News
News items posted here are shared to the project’s Facebook page, where related news from the Prince Edward Islands and from other islands with mouse issues and/or eradication efforts are also shared.
Are you going to the Global Birdfair? The Mouse-Free Marion Project will be there
Above picture: This year’s Global Birdfair theme of “Safeguarding Ocean Species” features an Antipodean Albatross The Saving Marion Island’s Seabirds: The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project will have a stand at this year’s Global Birdfair at [...]
“Marion’s Mysteries”. A painting by Kitty Harvill thanks Martin Potgieter for sponsoring 50 hectares
Above picture: "Marion's Mysteries", a watercolour by Kitty Harvill, after a photograph by Danielle Keys Martin Potgieter is a South African birdwatcher from Johannesburg who participated in the Flock to Marion AGAIN! 2025 voyage on [...]
BirdLife eThekwini KZN goes to sea and increases its sponsorship of the Mouse-Free Marion Project to 100 hectares
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 [...]
We’re going back to Marion Island! The team embarks on another relief voyage to the island
Above photo: The takeover team posing in front of the S.A Agulhas II on 17 April. From left: Otto Whitehead, Keith Springer, Roelf Daling, Josh Kemp and Vonica Perold. Since 2022, the Saving Marion Island’s [...]
The Woodstream Corporation donates 800 mouse traps for use in trials on Marion Island
Above picture: The Victor ® snap trap for mice, photograph by the Woodstream Corporation The Woodstream Corporation, based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA, has donated 792 Victor ® wide pedal mouse traps and 24 Tin Cat [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Cycling Team exceeds its target and sponsors 131 hectares towards eradicating the island’s albatross-killing mice
Above picture: Ten Mouse-Free Marion Cycling Team members, suitably feathered and medalled, got together after riding 109 km to celebrate; photograph from Jacques Scheepers On 09 March this year 27 of us set off to [...]
Dr Christopher Eedes joins the ‘Wanderer Club’ by sponsoring 100 hectares while at sea in the Southern Ocean
Above picture: (from left) Sue Tonin, MFM Assistant Project Manager, 100-ha sponsor, Chris Eedes and John Cooper, MFM News Correspondent, aboard the MSC Musica The Saving Marion Island’s Seabirds - The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project [...]
Leigh Wolfaardt makes prints of her artwork The Albatrosses of the Prince Edward Islands available in support the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above picture: Leigh Wolfaardt’s The Albatrosses of the Prince Edward Islands, painted in gouache and graphite pencil, is now available for purchase as a limited edition giclée print Leigh Wolfaardt is a South African artist [...]
High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza is confirmed on Marion Island
Above picture: A healthy Wandering Albatross chick in the Goney Plain long-term monitoring colony, Marion Island, November 2024; photograph by Rhiannon Gill The South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) announced in [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project mourns the passing of Pamela Isdell, a major supporter
Above picture: Pamela Isdell loved Africa and its natural environments, supporting many conservation initiatives across the continent, including the Mouse-Free Marion Project; photograph by Mark Anderson Pamela Anne Isdell passed away in Atlanta, USA, on [...]
Three large New Zealand islands join South Africa’s Marion Island in the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge
Above picture: A feral cat feeds on the body of a White-capped Albatross chick close to fledging on Auckland Island; photograph by Stephen Bradley The international conservation initiative, Island-Ocean Connection Challenge (IOCC), led by Island Conservation, [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Cycling Team rides the Cape Town Cycle Tour, but still needs your support
Above picture: Thirteen members of the Mouse-Free Marion Cycling Team gather next to Cape Town’s City Hall before the start; photograph by Tim Timmerman On Sunday 09 March, 27 members of the Mouse-Free Marion Cycling [...]
The Antarctic Legacy of South Africa donates books and raises R 5450 for the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above picture Ria Olivier and John Cooper, present and past Principal Investigators of Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, meet to discuss donating books over a birthday lunch at the Lanzerac Hotel; photograph by Anne Treasure [...]
Help the Mouse-Free Marion Cycling Team raise R109 000 for the Project as it rides the Cape Town Cycle Tour
Above picture: Last group training ride before the big event. Mouse-Free Marion Cycling Team members John Cooper, Erica Leppan, Katta Ludynia and Jeremy George on the descent from Chapman’s Peak into Hout Bay along the [...]
The Firefinch birding app sponsors 23 ha from the sale of branded clothing
Above picture: Ebbie and Stephan Swart of Firefinch hand out merchandise to birders prior to boarding the MSC Musica on the Flock to Marion AGAIN!2025 voyage to the Prince Edward Islands Firefinch is a uniquely [...]
The theme for this year’s World Albatross Day is “Effects of Disease”
Above picture: Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross by Maureen Rousseau of Artists & Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN), after a photograph by Kirk Zufelt The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) has announced “Effects [...]
The Birding Life sponsors 15 hectares from binocular sales
Above picture: Fron left, Adam Cruickshank and Tyron Dall of The Birding Life and Anton Wolfaardt, Mouse-Free Marion Project Manager, hold a symbolic cheque for R 15 000 aboard the MSC Musica For a three-month [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project team goes to sea and raises 3.7 million Rands
Above picture: Birders in their hundreds around the MSC Musica’s pool deck on return from Marion Island to celebrate a remarkable voyage; photograph by Cassie Carstens In the last week of January, the cruise ship [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project: structure and governance
Above image: Wandering Albatross, photograph by Trevor Hardaker Following increased social media interest in the Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project after last month’s Flock to Marion AGAIN! 2025 voyage, we offer this summary of the project’s [...]
Marion Island is greening due to climate change. Do the alien mice play a role?
Above picture: Percentage change in total vegetation cover at each photograph location of the repeat photography analysis across Marion Island between 1965 and 2020. Graduated symbols indicate percentage change from decreasing to increasing total vegetation [...]
Ruben Fijn holds a graduation party; and his friends sponsor 21 hectares to help rid Marion Island of its introduced mice
Above picture: Ruben Fijn releases a Sandwich Tern as part of his PhD fieldwork at “De Putten”, near Petten, The Netherlands, June 2021; photograph by Jelger Herder The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project recently received a [...]
What will the Mouse-Free Marion Project be doing aboard the Flock to Marion AGAIN! 2025 voyage?
Above picture: “Laysan Albatross in Flight”, linocut by Caren Loebel-Fried, donated for the Mouse-Free Marion Project’s auctions aboard the Flock to Marion AGAIN! 2025 voyage The Flock to Marion AGAIN! 2025 voyage to Marion and [...]
The Wallace family sponsors 65 hectares towards freeing Marion Island of its introduced House Mice
Above picture: Janice Wallace hiking the 65-km Overland Track over six days in Tasmania in November 2024; photograph by Michael Clifton Janice, husband Paul, daughters Gemma and Chelsea, sons Andrew and Duncan and mother Beatrice [...]
Pedalling for Petrels and Running for Albatrosses: the Mouse-Free Marion Project keeps on the go!
Above picture: From left: Johan Hölscher (for the 16th time), Beate Hölscher (Mouse-Free Marion Research and Reporting Officer), Arend de Beer, Leandri de Kock and Liezl Pretorius (Team Captain and Mouse-Free Marion Research and Reporting [...]
“A picture is worth a thousand words”. The Mouse-Free Marion Project is delighted to announce its collaboration with Artists and Biologists Unite for Nature
Above picture: Northern Giant Petrel, artwork by Peter Shearer; after his own photograph Since 2020, members of the international collective Artists and Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN) have been painting and drawing the world’s 22 [...]
A Marion Island reunion results in a 16-hectare sponsorship
Above picture: Members of the 47th Marion Island Overwintering Team gather for a reunion. Back row: Ernst Rossouw (M41), Gerhard Jonker, Paul Munting, Andre Fourie and Christo Els. Front row: Albert Adams, Delmaine Botha and [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Cycling Team spawns a running group
Above picture: MFM Project Manager Anton Wolfaardt on a solo 27-km run on the steep “Stairway to Heaven” part of the Klipspringer Trail in the Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy near his home in the Western [...]
Kitty Harvill joins the Flock to Marion AGAIN! 2025 voyage to the Prince Edward Islands as its Artist-in-Residence
Above picture: With her own art as a backdrop, Kitty Harvill holds a copy of WISDOM the Midway Albatross which she illustrated Back in 2012, I requested a review of a new book for children [...]
Cycling Gough Island in support of the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above picture: The latest members of the Mouse-Free Marion Cycling team, Michelle Risi and Chris Jones, are training hard on Gough Island Michelle Risi and Chris Jones are long-term supporters of the Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) [...]
Jacha and Gwyn Potgieter sponsor 46 hectares and donate a painting
Above picture: Jacha Potgieter works on his painting of a Wandering Albatross that he will donate to the Mouse-Free Marion Project Jacha Potgieter spent time on Marion Island with the M45 (1988/89) and M47 (1990/91) [...]
“State of play” with planned predator eradications on Auckland and New Islands in the Southern Ocean
Above picture: The sheer western cliffs of Auckland Island; photograph by Finlay Cox The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project does not stand alone. It benefits from over 50 years of experience accumulated from increasingly ambitious projects [...]
Recently published: a paper reporting on the findings from a Mouse Eradication Workshop
Above Picture: The problem: this adult Wandering Albatross has been attacked by House Mice on Marion Island; photograph by Chris Jones Keith Springer (Operations Manager, Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project) and colleagues, including MFM Project Manager, [...]
Ecologist and storyteller Otto Whitehead sponsors 32 hectares
Above picture: Otto Whitehead takes a selfie on Marion Island in 2011 Dr Otto Whitehead describes himself on his personal website as a “storyteller”. He is also an ecologist who earned his PhD from the [...]
Jim Rankin – a deserving recipient of a BirdLife South Africa Owl Award for his support of the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above Picture: Jim Rankin holds his Owl Award statuette and certificate with Yvonne Pennington, Chairperson, BirdLife South Africa Board of Directors, at the annual award ceremony last month The Rotary Club of Knights Pendragon, based [...]
