Above picture: Romario Valentine with a model of a Marion Island Grey-headed Albatross carved by hand from over 200 beach-washed plastic flip-flops by David Kaloki of Kathiani, Kenya, and presented to him as an Ocean Sole Ambassador
On 29 June, Dr Anton Wolfaardt, Mouse-Free Marion Project Manager, will run the 52-km Rhodes Trail Run to raise funds for the Project. Considered South Africa’s most iconic trail run, it takes place in the southern Drakensberg mountains in the Eastern Cape Highlands.
So far, R 31 023 of Anton’s R 55 000 target has been raised in a little over two weeks, representing 56%, with 18 days still to go. Committed environmentalist and “eco-warrior” Romario Valentine, who is only 12 years old and has already raised R 57 100 for the Mouse-Free Marion Project via his own two appeals, has now made a personal donation of R 250 to Anton’s appeal.
The flip-flop sculpture of Romario’s Grey-headed Albatross. The flip-flops are collected from beaches and cleaned, compressed, and glued together by hand before being carved by artisans
Romario is the youngest Ambassador of the non-profit Ocean Sole, whose mission is to clean polluted beaches and provide careers to artisans in high-impact communities. He has taken part in over 500 beach clean ups in his hometown of Durban in South Africa. Ocean Sole gifted him with the custom-made sea bird to help him raise awareness for the Mouse-Free Marion Project.
512 beach clean ups completed! Romario Valentine on a South African beach in beach in KwaZulu Natal
Listen (from 14 minutes) to Romario Valentine giving a presentation on the threats facing Tristan Albatrosses on Gough Island and Wandering Albatrosses on Marion Island, including from plastic pollution and the introduced House Mice. Romario in his virtual talk addressed 670 UK children aged eight to ten in the “Animal Kingdom” session as part of Transform Our World’s marking of Earth Day on 22 April this year with the overall theme “Our Earth, Our Future”.
Romario Valentine is also a talented artist. Here is his recent commissioned painting of a displaying Wandering Albatross
Please join Romario Valentine by making your own contribution and help Anton reach (or even exceed) his target of R 55 000. Even small amounts will help. Marion’s beleaguered Wandering Albatrosses that are being attacked and killed by the island’s alien mice right now will thank you!
You can donate to Anton Wolfaardt’s Rhodes Trail Run Appeal here.
With thanks to Melissa Anderson, Chief Operating Officer, Ocean Sole and Delsha Moodley, Romario Valentine’s mother.
John Cooper, News Correspondent, Mouse-Free Marion Project, 12 June 2024
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A Grey-headed Albatross on Marion Island; photograph by Sean Evans and poster design by Michelle Risi
The Mouse-Free Marion Project is a registered non-profit company (No. 2020/922433/08) in South Africa, established to eradicate the invasive albatross-killing mice on Marion Island in the Southern Ocean. The project was initiated by BirdLife South Africa and the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. Upon successful completion, the project will restore the critical breeding habitat of over two million seabirds, many globally threatened, and improve the island’s resilience to a warming climate. For more information or to support the project please visit mousefreemarion.org.
