Above picture: BirdLife eThekwini KZN members in penguin attire aboard the MSC Musica in January 2025; photograph from Nicky Forbes
BirdLife eThekwini KZN (BeKZN) is an affiliate club of BirdLife South Africa (BLSA) that services the greater Durban municipal area of South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Province. Established in 1949 as the Natal Bird Club, it is one of the oldest bird clubs in Africa. The club shares its parent body’s goals as they relate to the conservation of birds and their habitats.
The club has previously supported Saving Marion Island’s Seabirds: The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project by sponsoring 50 hectares towards ridding the island of its albatross-killing House Mice. Already well in the lead among the many BLSA-affiliated clubs in supporting the MFM Project, BeKZN, has moved even farther ahead this year by doubling its sponsorship to 100 ha, jumping it from the Giant Petrel category on the MFM Honour Roll to join just 21 other sponsors who have donated R100 000 or more, in the top-of-the-rank Wandering Albatross category.
MFM News contacted Nicolette Forbes, BeKZN Chairperson, to ask how her club achieved this magnificent sponsorship. Nicky writes in reply:
“2024 marked an extraordinary milestone for BeKZN as we celebrated our 75th Anniversary, which we named our Albatross Jubilee. This was a wonderful synergy in that the club has an albatross as part of its logo, and is situated on the coastline of KZN where seabirds, including several albatross species, can be seen offshore. To honour our legacy, we created a special logo and hosted a series of special events that engaged members in new and exciting ways, blending our love for birds with literature, competition and camaraderie. At the start of 2024 we set ourselves an ambitious goal – to raise R75 000 for conservation projects. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of our members, we reached this target by mid-year. Inspired by what we had already achieved, we set our sights even higher, challenging ourselves to raise a second R75 000. This additional amount was reached, made possible by sales of the club’s annual calendar, which remains a powerhouse fundraiser, directly supporting club improvements, outreach, events and conservation donations.”
As part of the club’s Albatross Jubilee year, its members unanimously agreed to sponsor a second 50 ha, with Nicky writing that with so much synergy during the anniversary, our logo and the Flock to Marion AGAIN 2025! Voyage, it was an easy choice.
“We had 106 members that joined Flock 2025 at the end of January, a remarkable number that well exceeded our expectations. Part of the motivation we used to get members on board were continual reminders at events as well as a separate WhatsApp group to ensure that we kept our members updated with all the logistics and to generate excitement during the lead up to the cruise. We also ran an in-person Seabird Identification Course that was attended by 63 people, indicating the enthusiasm which was starting to build prior to the voyage.” She notes that at least two people who attended the course also became BLSA Conservation League Donors.
Nicky continues: “I kept the WhatsApp group going while aboard the ship and afterwards. This allowed members to share news of lifers, their photographs and to find each other on board. This also helped a group of us gather for a photograph during the penguin dress-up evening on the MSC Musica”.
“Acaena Garden Nesting” by Kitty Harvill, presented to BirdLife eThekwini KZN, after a photograph by MFM’s 2024 field assistant, Camilla Smyth
In recognition of the generous support received from BeKZN, the MFM Project has presented the club with an original watercolour of a Wandering Albatross on its nest at Marion Island entitled “Acaena Garden Nesting” by its Artist-in-Residence aboard Flock 2025, Kitty Harvill. In response, Nicky Forbes has written “The gift of the painting by Kitty has provided a lovely morale boost to the club when we announced it at our 76th AGM in February, and we thank the MFM team for this thoughtful present. As chairperson I am extremely proud of our club, its members and the extraordinary contribution we have been able to make. We will continue to support the MFM Project in whatever ways we can and hope to see a successful outcome for this globally important conservation endeavour.”
The whole MFM Project team is most grateful to Nicky Forbes and to all the BeKZN members for their heartening and motivating support.
John Cooper, News Correspondent, Mouse-Free Marion Project. 30 April 2025
*****************************************************************************************
“Acaena Fields” by Kitty Harvill, gifted to the MFM News Correspondent aboard the MSC Musica, after a photograph by MFM’s 2024 field assistant, Camilla Smyth
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.