Island Invasives 2026, Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland | Aotearoa New Zealand, 9-13 February 2026
Above photo: The problem: A House Mouse on Marion Island; photograph by Ben Dilley Island Invasives 2026 Charting the Future will be the fourth conference in the Island Invasives series that commenced with the title [...]
South Africa will help the Albatross and Petrel Agreement revise its best-practice guidelines for the eradication of introduced mammals on islands
Above picture: This Light-mantled Albatross chick did not survive night-time attacks by introduced House Mice on Marion Island. Grey-headed, Sooty and Wandering Albatrosses are all facing the same threat; photograph by Peter Ryan The 14th [...]
The aerial baiting of Amsterdam Island targeting its introduced rodents has been completed
Above picture: The bait-spreading bucket is lowered to the ground to be reloaded with cereal bait; photograph by Lucie Pichot As the Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project continues to work towards its 2027 target of eradicating [...]
The Albatross and Petrel Agreement renews its support for South Africa’s Mouse-Free Marion Project at its 2024 meetings
Above Picture: The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s Azwianewi Makhado represented South Africa at the 2024 ACAP meetings in Peru, reporting on progress with the Mouse-Free Marion Project; photograph by Bree Forrer The [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Cycling Team aims to create awareness and raise funds
Above picture: Leandri de Kock and Arend de Beer ride in their Mouse-Free Marion Cycling jerseys for the first time in Pretoria, GautengMembers of the Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project are an athletic lot, with many [...]
Dutch marine ornithologist Susanne Kühn supports the Mouse-Free Marion Project with a 26-hectare sponsorship
Above picture: Susanne Kühn examines the body of a Northern Fulmar; photograph by Jan van Franeker Dutch marine ornithologist Dr Susanne Kühn has recently sponsored a generous 26 hectares (equivalent to R 26 000) towards [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project releases its 10th Quarterly Newsletter – and there is lots of interest to read!
The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project has released its 10th Quarterly Newsletter. Dated July 2024 with 20 well-illustrated pages, it has been compiled, edited and laid out by the project’s Communications Officer and Project Assistant, Robyn [...]
Veteran marine ornithologist Ian L. Jones supports the Mouse-Free Marion Project with a 30-hectare sponsorship
Above picture: Ian L. Jones on Kiska Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska; photograph by Brendan Coyle Dr Ian L. Jones is a Canadian marine ornithologist with a career studying the biology of seabirds that goes back [...]
“A Year for the Birds: A 2300-km Journey” is the Mouse-Free Marion Project’s newest appeal
Above picture: participating in the 5-km Heron Banks Park Run, near Sasolburg, Free State, South Africa At the start of July, a dream of mine came true - I began working for the Mouse-Free Marion [...]
Introducing Beate Hölscher, Mouse-Free Marion Project Research and Reporting Officer
Above picture: Beate Hölscher; Mouse-Free Marion Project Research and Reporting Officer The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project takes pleasure in welcoming Beate Hölscher as one of its two newly appointed Research and Reporting Officers. She joins [...]
Escalation of gruesome House Mice attacks on Vulnerable Wandering Albatross chicks at Marion Island
Above picture: Devastating wounds on a Wandering Albatross chick on Marion Island caused by House Mice, photograph by Rhiannon Gill New shocking findings show the desperate need to restore Marion Island to its former status [...]
Introducing Liezl Pretorius, the Mouse-Free Marion Project’s new Research and Reporting Officer
Above picture: Liezl Pretorius with King Penguins and Southern Elephant Seals on Marion Island; photograph by Maëlle Connan The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project takes pleasure in welcoming Dr Liezl Pretorius as one of its two [...]
Project Manager Anton Wolfaardt crowd funds over R 103 000 by completing the Rhodes Trail Run
Above picture: Anton at the start of the 34th Rhodes Trail Run, holding the official buff of Marion Island’s 80th Overwintering Team (2023/24) that depicts displaying Wandering Albatrosses; photograph by Leigh Wolfaardt On 29 June, [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project extends a welcome to Dr Dion George, the new Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
Above picture: Dr Dion George, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project warmly welcomes South Africa’s newly appointed Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George. The Minister [...]
Mouse-Free Marion Project supporter, Neil Gartshore, looks back on his year researching seabirds on Marion Island in the 1980s
Above picture: Neil Gartshore rests on a hilltop during a hike on Marion Island In the 1980s I was an Antarctic Officer within the South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP), based at the University of [...]
Mark Anderson undertakes a royal visit on behalf of the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above picture: HRH the Duke of Edinburgh accepts three books on the Prince Edward Islands from Mark Anderson in the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland Mark Anderson, BirdLife South Africa CEO and Chairperson of [...]
Marco Verschoor has a novel way of being a Hectare Sponsor – he donates every month
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 [...]
Mouse-Free Marion Project Manager, Anton Wolfaardt, returns from a successful relief voyage to Marion Island
Above picture: The combined takeover team. From left Rabia Mathakutha, Monique van Bers, Elmar van Rooyen, Anton Wolfaardt and Camilla Smyth; photograph by Adrienne van Eeden-Wharton Dr Anton Wolfaardt, Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project Manager, has [...]
Anton Wolfaardt, Mouse-Free Marion Project Manager, completes the arduous Rhodes Trail Run, raises over R 70 000 and wins a Gold Medal
Above picture: On the “podium”. Anton is congratulated as the third Masters runner with a Gold Medal; photograph by Leigh Wolfaardt Anton Wolfaardt, Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project Manager, ran the arduous Rhodes Trail Run in [...]
“Saving Marion Island’s Seabirds – the Conservation Campaign for Marion Island” wins a Silver Wreath at the International Tourism Film Festival Africa 2024
Above picture: Yvonne Pennington, Chairperson, BirdLife South Africa Board of Directors and Director of the Mouse-Free Marion Non-Profit Company, who received the award on behalf of the Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project, and Dr Mavuso Msimang, [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project recently hosted two visits by its supporters
Above picture: Outside the front door of BirdLife South Africa’s premises in Cape Town. From left: Camilla Smyth, MFM 2023/24 Research Assistant, Robyn Adams, MFM Communications Officer & Project Assistant, John Cooper, MFM News Correspondent, [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project Sponsor a Hectare initiative reaches a milestone on World Albatross Day
Above picture: Marion Island’s 81st Overwintering Team is marking World Albatross Day on 19 June 2024 by sponsoring a hectare and displaying their home-made banner Funding for the Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project comes from a [...]
SANAP Principal Investigator Pierre Pistorius is a supporter of the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above picture: Pierre Pistorius holds an Eastern Rockhopper Penguin Eudyptes filholi as part of a research project on Marion Island in 2014; photograph by Mariette Wheeler Professor Pierre Pistorius is Head of the Marine Apex [...]
12-year-old Romario Valentine supports the Mouse-Free Marion Project’s Rhodes Trail Run Appeal
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 [...]
Marion Island researchers, Stefan and Janine Schoombie, are valued supporters of the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above picture: Janine and Stefan Schoombie in front of Boggel on Prince Edward Island in November 2023; photograph by Elsa van Ginkel Stefan and Janine Schoombie are a husband-and-wife team who between them have conducted [...]
“Running to Rescue”. Anton Wolfaardt, Mouse-Free Marion Project Manager, will run the Rhodes Trail Run in support of ridding the island of its invasive House Mice
Above picture: Anton Wolfaardt, after completing his first Rhodes Trail Run in 2019; photograph by Leigh Wolfaardt Anton Wolfaardt, Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project Manager, will be participating in the 34th Rhodes Trail Run on 29 [...]
Esme Beamish sponsors 25 hectares and offers her services to the Mouse-Free Marion Project as a volunteer
Above picture: Esme Beamish at Cape Point on the Cape Peninsula with the Atlantic Ocean behind; photograph by Bruce Paxton Esme Beamish is a Capetonian who lives in Hout Bay on South Africa’s Cape Peninsula. [...]
Nick and Jane Prentice sponsor a magnificent 400 hectares to help save Marion Island’s beleaguered seabirds
Above picture: Nick and Jane Prentice (left) with Tania Anderson in the Kalahari in 2015; photograph by Mark D. Anderson Nick and Jane Prentice, who live in London, United Kingdom, have supported the Mouse-Free Marion [...]
Retired chemical engineer Graham Wells was inspired to support the Mouse-Free Marion Project after witnessing the post-rat recovery of the South Georgia Pipit
Above picture: Lindsay and Graham Wells in Cierva Cove on the west coast of Graham Land, Antarctica, in January 2017; photograph by Dale R. Morris Keen bird photographer, Graham Wells, along with his wife, Lindsay, [...]
“Saving Marion Island’s Seabirds – the Conservation Campaign for Marion Island” has been selected as a finalist at the International Tourism Film Festival Africa 2024
“Saving Marion Island's Seabirds - the Conservation Campaign for Marion Island” has been selected as a finalist in the Documentaries and TV Programmes: Wildlife and Conservation thematic category by the Jury of the International Tourism [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project discusses the 2023 Mouse Eradication Workshop at the 31st Vertebrate Pest Conference
Above picture: The Mouse-Free Marion Project’s Operations Manager, Keith Springer, presenting a talk at the 31st Vertebrate Pest Conference in Monterey, California, USA in March 2024 In November 2023, the Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project initiated [...]
Out of office: at Marion Island. The MFM Project Manager and new MFM Overwintering team member head to Marion Island as part of the annual relief voyage
Above Photo: The Mouse-Free Marion team at Marion Island. From left: Monique van Bers (M81 Overwintering researcher), Anton Wolfaardt (MFM Project Manager) and Camilla Smyth (M80 Overwintering Researcher). Every year around April-May, South Africa’s research [...]
