The Cape Bird Club

Conservation Committee

It was started in 1988 by the Chairman - Dave Whitelaw.
The current members are; Felicity Ellmore - Secretary, Frank Wygold, Clifford Dorse, Doug Harebottle,  Suretha Dorse, Shaun Overmeyer and Gavin Lawson.

Raapenberg Conservation area with Table Mountain in the background.

Background.

Conservation is an item low on many peoples agendas. It is fast growing in importance, as the human pressure continues to develop the remaining natural areas for housing, farming and industry in the Fynbos areas.
The Cape Fynbos areas have been declared a World Heritage Site. The fybnbos biome is unique on the planet, in that, it has the highest number of plant species per square meter in some areas and takes up less than 1% of the worlds land mass.
Many of these habitats have plants with host insects, which have sybiotic relationships, other plants are pollinated by "our" birds. New species of plants and insects are still being found. There is not enough money or people allocated to this subject, much remains to be studied, conserved and managed, so that future generations can enjoy the remaining natural areas we tend to take for granted.

Some achievements in the past.

Over the years we have dealt with many issues, the following are some recent past examples we helped make a difference there are many others;

• The Club raised money which was matched by Pick n Pay to sponsor the production of our "Bird Pack" in the mid 1990's. This project has now been taken over by The Ubuntu Foundation and with minor modifications is used in hundreds of schools throughout the country. This was a combined project with the S.A.Museum and The Ubuntu Foundation.
• Bridging funding was provided to keep Clifford Dorse employed at the Zandvlei Nature Reserve
  for 4 months, until he was appointed to the position in 1999.
• Bridging funding was provided to keep Erica Foot employed at the Zandvlei Nature Reserve
  for 3 months, until she was appointed to a contract position in 2004.
• We motivated the funding of the Black Oystercatcher Project with R30 000.00 over the initial 3 years. 
• R30 000 funding for the Western Cape Raptor Research Programme was motivated.
• The CAR project is funded to a limited extent - basically covering the costs of analysing the Western Cape data.
• Funding to the Knysna Warbler project was motivated.
• In 2002 we donated R3000 to fund the employment of a part time gardener (previously unemployed) and the purchase of indigenous plants (Strandveld - habitat rehabilitation) for the Westlake Wetlands Walkway garden at Lakeside, near Muizenberg.
• Past and present members regularly monitored the Cape Town International Airport runways for birds as potential flying hazards to aircraft. This was in conjunction with management staff. Various habitat changes were implemented to try discourage large birds frequenting the areas surrounding the runways.
• Committee members administer the "Julie te Groen bequest" at Strandfontein. They work closely with a number of City of Cape Town officials.
• See other activities the Committee have been involved in.

These are some examples of how the CBC has played a positive role in Conservation and Environmental Education in the Western Cape.

Strandfontein Waste Water Treatment Works from across pan P5.

Issues we are currently adressing.

Bird Conservation

• Atlasing
• Birding at the Berg River, Velddrif.
• Bird ringing at Paarl Sewerage Works.
• Bird ringing at Die Oog
• SABAP2
• Strandfontein Sewerage Works and its management for birds and birding.
• CWAC at Zandvlei.
• Raapenberg conservation area, TRUP (Two Rivers Urban Park) - Liesbeek and Black Rivers.
• House Crows

Habitat conservation

• Berg River
• Strandfontein Sewerage Works
• Paarden Eiland (Zoarvlei)
• Raapenberg
• Greater Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve
• Die Oog

Environmental Education

• Edith Stephens
• Strandfontein Sewerage Works

EIA's (Environmental Impact Assessments) current

• Bantams Klip - Eskom powerlines
• Moutons Hoek (Verlorensvlei)
• Flaminkvlei - Berg River
• Laaiplek - Berg River
• Dassenberg
• Raapenberg conservation area (development)
• Koeberg - training conference Centre
• Wind Farms - various proposals.

Minutes of Meetings.

Past

What we do. 

We meet every 6 weeks to report back at our meetings on the topics we deal with.

• We read many varied documents and correspondence, and try to make sense of the myriad of legislation and procedures,
• participate in numerous EIA's (Environmental Impact Assessments),
• follow up media discussions with articles for the press and radio,
• visit areas to gain information (detective work),
• attend meetings,
• get involved with the role players, build up relationships, correspond and network with like minded people and groups.
• We work with various Local and Provincial Government, Planning, Engineering and Management authorities and officials.
• We lobby Local, Provincial and National Government by letter writing, with personal visits and by phone calls.
• We are directly and indirectly involved with education at Zandvlei Nature Reserve, Rondevlei, Edith Stephens, Strandfontein, Paarden Eiland Wetlands (Zoarvlei) and others.
• We organise"a hacking group" (clearing of exotic invasive plants and trees). With the correct management, previously infested lands may, return to a once original condition, with very little human intervention. The reason is; - often the seed stock has been suppressed into dormancy.
• We participate and one of us is directly involved in the SABAP2 project.
• One of us co-ordinates all the rare and other bird sightings for the club, province and national committees.

With knowledge, you, our Club members can be important 'watch dogs', to help monitor local and other areas we visit, when bird watching.
We need your help and assistance. Report back any new roads, buildings, farm fields and developments in areas previously a natural area. Even better, if you become aware, before such developments take place, find out what is being planned.
Become involved.

Part of the Zandvlei Nature Reserve - from above Old Boyes Drive and Main Road, Muizenberg. 
The Hottentot Holland Mountains are in the background across False Bay.

• There are many more areas that should be monitored. You can help, when visiting your favourite areas, by being vigilant and enquiring, report issues back to the Conservation Committee.
• Do not take the present natural areas for granted.
• Without sustainable habitats, there will be fewer species of birds for us to see and appreciate.
  It is up to all of us, to become responsible and take care of our natural heritage and the environment.
• Help promote the biodiversity of all species by trying to learn about the "big picture". Individual and isolated issues need to be considered, let us not forget that "the small, unseen, and the marginalised in context" are also very important.
• Urban conservation and its management, is probably the most difficult task in a world, dominated by humans, who migrate to large urban centres, desparate to survive and improve their famlies lives. Especially in the Fynbos biome, one of the most species rich and diverse on the planet.
  It is fast diminishing!  Please help us make a diference.

Contact  Dave Whitelaw    ph 021 671 3714