Above picture: Marco Verschoor in Spain in 2018; photograph by B.U. van Zijl
Marco Verschoor, a Dutch ecologist who is also a keen birder, has hit on a new way of supporting the Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project. Instead of making a one-off hectare sponsorship, as 1635 supporters have done to date, he has committed himself to donating a hectare each month, as he says, “until the goal is reached”. He has already sponsored 27 hectares and is thus in a select group of only 38 individuals who have sponsored 25 hectares or more. Following a request from MFM News, he has written the following account. It is well worth a read!
****************************
It’s wonderful to know that my continued support for the MFM Project is appreciated. I have taken an interest in this project ever since I first heard about it, I guess for the first time while visiting the BirdLife South Africa website several years ago. The goal is clear, the path towards the goal is full of lessons and interesting science and it is going to make a great impact on beloved species, such as albatrosses, which for me have a mythical aura.
I am a lifelong birder who turned into a conservationist when I saw a colony of Common Swifts being demolished by a construction firm close to where I live. For me that was a turning point. I am a firm believer that a more activist approach is necessary in combatting the problems the natural world faces these days.
For the last 25 years I have been privileged and fortunate to have been able to travel to southern Africa to spend time with an avid birder and good friend, Peter van As. We know each other from our military training, which was compulsory when we were in our twenties. Peter has been working and living in Africa for many years, and is currently based in Johannesburg. As birders we have made great trips to beautiful landscapes and birding destinations together, sometimes accompanied by our wives.
As it seems every birder is a lister nowadays we have tried to make up a southern African list for ourselves. Seabirds, except for a few inshore species, were always an unwritten page in our books. Three times we tried to go to sea with Zest for Birds from Cape Town, but the trips were all cancelled because of rough seas or bad weather conditions. When the opportunity arose to join the Flock to Marion 2022 voyage we did not hesitate and made our bookings. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the dates, but we enjoyed the trip immensely. So many great lessons to be learned, like-minded people to be met, great seascapes to watch, fantastic birds and cetaceans to be seen; in short, the stuff of which dreams are made.
My work in the Netherlands, where I live in a village close to the city of The Hague, is as an ecologist. We try to get an as-deep-as-possible insight into the natural world and try to implement this knowledge when decision-making is undertaken by different parties. We bring out advice so that legislation concerning the natural world is not passed by and is enforced if necessary. There is both an ecological/biological and a judicial side to the work that I undertake.
I am not a very wealthy person who can make a substantial donation in one go but I realise very well that I live in Europe, in a prosperous country where there is full-time employment, almost everyone owns a car, has a mortgage and so forth. Why then not be with this project for the long run? I sponsor a hectare every month and will stick with it until the goal is reached. I feel a motivation to be able to make a difference, knowing that a dedicated team is behind the MFM Project.
There is definitely a potential to interest more sponsors to do the same as I am doing, perhaps with a slogan such as “Stay with the Mouse-Free Marion Project for its whole journey. Support it with a monthly hectare!”
Marco Verschoor, Monster, The Netherlands
In response, Anton Wolfaardt, MFM Project Manager writes:
“I met Marco during the Flock to Marion 2022 voyage and was immediately struck by his keen interest in the MFM Project and his eagerness to help. Marco has not only donated generously himself but has also explored and facilitated additional ways to support the project. On behalf of the entire MFM Project team, I extend my deepest gratitude to Marco for his unwavering and ongoing support, and for helping to contribute to what will be a globally significant conservation legacy.”
Two other MFM Project supporters have been making monthly sponsorships: Susanne Kühn of the Netherlands (currently on 24 ha) and Elba Swart (13 ha). The MFM team thanks them both for their ongoing generosity.
John Cooper, News Correspondent, Mouse-Free Marion Project, 11 July 2024
***************************************************************************
A Grey-headed Albatross on Marion Island; photograph by John Dickens 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.