Patron Peter Harrison MBE visits the Mouse-Free Marion Project’s Cape Town office
Above picture: Peter Harrison MBE and Shirley Metz at BirdLife South Africa’s Cape Town headquarters, 28 March 2024; photograph by John Cooper The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project took the opportunity to invite Peter Harrison MBE [...]
Marion Island and its introduced House Mice feature in South Africa’s third report on the National Status of Biological Invasions and their Management
Above picture: Ms Barbara Creecy, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, launches South Africa’s third Biological Invasions report The invasive biota of Marion and Prince Edward Islands are highlighted in South Africa’s National Status [...]
Attacks by House Mice on Marion Island’s threatened albatrosses continue into a new breeding season
Above picture: A badly wounded Grey-headed Albatross chick that will not survive the onslaught by Marion Island’s introduced House Mice, 17 March 2024; photograph by Michelle Risi Attacks by introduced House Mice Mus musculus on [...]
Good to get some positive news from the rodent eradication on Floreana Island
Above picture: A view of Floreana Island; photograph from Island Conservation Encouraging news comes from Floreana Island in the Galapagos Islands, where early signs following a recent eradication operation look promising. Rodenticide bait was applied [...]
Spreading the word: the Mouse-Free Marion Project Team regularly gives talks to bird clubs in South Africa
Above picture: Sue Tonin (left) after her talk to the Tygerberg Bird Club; with Brigid Crewe, Chairperson; photograph from the Tygerberg Bird Club The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project believes it is important to “spread the [...]
Repeat sponsors help the Sponsor a Hectare scheme achieve an important milestone – but there is still a long way to go!
Above picture: Each exposed rectangle denotes 100 hectares sponsored: getting there but still a long way to go! This month, the Mouse Free Marion (MFM) Project’s Sponsor a Hectare scheme has reached an important milestone [...]
Marion Flocker and Atlasser, Stephan Terblanche, supports the Mouse-Free-Marion Project with a generous 25-hectare sponsorship
Above picture: Stephan Terblanche aboard the MSC Orchestra on the Flock to Marion 2022 voyage Stephan Terblanche holds a Doctorate in Law and is an honorary Professor of Law at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Now [...]
Recovery of burrowing petrels on post-eradication Macquarie Island is a good-news harbinger for Marion Island
Above picture: Now safe from aliens: a Grey Petrel chick resides in its burrow on Macquarie Island; photograph by Jeremy Bird A recent open-access publication in the journal Conservation Biology details the encouraging recovery of [...]
Saying goodbye to Marion Island’s old base is good news for the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above picture: Ready to fly out. Metal crates holding dismantled materials from Marion Island’s old base are neatly stacked on the helicopter-landing platform of the new base; photograph by Chris Jones Rodent eradication by dispersing [...]
The House Mice of Marion Island: conservation-orientated research, 1996-2023
Above picture: This Grey-headed Albatross Thalassarche chrysostoma chick was scalped by mice on Marion Island - it would not have survived; photograph by Stefan Schoombie This is the fourth and last in a series on [...]
Citizen scientists Friedrich and Janine Müller sponsor 29 hectares towards a Mouse-Free Marion Island
Above picture: Friedrich and Janine seabird watching in the Atlantic Ocean off Key Biscayne, Florida, USA German Citizen Scientists Dr Janine and Dr Dr Friedrich Müller have generously sponsored 29 hectares for the Mouse-Free Marion [...]
Young Romario Valentine sponsors 55 hectares via crowd funding to help rid Marion Island of its House Mice
Above picture: Romario Valentine poses proudly with his 55-ha Certificate of Appreciation Back in late November 2022, then eleven-year-old Romario Valentine, with the help of his mother, Delsha Moodley, started an online crowd-funding campaign on [...]
Appointment of Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka as a Patron of the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above picture: Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Patron, Mouse-Free Marion Project. We are honoured to announce the appointment of Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka as a Patron of the Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project. Dr Mlambo-Ngcuka was appointed Deputy President [...]
“Marine Protected Areas – Safeguarding our Oceans”. The Albatross and Petrel Agreement announces its theme for World Albatross Day 2024
Above picture: ACAP announces its theme for World Albatross Day, 19 June 2024 The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) has announced that “Marine Protected Areas – Safeguarding our Oceans” is to [...]
Professor Bill Bowerman supports the Mouse-Free Marion Project with a 20-ha sponsorship
Above picture: Bill Bowerman (right) holds his Explorers Club flag awarded this year to carry in the field on his Bald Eagle research project. Beside him is Andrew Ressler, National Eagle Scout Association World Explorer, [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project delivers a plenary lecture to the South African Antarctic community
Above picture: The MFM Project was at the 6th SANAP Research Symposium. From left: John Cooper, Ria Olivier (Antarctic Legacy of South Africa), Robyn Adams and Sue Jackson; photograph by Greg Hofmeyr The South African [...]
Giving back: the Mouse-Free Marion Project releases a poster to thank its many supporters
Above picture: The four albatrosses that breed on Marion Island are all at risk of predation by mice; artwork and poster design by Namasri “Namo” Niumim Eradicating Marion Island’s alien House Mice will be an [...]
Mouse-free Prince Edward Island, a hidden gem in the sub-Antarctic, is visited for the first time in over a decade
Above picture: The Prince Edward Island 2023 Expedition members smile for the camera, with the S.A. Agulhas II offshore; photograph by David Hedding South Africa’s sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands, consisting of Marion Island and Prince [...]
Retired geologist and field guide, Alastair Stalker, is a “Grey Petrel” sponsor of the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above picture: Alastair Stalker, conservation volunteer Alastair Stalker is one of the many unsung heroes who has quietly supported the Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project in its aim of ridding the island of its invasive House [...]
Mouse-Free Marion Project Team members get together at BirdLife South Africa’s new Cape Town home for its official opening
Above picture: From left: John Cooper, Anton Wolfaardt, Mark D. Anderson (BirdLife South Africa CEO), Sue Tonin and Robyn Adams with framed infographics of the four albatross species that breed at Marion Island; photograph by [...]
Romario’s New Year Appeal for a Mouse-Free Marion Island
Above picture: Romario Valentine is a skilled artist, here posing with his paintings of an albatross and a petrel “When we take care of nature, we take care of ourselves” – Romario Valentine South Africa’s [...]
Introducing Minky Shabalala – Mouse-Free Marion Project Admin and Finance Officer
Above picture: Phiwisidingo Thulisile (Minky) Shabalala in the grounds of BirdLife South Africa’s Isdell House The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project extends a warm welcome to the most recent member of its team. She is Phiwisidingo [...]
Eckhart Buchmann, a passionate birder and a Grey Petrel Sponsor of the Mouse-Free Project, issues a challenge
Above picture: Eckhart Buchmann Eckhart Buchmann, who lives in Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, describes himself as “gynaecologist, now retired, by profession, a birder by passion”. He is also a committed conservationist, having supported the Mouse-Free [...]
House Mice have turned to killing adult great albatrosses on Gough and Marion Islands
Above picture: Mouse attack! This breeding Wandering Albatross found dead on Marion Island in April 2023 showed clear signs of wounds caused by House Mice; photograph by Michelle Risi Maëlle Connan (Marine Apex Predator Research [...]
South Africa’s Oppenheimer Conference hears about saving Marion Island’s seabirds – the world’s most important bird conservation project
Above picture: Mark Anderson and Mavuso Msimang (seated) present their talk on the Mouse-Free Marion Project to this year’s Oppenheimer Conference The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project, arguably the world’s currently most important bird conservation endeavour, [...]
The seabirds are returning, but the mice are waiting The Mouse-Free Marion Project issues a Hectare Challenge
Above picture: Help give seabirds a safer future. Sponsor a hectare of Marion Island today; photograph by Ben Dilley Summer in the Southern Hemisphere is fast approaching, and with it comes the return of many [...]
BirdLife South Africa joins the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge to help save albatrosses and petrels at risk from House Mice on Marion Island
Above picture: Young Wandering Albatrosses engage in a mutual display on Marion Island; photograph by Alexis Osborne BirdLife South Africa has joined the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge (IOCC), a global initiative aiming to restore, rewild and [...]
Eradication of rodents and cats on Floreana Island in the Galapagos has begun
Above picture: A view of Floreana Island; photograph from Island Conservation Floreana is the sixth largest (at 17 250 ha) of Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands. The island has a population of 160 inhabitants and is an [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project appoints three new International Patrons
Above picture: At risk to mice. A breeding pair of Northern Giant Petrels Macronectes halli on Marion Island; photograph by Michelle Risi The Mouse-Free Marion Project is pleased to announce the appointment of three more [...]
Australia’s Lord Howe Island declared free of introduced rats and mice following a successful eradication operation
Above picture: Lord Howe Island; photograph by Ian Hutton Lord Howe Island is a World Heritage natural property situated some 600 km off the coast of New South Wales, Australia, in the Tasman Sea. The [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project defers its baiting operation to review why two recent eradication attempts failed and ensure its planning is in line with lessons learned
Above picture: A Wandering Albatross chick is perched on its mud and vegetation nest raised above a swampy coastal plain with Marion Island’s mountainous interior as a backdrop; photograph by Sean Evans Islands are biodiversity [...]
The Rotary Club of Knights Pendragon increases its sponsorship to 84 hectares
Above picture: Every hectare sponsor receives a Certificate of Appreciation for their welcome support In July this year the Rotary Club of Knights Pendragon increased its sponsorship of the Mouse-Free Marion Project by a further [...]
Leaping into spring on Marion Island
Above picture: Welcoming the new season in front of Crawford Bay on Marion Island’s south-east coast. From left “birders” (ornithological researchers) Chris Jones, Mpumelelo Mabutyana, Michelle Risi and Kyle Maurer get airborne on their August [...]
The Antarctic Legacy of South Africa makes a book presentation to the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above picture: From left, John Cooper (Mouse-Free Marion Project), Anche Louw (South African Polar Research Infrastructure) and Ria Olivier (Antarctic Legacy of South Africa) with the four donated books on Marion Island The Antarctic Legacy [...]
