082 588 6182
- Sbu Mhlongo: 076 904 1616