The House Mice of Marion Island: biological research from 1975 to 1995
Above picture: A House Mouse on Marion Island; photograph by Ben Dilley This is the third in a series on Marion Island’s introduced House Mice Mus musculus. It covers biological research conducted from 1975 until [...]
Denise Landau, Antarctic environmental protection expert, brings her knowledge to the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above picture: Denise Landau in Antarctica; photograph by Dick Filby Denise Landau is a sub-Antarctic and Antarctic tourism and environmental protection expert of international stature. Executive Director of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators [...]
George and Cathy Ledec increase their Mouse-Free Marion Project sponsorship by a magnificent 300 ha – and issue a challenge!
Above picture: George and Cathy Ledec birding while on a family visit to Australia in the Bouddi National Park, New South Wales, in June 2023. Their matching caps are from the Cape Cod National Seashore, [...]
Rudi van Aarde, 1951-2023, a pioneer researcher on the introduced House Mice of Marion Island
Above picture: Rudi van Aarde, 21 September 1951 - 21 July 2023 Emeritus Professor Rudolph Johannes (Rudi) van Aarde passed away from a heart attack on 21 July 2023 at the age of 71. Rudi [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project’s Sponsor a Hectare Campaign has raised over six Million Rands– and continues to raise awareness around the world
Above picture: The Sponsor a Hectare Campaign’s map shows 6300 ha of Marion Island had been sponsored by the beginning of July this year The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project gives the opportunity to concerned individuals, [...]
Should attempts be made to control Marion Island’s House Mice prior to the planned eradication attempt?
Above picture: Innocent looking enough, but Marion Island’s House Mice are a threat to the island’s seabirds that must be addressed; photograph by Stefan Schoombie From time to time, the Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project receives [...]
Saving Marion Island’s Seabirds. The world’s most important bird conservation project will feature at a prestigious conference later this year
Above picture: At mortal risk from Marion Island’s House Mice, a Vulnerable Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans sits up on its nest; photograph by John Dickens, poster design by Michelle Risi The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project, [...]
Twenty years on and Marion Island’s House Mice are continuing to attack Wandering Albatross chicks
Above picture: A Wandering Albatross chick on Marion Island shows clear signs of being attacked by mice; photograph on 21 June 2023 by Michelle Risi Marion Island’s seabirds are under attack. Predatory House Mice are [...]
Ten nations endorse the Mouse-Free Marion Project at an international meeting of the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels
Above picture: Delegates attending the Thirteenth Meeting of the ACAP Advisory Committee outside Queen Elizabeth House, Edinburgh, Scotland; photograph by Bree Forrer The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP), which entered into [...]
The 80th Marion Overwintering Team celebrates World Albatross Day 2023 with a Mouse-Free Marion Project banner on the island
Above picture: The Marion team display their World Albatross Day banner with a snow-topped Junior’s Kop behind; photograph from Michelle Risi (fourth from left, standing) The 2023/24 Overwintering Team (M80) on South Africa’s sub-Antarctic Marion [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project meets the public and educates school learners on World Oceans Day
Above Picture: Dr Sue Tonin, Assistant Project Manager, John Cooper, News Correspondent and Robyn Adams, Communications Officer and Project Assistant with the Mouse-Free Marion Project display on World Oceans Day at East Pier in Cape [...]
Marion Island is getting warmer, increasing the need for effective biosecurity
Above picture: A House Mouse on Marion Island in 2015; photograph by Ben Dilley Prof. Werner Nel (Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Fort Hare, Alice, South Africa) and colleagues, all Marion Island [...]
Barbara Creecy, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, Forestry and the Environment, confirms government support for the Mouse-Free Marion Project in her budget speech
Above Picture: Ms Barbara Creecy, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project has received an important boost in the departmental budget vote given by Ms Barbara Creecy, Minister of Forestry, [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project completes a successful research visit to the island
Above picture: From left, Anton Wolfaardt, Camilla Smyth and Elsa van Ginkel afield near Ship’s Cove on Marion Island; photograph by Anton Wolfaardt On 18 May 2023, South Africa’s Antarctic research and supply ship, the [...]
Optics distributor Andrew Whysall has supported the Mouse-Free Marion Project by sponsoring 50 hectares
Above picture: Andrew Whysall, Managing Director of Whylo Distributors, takes a phone call Andrew Whysall is the Managing Director of Whylo Distributors, a South African business based in Durban that specializes in high-quality optics and [...]
A day out with Marion’s beleaguered Wanderers
Above picture: A Wandering Albatross broods its downy chick in the Goney Plain long-term monitoring colony on Marion Island; photograph by Michelle Risi Back in the early 1980s, along with the help of colleagues, I [...]
Keeping it in the family: Elisabeth Moss sponsors 56 hectares and explains her motivation to the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above Picture: Elisabeth Moss One of the several ways the Mouse-Free Marion Project is raising the necessary funding to eradicate the island’s albatross-killing House Mice is via the Sponsor a Hectare Initiative. To date 1824 [...]
Introducing Tarryn Havemann, Mouse-Free-Marion Project’s newly appointed Development Officer
Above picture: Tarryn Havemann at Birha Beach in the Eastern Cape; photograph by Carl Havemann At the beginning of March, Tarryn Havemann (née Retief) joined the Mouse-Free Marion Project Team as its Development Officer. Tarryn [...]
Gauteng Trappers cycles 105 km and triples its target to raise R15 000 for the Mouse-Free Marion Project Team
Above picture: Team Gauteng Trappers poses before the bike race with the Mouse-Free Marion banner. From left: Arend de Beer, Leandri de Kock, Jurgens Wicks and Jeandre Rademeyer; photograph by Jurgens Wicks MFM News has [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project is participating in the 2023 annual relief voyage to Marion Island this month
Above picture: Camilla Smyth and Anton Wolfaardt aboard the S.A. Agulhas II on the way to Marion Island; photograph by Maëlle Connan Eradication programmes, such as the Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project, are undertaken to remove [...]
Sue Tonin, the Mouse-Free Marion Assistant Project Manager, joins the team this month
Above picture: Dr Sue Tonin; photograph by Antonio Tonin This month the Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project has appointed Dr Sue Tonin, née Jackson, as its Assistant Project Manager. Sue’s role is to support Dr Anton [...]
George and Cathy Ledec sponsor 200 hectares and join the Wandering Albatross Club
Above picture: George and Cathy Ledec in the mountains of Chihuahua, northern Mexico The “Wandering Albatross Club” is the highest category recognized within the Sponsor a Hectare initiative recognized by the Mouse-Free Marion Project. To [...]
His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh becomes the Royal Patron of the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above picture: His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh is flanked by Mark D. Anderson (CEO, BirdLife South Africa; left) and Keith Springer (Mouse-Free Marion Project’s Operations Manager; right) at a reception at South Africa [...]
A success story: 65 islands in the Falklands have been cleared of their invasive rats
Above picture: Island groups cleared of Norway Rats in the Falkland Islands In this post, Sally Poncet continues a series on past, current and planned introduced mammal eradication projects on seabird islands around the world [...]
Marion Island and the plague of the uninvited guest
Above photo: A pair of Wandering Albatrosses in the midst of a courtship dance on Marion Island, Photo: Tom Peschak How eliminating an invasive rodent pest will contribute to South Africa’s continued global commitments [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project announces its first Patron
Above picture: Proudly sporting his BirdLife South Africa beanie, Peter Harrison leads an Apex Expeditions voyage along the Antarctic Peninsula in February 2023; photograph by Shirley Metz The Mouse-Free Marion Project is pleased to announce [...]
Returning the cacophony to Hawadax
Above Picture: Hawadax Island from the air, photograph by Graeme Gale Continuing a series on past, current and planned introduced mammal eradication projects on seabird islands around the world, Gregg Howald of Advanced Conservation Strategies [...]
Cycling in Gauteng to save Marion Island’s threatened albatrosses
*** Eighth Day of the Appeal and R 2985 already raised! *** Above picture: A Wandering Albatross spreads its wings on Marion Island Following so soon after the successful crowd-funding appeal by 11-year-old Romario Valentine [...]
BirdLife South Africa sponsors an infographic for the Light-mantled Albatross on behalf of the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above picture. The new ACAP Species Infographic for the Light-mantled Albatross BirdLife South Africa has sponsored a third Species Infographic on behalf of the Mouse-Free Marion Project in a series being produced by the Agreement [...]
Featuring Marion Island’s albatrosses and petrels affected by mice: the ‘other’ albatrosses by Kim Stevens
Above picture: The Black-browed Albatross of Grey-headed Albatross Ridge on an empty nest in January 2014; photograph by Kim Stevens NOTE: In order to introduce the birds of Marion Island to readers in such a [...]
Assessing the impacts of invasive House Mice on breeding Great-winged Petrels at Marion Island
Above photo: Oceans and Coasts Ornithological Field Assistant Andile Mdluli deploys a trail camera at a Great-winged Petrel burrow, photograph by Samuel Peta Mouse-induced mortalities of seabirds breeding at Marion Island continue to be a [...]
Romario’s Seabirds Christmas Gift campaign more than doubles its target for the Mouse-Free Marion Project!
Above picture. Romario holds his Certificate of Appreciation and a book on Marion and Prince Edward Islands sent in grateful thanks for his sterling fund-raising effort Eleven-year-old Romario Valentine’s Seabirds Christmas Gift campaign for Marion [...]
Saving Marion Island’s Seabirds. The Mouse-Free Marion Project is hiring
Above photo: Wandering Albatrosses, Marion Island. Photo: Otto Whitehead The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project, a partnership between the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) and BirdLife South Africa, plans to eradicate invasive mice [...]
The Flock to Marion 2022 voyage led to a 100-ha sponsorship by Golden Bird Patron, Alex Barrell
Above picture. Alex Barrell describes himself as being a birdwatcher for many years BirdLife South Africa’s Flock to Marion 2022 voyage was a great boost to the Mouse-Free Marion Project, with many of the keen [...]
Common Diving Petrels return to Marion Island after the eradication of feral cats, but are presumed to be at risk from House Mice
Above picture: A Common Diving Petrel in the hand of a permitted researcher on Marion Island; photograph by Stefan Schoombie Maëlle Connan (Marine Apex Predator Research Unit, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela [...]
The New Zealand Journal of Ecology reviews the restoration of New Zealand’s sub-Antarctic islands
Above picture: The Million Dollar Mouse project works towards its ultimate success as a bait bucket is loaded at last light on Antipodes Island; photograph by Keith Springer For many years now, New Zealand has [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project provides an opportunity to tackle the biodiversity crisis, and contribute to the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity
Above photo: A Grey-Headed Albatrosses chick stretches its wings on Marion Island, photo: Danielle Keys The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) entered into force on 29 December 1993. It has three main objectives: The conservation [...]
Pioneering rodent eradication in the sub-Antarctic: the Campbell Island Rat Eradication Project
Above picture: Loading bait on Campbell Island; photograph by Pete Tyree New Zealander Pete McClelland has been involved in pest eradication projects around the world for over 35 years, variously as Project Manager, Operations Manager [...]
SANParks Honorary Rangers sponsor 95 hectares via a raffle in Kruger National Park
Above picture: Guests of the SANParks Honorary Rangers gather with their driver and a birding expert for a game drive in Kruger National Park in 2018 Back in the very early days of the Mouse-Free [...]
Eleven-year-old Romario Valentine’s Seabirds Christmas Gift Campaign aims to raise R 10 000 for the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above picture. Romario Valentine holds his painting of a Critically Endangered Tristan Albatross, that are at risk to mice on Gough Island Eleven year-old Romario Valentine, from Durban, South Africa, is described as a young [...]
A boost to morale. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds endorses the Mouse-Free Marion Project
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the United Kingdom’s BirdLife Partner, has offered its endorsement of the Mouse-Free Marion Project. The RSPB’s Chief Executive, Beccy Speight writes: Beccy Speight, RSPB Chief Executive; [...]
Using genetic biocontrol as an eradication tool is not a realistic option for the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above picture: A House Mouse forages on Marion Island; photograph by Stefan Schoombie Luke Gierus (Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Australia) and colleagues have published an open-access article in the Proceedings of the National [...]
Leading the way to Marion: the successful South Georgia Habitat Restoration Project
Above picture: A mountainous view of South Georgia from offshore Prion Island, with an incubating Wandering Albatross; photograph by Anton Wolfaardt NOTE: In this news post, Tony Martin writes about his leadership of the South [...]
Climate emergency: COP27 and the importance of safeguarding Marion Island
Above picture: Young Wandering Albatrossses on Marion Island are increasingly at risk of mouse attacks due to climate change. Photograph: Ben Dilley Sunday the 6th of November marked the start of COP27, the 2022 United [...]
Running group sponsors nine hectares as long-term member Sydney Cullis turns 80
Above picture: Rondebosch Rocky Road Runners gather on the slopes of Table Mountain to run with Sydney Cullis (in yellow top with grandson) to mark his 80th birthday; photograph by John Cooper According to co-founder, [...]
Geoff Ball joins the Wandering Albatross Club with a 100-hectare sponsorship of the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above picture: Geoff and Mary Ball, Tswalu Kalahari Private Wildlife Reserve, South Africa, September 2015, photograph by Mark D. Anderson Geoff Ball, from Edinburgh, Scotland, describes himself as a “birdwatcher who is interested in the [...]
Albatrosses will ultimately be the winner! Thanks to you the Mouse-Free Marion Project receives funding from EOCA
Recently, the Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project made it into the final round of the 2022 European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) Project funding vote. Listed with three other noteworthy projects in the ‘Wild Places’ category, the [...]
Taking the lead and issuing a challenge. BirdLife eThekwini KZN increases its support for the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above picture: Enthusiastic BirdLife eThekwini KZN members go seabird watching out of Durban, South Africa BirdLife eThekwini KZN is the bird club servicing the greater Durban municipal area of South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Province. Established in [...]
Featuring Marion Island’s albatrosses and petrels affected by mice: the Great-winged Petrel by Stefan Schoombie
Above picture: A Great-winged Petrel incubates an egg in its burrow NOTE: This post is the ninth in an occasional series that features breeding seabirds of Marion Island which are being attacked by House Mice, [...]
VOTE for Marion Island and its Threatened Seabirds
The European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) has a vision to champion the conservation of nature and wild places. There are currently over 150 members of this 'not-for profit' Association, stretching from Norway to Spain and [...]
The Midway Seabird Protection Project is set to eradicate the atoll’s invasive House Mice next year
Above picture: A notice board on the shore of Midway Atoll’s Sand Island Midway Atoll is located 2000 km north-west of the main Hawaiian Islands and is the second to last island in the chain [...]
Mouse-Free Marion Project Management Committee Member, Carol Jacobs, receives an Owl Award from BirdLife South Africa
Above picture: Carol Jacobs receives her Owl Award from Philip Calinikos, Chairperson of BirdLife South Africa's Board of Directors On 20 September, BirdLife South Africa’s CEO, Mark Anderson hosted the NGO’s Owl Awards ceremony at [...]
Introducing The Wanderer, Newsletter of the Marion Island Overwintering Team
Above picture: Cover of the July 2022 issue of The Wanderer, Newsletter of the 79th Marion Island Overwintering Team South Africa annexed Marion Island, then uninhabited, in 1947. Ever since then, and without break, it [...]
The “Million Dollar Mouse” Project was a success, clearing New Zealand’s Antipodes of its alien House Mice
Above picture: Aerial baiting on Antipodes Island Editorial Note: In this guest article, Stephen Horn of New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DOC) describes his role as Manager of the “Million Dollar Mouse” Project that successfully [...]
From 2.5% to 67%! Improved breeding success of Black-winged Petrels after eradication of rodents on Lord Howe Island is good news for Marion Island’s beleaguered burrowing petrels
Above picture: Lord Howe Island, a World Heritage Site in the Tasman Sea. Photograph by Ian Hutton Terence O’Dwyer (Conservation and Restoration Science, Department of Planning and Environment, New South Wales, Australia) and colleagues have [...]
South African Rotary Clubs are supporting the Mouse-Free Marion Project with sponsorships – and a challenge
Above Picture: The Rotary Club of Knights Pendragon has donated R 17 000 to the Mouse- Free Marion Project In May this year, shortly after returning from a visit to Marion Island, Mouse-Free Marion Project [...]
The bait-spreading bucket – a key piece of equipment for aerial rodent eradication operations
Above picture: A bait bucket is swung into a load site to collect a load of bait Note. This is the second in a series of posts commissioned by MFM News from Mouse-Free Marion’s Operations [...]
An endorsement for the Mouse-Free Marion Project: a review paper shows an 88% success rate in island vertebrate eradications
Above Picture: A Grey-headed Albatross on Australia’s Macquarie Island, now free of introduced vertebrates, including House Mice, following successful eradication efforts. Photograph by Melanie Wells Dena Spatz (Senior Conservation Scientist, Pacific Rim Conservation, Honolulu, Hawaii, [...]
How are the bait-loading sites for the Mouse-Free Marion Project being chosen?
Above Picture: Hard and flat with plenty of space. This little-visited inland locality, near Middelman on Marion Island, has been identified as a suitable bait-loading site. Photograph by Anton Wolfaardt Planning the eradication of House [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project marks National Women’s Day with a brief history of women at the island
Above Picture: Hazel Watt, the first woman known to have landed on Marion Island, 2 June 1959 “National Women's Day is a South African public holiday celebrated annually on 9 August. The day commemorates the [...]
Increasing the confidence of mouse eradication: the lava tunnels of Marion Island will be baited by hand
Above Picture: Sealer’s Cave in 1948; the site where House Mice were first reported on Marion Island in August 1818 by William Phelps (“Webfoot”); photograph by Allan Crawford The Mouse-Free Marion Project will use helicopters [...]
Book review: The defeat of furry invaders on South Georgia: lessons for Marion Island
Above Picture: Reclaiming South Georgia. The Defeat of Furry Invaders on a sub-Antarctic Island, by Tony Martin and Team Rat; photograph of book cover by Keith Springer Tony Martin’s book (authored along with “Team Rat”) [...]
Island eradications of introduced predators can be game changing, providing the planning is done correctly
Above picture: Soon the mice will be gone. Filling the bait bucket on Antipodes Island Note: Keith Springer, the Mouse-Free Marion Project’s Operations Manager, has over 20 years of experience in the field of eradicating [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project produces its second Species Infographic, this time for the island’s Endangered Sooty Albatross
Above Picture: The Sooty Albatross Infographic The Mouse-Free Marion Project has produced its second Species Infographic, this time for the Endangered Sooty Albatross Phoebetria fusca. As for the previous infographic for the Vulnerable Wandering Albatross [...]
Raising the alarm. Mice continue to attack and kill threatened Wandering Albatrosses on South Africa’s Marion Island
Above Picture: The Goney Plain Wandering Albatross chick attacked by mice; photograph by Lucy Smyth South Africa’s sub-Antarctic Marion Island in the southern Indian Ocean is one of only three known islands where introduced House [...]
Mouse-Free Marion team visits Marion Island to advance planning for the project
Above Picture: The S.A. Agulhas II offshore from Marion Island during the 2022 relief voyage On 22 May 2022, South Africa’s Antarctic research and supply vessel, the S.A. Agulhas II, returned to Cape Town following its annual [...]
Mouse-Free Marion Project’s Peter Ryan receives BirdLife South Africa’s Gill Memorial Medal
Above Picture: Peter Ryan at sea in his natural habitat Professor Peter Geoffrey Ryan, Director since 2014 of the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology at the University of Cape Town, was awarded BirdLife South Africa’s [...]
Win on World Albatross Day with the Mouse-Free Marion Project Raffle
Above Picture: ‘The Albatrosses of the Prince Edward Islands’ by South African artist, Leigh Wolfaardt *COMPETITION CLOSED* To celebrate World Albatross Day this year on the 19th of June, the Mouse-Free Marion Project has launched [...]
The Albatross and Petrel Agreement produces illustrated Species Summaries for 10 Marion Island seabirds at risk to mice
Above Picture: First page of the ACAP Species Summary for the Southern Giant Petrel The two-page Species Summaries published by the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) have been produced to help [...]
A new infographic draws attention to predation by mice on Marion island’s Grey-headed Albatrosses
Above Picture: The Grey-headed Albatross infographic co-published by ACAP and the Australian Antarctic Division In support of World Albatross Day on 19 June 2021 the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) released [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project releases two more posters in a growing series
Above Picture: A Sooty Albatross inspects a field biologist on Marion Island; photograph by Michelle Risi The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project is working towards eradicating the island’s seabird-killing House Mice in 2024. To increase awareness [...]
The MFM communications team goes to a school celebration for Earth Day – and comes away with a four-hectare sponsorship
Above Picture: Mariëtte Wheeler, South Africa’s National Best Teacher in 2021, hands out albatross posters On Earth Day last month, Robyn Adams (MFM Communications Officer) and John Cooper (MFM News Correspondent) attended an evening function [...]
A Cape Town service company sponsors hectares and challenges the industry to do the same
Above Picture: Ummet workers get ready to cut steel Unmet Precision Cutting (PTY) Ltd is a specialized steel service centre offering high-definition plasma cutting of stainless steel, carbon steel and aluminium in the Western Cape [...]
Featuring Marion Island’s albatrosses and petrels affected by mice and their photographers: the White-chinned Petrel by Peter Ryan
Above Picture: Like most burrow-nesting petrels, White-chinned Petrels are largely nocturnal at their colonies. However, their large size gives them a degree of bravado when it comes to dealing with Brown Skuas, and they occasionally [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project produces the first issue of a quarterly newsletter
The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project has commenced a quarterly newsletter to send to its supporters and to inform of progress towards eradicating the island’s albatross-killing mice in 2024. Issue No. 1 for April 2022 can [...]
Heading south. Two new MFM team members will conduct research on House Mice and their effects on Marion Island for a year
Above picture: MFM team members Vhuawelo Simba (left) and Elsa van Ginkel meet up at pre-voyage team training in Cape Town, with Table Mountain as a backdrop The Mouse-Free Marion Project, in collaboration with the [...]
Featuring Marion Island’s albatrosses and petrels affected by mice and their photographers: the Grey Petrel by Bruce Dyer
Above Picture: An incubating Grey Petrel momentarily exposes its egg laid in a rocky crevice during a nest check under research permit near Duiker’s Point, Marion Island; photograph by Bruce Dyer I have always had [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project celebrates the island’s imperiled albatrosses with a poster series
Above Picture: A Grey-headed Albatross guards its chick on Marion Island; photograph by Michelle Risi The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project is working towards eradicating the island’s seabird-killing House Mice in 2024. To increase awareness of [...]
Six more South African bird clubs sponsor hectares to help save Marion Island’s albatrosses and petrels from attacks by introduced mice
Above Picture: Members and friends of the eShowe Bird and Wildlife Club held a club meeting after the Flock to Marion 2022 voyage Six more South African regional bird clubs have joined 18 clubs affiliated [...]
Early evidence of a mouse attack on an adult Northern Giant Petrel on Marion Island
Above Picture: Exposed bone on the rump of an incubating Northern Giant Petrel on Marion Island, August 2003; photograph by John Cooper Christopher Jones (FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, South Africa) [...]
The House Mice of Marion Island: from annexation to the first study, 1947-1974
Above Picture: A mouse forages in the snow on Marion Island in the late 1980s; photograph by Ivan Dalgleish This, the second part of a planned four-part series on the introduced House Mice of Marion [...]
When did the mice arrive on Marion Island? As it turns out, very early indeed
Above Picture: A Marion Island House Mouse on an Azorella selago cushion plant; photograph by Peter Ryan Marion and Prince Edward Islands were first definitely discovered on 13 January 1772 when France’s Marion du Fresne [...]
Michael and Tom Riffel and their Caring for Conservation Fund donate Rand 900 000 to the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above Picture: Michael and Tom Riffel on Ou Kaapse Weg near Cape Town Dr. Michael Riffel and his son Tom Riffel are keen birders and naturalists who say they love visiting new destinations. With Michael [...]
The “Flock to Marion” voyage raises over three million Rand for the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above Picture: Happy Flock to Marion birders gather on the MSC Orchestra’s pool deck to celebrate their sponsoring over 2200 hectares; photograph by Michael Mason/Mark Anderson The recent BirdLife South Africa Flock to Marion voyage [...]
“Against the Odds” Peter Ryan writes about Marion Island in the most recent issue of BirdLife International’s magazine
Above Picture: The research base on Marion Island, photo: Anton Wolfaardt The January-March 2022 issue of the BirdLife International Magazine features a superb article by Professor Peter Ryan, Director of the University of Cape Town’s [...]
The Rondebosch Rocky Road Runners increases its sponsorship of the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above Picture: Runners pose with their presentation copies. From left Sandra Bryant, Ingrid and Henri van der Merwe and Colette Rahme Borain; photograph by Jeremy George The Rondebosch Rocky Road Runners consists of friends who [...]
Generosity at sea. The Tygerberg Bird Club supports the Mouse-Free Marion Project with a 20-hectare sponsorship
Above Picture: Members of the Tygerberg Bird Club gather aboard to celebrate their sponsorship The Tygerberg Bird Club is based in South Africa’s Western Cape Province and is one of 40 bird clubs affiliated to [...]
Supporting the conservation of Marion Island’s petrels through art
Above Picture: A Northern Giant Petrel displays on Marion Island; watercolour by Snah Kritzler after a photograph by Peter Ryan Twelve species of petrels have been recorded breeding on South Africa’s sub-Antarctic Marion Island in [...]
75 not out. The Rondebosch Rocky Road Runners celebrate a birthday with a sponsorship
Above picture: MFM’s News Correspondent is surrounded by fellow runners who have sponsored seven hectares to mark his three quarters of a century; photograph by Henri van de Merwe At the end of January, the [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project gets an airing from Mark Anderson and Anton Wolfaardt
Above Picture: Incubating Wandering Albatrosses on their mud and vegetation nests on Marion Island, with Boot Rock looming offshore; photograph by Michelle Risi Increasing awareness of the need to rid Marion Island of its introduced [...]
Supporting the conservation of Marion Island’s albatrosses through art
Above Picture: A Grey-headed Albatross incubates its chick on Marion Island. Artwork by Virginia Potter Vredeveld; after a photograph by Michelle Risi Four species of albatrosses breed on South Africa’s sub-Antarctic Marion Island in the [...]
Made a sponsorship? Thinking of sponsoring again? Maleen Hoekstra explains why she has done so
Above Picture: Maleen Hoekstra among King Penguins on Macquarie Island Maleen Hoekstra first sponsored 50 hectares towards ridding Marion Island of its introduced mice back in September last year (click here). At the time Maleen [...]
Amateur naturalists Louis and Charnelle du Toit make the 1000th sponsorship to the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above Picture: Louis and Charnelle du Toit at Puros Conservancy, far north-western Namibia The Mouse-Free Marion Project receives funds from a number of sources. One source allows members of the general public to make contributions [...]
The MFM Team ‘Flocks to Marion’ with BirdLife South Africa and MSC Cruises
Above photo: the MSC Orchestra by MSC Cruises After much anticipation and intense preparation by the dedicated BirdLife South Africa team and their volunteers who form part of the organising committee, the Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) [...]
More mice have-been recorded on Gough Island since last year’s eradication attempt
Above Picture: The mouse captured on camera on Gough Island in December 2021; photograph by the Gough Island Restoration Programme The Gough Island Restoration Programme (GIRP) aimed to eradicate introduced House Mice on Gough Island [...]
BirdLife South Africa issues a New Year Challenge to its affiliated bird clubs to Sponsor a Hectare
Above Picture: At risk to mice: a winter-breeding Great-winged Petrel in its burrow on Marion Island; photograph by Stefan Schoombie The Mouse-Free Marion Project is a partnership between BirdLife South Africa and the South African [...]
MFM Project Manager gets a sponsorship in his name as a parting gift
Above picture: MFM Project Manager Anton Wolfaardt holds his Sponsor a Hectare certificate received in appreciation from the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels In February last year Anton Wolfaardt was appointed Project [...]
Ex-Capetonians Stephen and Patricia Pringle sponsor 25 hectares in memory of their meeting
Above Picture: Steve and Pat Pringle on South Georgia in 2015, with a passing Black-browed Albatross UK-based, but University of Cape Town-educated, Stephen and Patricia Pringle have sponsored 25 hectares towards eradicating Marion Island’s House [...]
The Birds on the Brink charity donates to the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above picture: A Wandering Albatross on Marion Island; photograph by John Dickens Birds on the Brink is a UK-based grant-awarding charity that supports bird conservation around the world. Following an approach by the Mouse-Free Marion [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project team thanks all the donors and sponsors for their support in 2021 and wishes them a safe and pleasant 2022
Above picture: A male Wandering Albatross with its downy chick on Marion Island; photograph by John Dickens The Mouse-Free Marion Project team wishes to extend seasonal greetings to all those who supported the project financially [...]
Featuring Marion Island’s albatrosses and petrels affected by mice: the Southern Giant Petrel by Tegan Carpenter-Kling
Above Picture: A Southern Giant Petrel in flight over Marion Island NOTE: This post is the sixth in an occasional series that aims to feature photographs of those breeding seabirds of Marion Island which are [...]
Featuring Marion Island’s albatrosses and petrels affected by mice and their photographers: the Light-mantled Albatross by John Dickens
Above Picture: Portrait of a Light-mantled Albatross NOTE: This post is the fifth in an occasional series that aims to feature photographs of those breeding seabirds of Marion Island which are being attacked by mice, [...]
Mouse spotted on Gough Island following the eradication attempt
Above Photo: Tristan Albatross chick, Gough Island. Photo: Anton Wolfaardt The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) team is devastated by the news from the Gough Island Restoration Programme (GIRP) that an individual mouse has been recorded on [...]
South African birder Grant Morrison sponsors a generous 65 ha towards the eradication of Marion Island’s albatross-killing mice
Above picture: Grant Morrison birding in the foothills of South Africa’s Drakensberg mountains The Mouse-Free Marion Project is heartened with the steady increase in the numbers of people who have sponsored a hectare or more [...]
Introducing John Cooper, who has sponsored 31 hectares for the Mouse-Free Marion Project, one for each of his visits to the island
Above picture: John Cooper with his other passions – running and cycling; photograph by Ruth Cooper Seabird biologists and conservationists around the world, and especially those with an interest in the seabirds of sub-Antarctic islands [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project gains an international flavour with endorsements from home and abroad
Above Picture: Barbara Creecy, Minister, Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, South Africa As a partnership between the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) and BirdLife South Africa, the Mouse-Free [...]
A 25-ha sponsorship is made in the memory of Antarctic Engineer Patrick Sivertsen
Above picture: Patrick Sivertsen at South Africa’s Antarctic base, SANAE IV Family and friends of the late Patrick Sivertsen (SANAE 53) have raised the sum of R 25 500 towards the MFM Project’s “Sponsor a [...]
The Wits Bird Club supports the Mouse-Free Marion Project from its Luisa Amaro Bequest
Above Picture: The late Maria Luisa Amaro stands on the far right with fellow Wits Bird Club members Barbi Forsyth behind and Murrie Slotar to her side; the others are Chrissiesmeer residents A portion of [...]
Conservation Conversations: seabird research on Marion Island gets featured in a webinar series
Above Picture: A Wandering Albatross pair interacts near the weather station on Marion Island; photograph by Stefan Schoombie BirdLife South Africa's weekly webinar series ‘Conservation Conversations’ on 16 November hosted Tegan Carpenter-Kling and Stefan [...]
Avid South African birders John and Alison Bradshaw sponsor 100 hectares to the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above Picture: John and Alison at North Cape, in the very north of Norway The Mouse-Free Marion Project team is delighted to announce that one of South Africa’s top birders, John Bradshaw, is the newest [...]
‘Fanatical birder’ John Graham sponsors 25 hectares towards eradicating Marion Island’s House Mice
Above picture: White-chinned Petrel flyby: John Graham (centre) guides a pelagic birding excursion off South Africa’s Cape Peninsula in November 2021; photograph by Trevor Hardaker John Graham, a South African Electrical Engineer based in Cape [...]
‘Team VORK’ sponsors three hectares and challenges Marion Island overwintering teams to do the same
Above picture: Team VORK on Gough Island. From left: Vonica Perold, Roelf Daling and Kim Stevens ‘Team VORK’ is made up of three South African researchers, Vonica Perold, Roelf Daling and Kim Stevens, currently based [...]
Attacks by House Mice on Marion Island’s albatrosses were first published in 2007
Above picture: A House Mouse feeds on the rump of a feathering Wandering Albatross chick on Marion Island, photograph by Stefan Schoombie The Mouse-Free Marion website continues with an occasional series that features scientific papers [...]
Word of mouth brings a welcome contribution to the ‘Sponsor a Hectare’ campaign
Above picture: A post-guard Wandering Albatross chick in front of the Swartkop Point field hut on Marion Island’s west coast; photograph by Sean Evans Mark Tasker, a retired Head of Marine Advice at the UK’s [...]
Introducing Professor Peter Ryan, Chair of the Mouse-Free Marion Project’s Scientific and Technical Advisory Group
Above Picture: Peter Ryan weighs a Vulnerable Inaccessible Finch Nesospiza acunhae on Inaccessible Island in 2018; photograph by Ben Dilley The Mouse-Free Marion Project is pleased to have a scientist with the international stature of [...]
On their own, mice behave like rats on sub-Antarctic islands
Above Picture: Not a pretty sight. A House Mouse feeds at night on the exposed scalp of a Wandering Albatross chick on Marion Island; photograph by Stefan Schoombie The Mouse-Free Marion website continues with an [...]
Introducing Andrew Callender, newest member of the Mouse-Free Marion Management Committee
Andrew Callender on Gough Island. Photo: Roelf Daling In this series of posts, we introduce individuals who have volunteered to lend their considerable skills, knowledge and expertise to help oversee, guide and support this important [...]
Mouse-Free Marion Project works towards a baiting operation in the austral winter of 2024
Above picture: Marion Island base. Photo, Anton Wolfaardt One of the critical issues that the Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Management Committee has been discussing recently is the timing of the baiting operation. Although we were initially [...]
Featuring Marion Island’s albatrosses and petrels affected by mice and their photographers: the Sooty Albatross by Stefan Schoombie
Above Picture: Portrait of a Sooty Albatross NOTE: This post is the fourth in an occasional series that aims to feature photographs of those breeding seabirds of Marion Island which are being attacked by mice, [...]
“After the cats…tackling mice on Marion Island”- Professor Peter Ryan presents at the Leadership for Conservation in Africa online seminar series
Above: Prof. Peter Ryan spotting seabirds on deck. Photo by John Graham The Leadership for Conservation in Africa (LCA) Unlocking Nature series invites a diverse range of speakers to share their conservation stories with global [...]
Featuring Marion Island’s albatrosses and petrels affected by mice and their photographers: the Grey-headed Albatross by Kim Stevens
Above Picture: A Grey-headed Albatross guards its downy chick on Marion Island’s Grey-headed Albatross Ridge – site of a long-term monitoring colony NOTE: This post is the third in an occasional series that aims to [...]
Introducing Heidi Whitman, the Mouse-Free Marion Project’s newly appointed Chief Philanthropy Officer
Above picture: Heidi Whitman, in a garden near her Californian home The Mouse-Free Marion Project is pleased to announce that it has appointed Heidi Whitman CFRE as its Chief Philanthropy Officer. Heidi is a resident [...]
“Linking Foraging Behaviour and Demographic Responses of Wandering Albatrosses on Marion Island”. Danielle Keys describes her PhD research
Above picture: Danielle Keys holds a Wandering Albatross chick at its nest in the Goney Plain Monitoring Colony on Marion Island. A special permit is required to allow access to the colony and to handle [...]
Introducing Dr Mavuso Msimang, Chairperson of the Mouse-Free Marion Non-Profit Company
Above Picture: Dr Mavuso Msimang In this series of posts, we introduce the Board members of the Mouse-Free Marion Non-Profit Company (MFM NPC) who have volunteered to lend their considerable skills and expertise to help [...]
A feasibility study for the eradication of albatross-attacking House Mice on Marion Island was produced by island-eradication expert, John Parkes
Above Picture: A Grey-headed Albatross chick has been attacked by mice at Marion Island, photograph by Ben Dilley This post continues an occasional series that features the several scientific papers and reports that give information [...]
Featuring Marion Island’s albatrosses and petrels affected by mice and their photographers: the Northern Giant Petrel by Janine Schoombie
Above Picture: A Northern Giant Petrel broods its downy chick on Marion Island NOTE: This is the second in an occasional series that aims to feature photographs of those breeding seabirds of Marion Island which [...]
Inveterate island hopper Maleen Hoekstra was an early contributor to the ‘Sponsor a Hectare’ campaign
Above Picture: Maleen Hoekstra stands below the weathered welcome sign on the landing jetty at New Zealand’s sub-Antarctic Campbell Island To date, over 900 individuals and bodies have donated to the Mouse-Free Marion Project by [...]
The effects of introduced mice on seabirds breeding at sub-Antarctic islands, a PhD thesis by Ben Dilley
Above Picture: Ben Dilley off the leeward coast of Gough Island, Church Rock on the horizon This post continues an occasional series that features published scientific papers and allied documents that give information on attacks [...]
First observations of mouse attacks on Marion Island were made on Wandering Albatross chicks in 2003
Above Picture: Early evidence. A ‘scalped’ Sooty Albatross chick on Marion Island, photograph by Stefan Schoombie This post continues an occasional series that features the several scientific papers that give information on attacks by House [...]
Featuring Marion Island’s albatrosses and petrels affected by mice and their photographers: the Wandering Albatross by Alexis Osborne
Above Picture: An old adult male Wandering Albatross on Marion Island NOTE: This is the first in an occasional series that aims to feature photographs of those breeding seabirds of Marion Island which are being [...]
Island invasives expert suggests an eradication effort at Marion Island should be timed when the House Mice are most hungry
Above Picture: How hungry? A House Mouse on Marion Island during winter, photograph by Ivan Dalgleish This post continues an occasional series that features the several scientific papers that give information on attacks by House Mice [...]
An Island Invasives Conference in Scotland heard about the plight of Marion Island’s seabirds in 2017
Above Picture: Face of the problem. A House Mouse on Marion Island, photograph by Stefan Schoombie This post continues an occasional series that features the several scientific papers that give information on attacks by House Mice on the birds [...]
Working towards an eradication. The impacts of House Mice on Marion Island were reviewed a decade ago
Above picture: An invasive House Mouse on Marion Island, photograph by Ben Dilley This post continues an occasional series that features scientific papers, theses and reports that give information related to attacks by House Mice on the birds of Marion Island. For the first [...]
Avian Scavengers as Indicators of Recovery of an Island Biota – a new study aims to inform the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above picture: A Black-Faced Sheathbill tends its downy chick on Marion Island, photograph by Maëlle Connan Ecosystem processes are changing worldwide, including from the impacts of invasive species being exacerbated by climate change. This is particularly obvious in the Southern Ocean where a [...]
Introducing Dr Alistair McInnes, Seabird Conservation Programme Manager at BirdLife South Africa
Above Picture: Dr Alistair McInnes, birdwatching at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden Alistair McInnes is currently the Seabird Conservation Programme Manager at BirdLife South Africa and a member of the Mouse-Free Marion Management Committee. [...]
Breeding success of burrowing petrels is reduced by mouse attacks on Marion Island
Above Picture: Grey Petrel adult and chick, photograph by Ben Dilley This post is the third in an occasional series that features the several scientific papers that give information on attacks by House Mice on [...]
Invasive mice attack an adult Northern Giant Petrel on Marion Island
Above Picture: A Northern Giant Petrel on Marion Island, photograph by Marienne de Villiers This post continues an occasional series that features the several scientific papers that give information on attacks by House Mice on [...]
Introducing Dr Anton Wolfaardt, Project Manager for the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above Picture: Anton Wolfaardt on the south coast of Marion Island, May 2021 The Project Manager, Anton Wolfaardt, has featured in a number of news articles posted on the Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) website. In this [...]
Threatened albatrosses on Marion Island are being scalped by mice
Above Picture: Scalped Grey-headed Albatross chicks, photograph by Ben Dilley General Introduction With this post the Mouse-Free Marion website commences an occasional series that features the several scientific papers that give information on attacks by [...]
Introducing Robyn Adams, Communications Officer and Project Assistant for the Mouse-Free-Marion Project
Above Picture: Robyn Adams, enjoying the Langebaan Lagoon, West Coast National Park In this “Meet the Team” post, we formally introduce Robyn Adams, who recently took up the role of Communications Officer and Project Assistant [...]
Baiting to eradicate Gough Island’s albatross-killing mice has been completed!
Above Picture: Future assured? A helicopter flies a bait bucket above a Tristan Albatross chick on Gough Island, photograph by Michelle Risi For those of us involved with the Mouse-Free Marion Project, the news that [...]
Introducing Mark Anderson, Chair of the MFM Management Committee
Above Picture: BirdLife South Africa’s CEO, Mark Anderson, chairs the Mouse-Free Marion Management Committee In a “Meet the Team” series of occasional posts, the Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) website aims to introduce key role players who [...]
Ex Marion Overwinterer Jacha Potgieter raises 45 hectares of sponsorships towards eradicating the island’s mice
Above Picture: Jacha Potgieter poses with his sculpture of an Amsterdam Albatross that he made from waste plastic collected from beaches in Wales Back in April, with the essential help of the Antarctic Legacy of [...]
Project Manager Anton Wolfaardt gives a virtual talk on eradicating Marion Island’s mice to the Witwatersrand Bird Club
Above Picture: Saving Marion Island’s Seabirds, a talk to the Wits Bird Club by Anton Wolfaardt Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) has previously reported on the support provided to the project by four of the 41 bird [...]
The first 100-hectare sponsorship came from Taiwan, not South Africa – featuring Lucia Liu Severinghaus
Above Picture: Lucia Liu Severinghaus, Australia, 2018 To date, only four persons have joined the prestigious ‘Wandering Albatross Club’ by sponsoring 100 hectares or more towards the planned eradication in 2023 of introduced House Mice [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project is looking for a Campaign Manager
The Mouse-Free Marion project is gaining increasing momentum, as we work towards an eradication operation in the austral winter of 2023. There remains a lot to do between now and then, not least the need [...]
Marine ornithologists and conservationists around the world are supporting the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above picture: Jaimie Cleeland bands a breeding Tristan Albatross on Gough Island To date, 813 sponsors have funded 2260 hectares towards the eradication of Marion Island’s albatross-killing mice with donations exceeding two and a quarter [...]
South Africa’s Environment Minister launches second national report on invasive species
Above Picture - Barbara Creecy, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment launches the Invasives Report The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms Barbara Creecy, officially released South Africa’s second national report on [...]
Pamela Isdell joins the ‘100+ ha Club’ with a magnificent sponsorship of 150 hectares
Above picture: Pamela and Neville Isdell during a visit to the Kalahari in 2020. Photo; Mark D. Anderson The Mouse-Free Marion Project is excited to announce that its ‘Sponsor a Hectare’ campaign that aims to [...]
Mouse-Free Marion Project Manager returns from Gough Island
On 13 June 2021, South Africa's research and supply ship, the S.A. Agulhas II, returned to Cape Town following a charter voyage to Gough Island. The purpose of the voyage was to deploy the Gough [...]
Four of BirdLife South Africa’s 41 affiliated bird clubs have supported the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Four of BirdLife South Africa’s 41 affiliated bird clubs have supported the Mouse-Free Marion Project; two of them challenge the remaining clubs to do likewise Above picture: Not just birders; Lakes Bird Club members on [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project needs admin help
Above picture: Days numbered? An introduced House Mouse on Marion Island, photograph by Stefan Schoombie BirdLife South Africa and the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) are collaborating on the Mouse-Free [...]
BirdLife South Africa co-sponsors a Wandering Albatross infographic to mark World Albatross Day on 19 June
Above picture: The Wandering Albatross Infographic co-sponsored by ACAP and BirdLife South Africa An infographic depicting the globally Vulnerable Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans has been produced to celebrate the second ever World Albatross Day on [...]
“We stand on the shoulders of giants”. A feasibility study to rid New Zealand’s Auckland Island of its introduced cats, pigs and mice will inform the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above Picture – Licking its lips. A feral cat feeds on the corpse of a White-capped Albatross chick on Auckland Island, photograph by Stephen Bradley Marion is not the only island in the Southern Ocean [...]
Macquarie Island stalwart Keith Springer appointed Mouse-Free Marion’s Operations Manager
Above Picture - Moving to safety from a landing helicopter. Keith Springer cradles an Antipodean Albatross chick on Antipodes Island Following the interviewing of shortlisted candidates last month for the position of Operations Manager, the [...]
Mouse-Free Marion Project Manager heads to Gough Island
Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) recently reported that South Africa’s Antarctic research and supply ship, the S.A. Agulhas II, returned from Marion Island on 12 May 2021, and that the MFM Project Manager, Dr Anton Wolfaardt, was [...]
Retired coastal manager Shaun Schneier leads Mouse-Free Marion’s ‘Sponsor a Hectare’ challenge by funding a magnificent 145 hectares
Above Picture - Shaun Schneier on the plateau of Cape Town’s Table Mountain – with the Southern Ocean over the horizon Following Mouse-Free Marion’s interview with Roeloff Botha, one of the very few who so [...]
110-ha sponsor Roeloff Botha gets interviewed by the Mouse-Free Marion Project
Above Picture - Out in his natural habitat: Roeloff brews up on Kloof Nek Corner on Cape Town’s Table Mountain To be in the Mouse-Free Marion Project’s prestigious ‘Wandering Albatross’ category one needs to sponsor [...]
Mouse-Free Marion Project Manager returns from Marion Island
On 12 May 2021, South Africa’s Antarctic research and supply ship, the S.A. Agulhas II, returned to Cape Town following its annual relief voyage to Marion Island. I was fortunate to be able to participate [...]
Mouse-free Marion reaches a milestone with 2012 hectares sponsored – but still a long way to go
Each exposed rectangle represents 100 hectares of Marion Island funded The “Sponsor a Hectare” campaign of the Saving Marion Island's Seabirds Mouse-free Marion Project has reached its first milestone: over 2012 hectares have now been [...]
Albatross conservation researcher Nigel Brothers makes a birthday donation in his grand-daughter’s name.
Thanks Grandad! Rosie Brothers proudly holds her “Sponsor a Hectare” certificate of appreciation received from the Mouse-free Marion Project for her 10th birthday At the last meeting of Albatross and Petrel Agreement’s Population [...]
Mouse-Free Marion Project Sponsor a Hectare Team Challenge
Above Picture - 39th Marion Island Team; Graham Clarke is centre, back At 29 000 hectares Marion will be by far the largest island at which a mouse eradication attempt will be made. Not surprisingly, it [...]
The project to save Marion Island’s seabirds receives a massive boost from Dr Frederik Paulsen and Ferring Pharmaceuticals
At 29,000 hectares, Marion Island will be the largest island by far on which an attempt will be made to eradicate mice in a single exercise. Consequently, the logistical, planning and funding demands for the [...]
The Mouse-Free Marion Project is hiring
The Mouse-Free Marion project is gaining increasing momentum, as we work towards an eradication operation in the austral winter of 2023. There remains a lot to do between now and then, and the project is [...]
Mouse-Free Marion Project Manager heads to Marion Island as part of the preparatory work for the planned eradication of mice in 2023
Photo above - The S.A. Agulhas II departs from Cape Town on a journey south, photograph by Sydney Cullis On 9 April, South Africa’s Antarctic research and supply ship, the S.A. Agulhas II left Cape [...]
Albatross and Petrel Agreement stalwart sponsors 25 hectares towards eradicating Marion Island’s albatross-killing mice
Above Picture - Mark Tasker, annual Wandering Albatross count, Prion Island, 2012 Mark Tasker, who resides in Scotland, is a retired Head of Marine Advice at the UK’s Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and a [...]
Saving Marion Island’s Seabirds. The Mouse-Free Marion Project starts taking shape
South Africa's sub-Antarctic Marion Island is being devastated by introduced House Mice. The mice were introduced accidentally by sealers in the early 19th century, and over the last 200 years have caused extensive damage to [...]
It takes a pandemic to kick-start a project
Marion Island, the larger of the two Prince Edward Islands, could be referred to as the jewel in South Africa’s island crown. Home to some 28 species of breeding seabirds, the fate of these species [...]
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