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 Officer) at the start of the Ride Joburg event

The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project continues to raise awareness of the pressing need to eliminate the albatross- and petrel-killing mice of Marion Island by being physically active.  Last month MFM Project team members, along with colleagues, friends, relatives and project supporters, took part in three major activities around the country, all proudly wearing their Mouse-Free Marion cycling jerseys or active shirts, in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Langebaan.  Three events additional to the regular runs, walks and cycles in MFM Project colours that are now taking place on a near daily basis.

 

Keeping together on the Ride Joburg event and still smiling, are engaged couple and keen cyclists, Arend de Beer and Leandri de Kock

Ride Joburg

Eight members of the Mouse-Free Marion Cycling Team took on the 98-km Virgin Active Ride Joburg event on 17 November.  Some were veterans, some first timers, but all completed the distances they entered and were rewarded with finishing medals, as reported by project supporters Leandri de Kock and John Kinghorn Jnr.

“We enjoyed the race a lot.   It was a race of two halves. In the first half, we were flying down the M1, and we especially enjoyed riding on the Kyalami Track.  After that, the hills and suffering started.  Arend and I tried to stay together and motivate each other.  When one was weak, the other was strong, and we pulled each other through. The race was well organised and so enjoyable, especially because of the road closures.  It’s a tick off our race bucket list, but we are already considering tactics for next year’s ride.  We wished we trained a bit harder or had thinner wheels, but that’s life!’”  Leandri de Kock

Keeping it in the family: mountain bikers, John Kinghorn Snr, John Kinghorn Jnr (Avitourism Project Manager, BirdLife South Africa) and Simon de Wet pose at the Ride Joburg finish with their medals

“A truly spectacular day spent in the saddle.  Our group of amateur cyclists always uses the Ride Joburg event as the start of our summer cycling season, and it is a fantastic “shock to the system!”  This year was no different, with the exception that we had a fantastic opportunity to represent a cause close to our hearts: eradicating mice from Marion Island.  Either directly or indirectly involved in conservation, our small cohort of Lycra-clad mountain bikers took to the streets of Johannesburg proudly sporting our Mouse-Free Marion Project cycling jerseys.  We are privileged to form part of this team of active supporters and sports enthusiasts, and we encourage anyone reading this to join our efforts to raise funds and awareness for this crucial cause.” – John Kinghorn, Avitourism Project Manager, BirdLife South Africa.

Away weekend in Langebaan

John Cooper (MFM Project News Correspondent) and Sue Tonin (MFM Assistant Project Manager) pause on their road bikes on the west side of Langebaan Lagoon

MFM Cycling held its first “Away Weekend” in the west coast village of Langebaan over 8-10 November.  Along with 14 local cyclists who joined us on the Saturday, six team members cycled 76 km around Langebaan Lagoon, a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance that falls within the West Coast National Park for a brunch at Kraalbaai.  John Cooper reports below.

Brunch halt at the turn-around point at Kraalbaai, with the calm waters of the lagoon stretching to the village of Langebaan in the distance

“Arranging the first Away Weekend for six MFM Cycling team members in Langebaan was quite good fun, only to be surpassed for enjoyment as we “Pedalled for Petrels” with 14 local cyclists around the lagoon in glorious (albeit windy) weather, largely free of motor vehicles.  We were ably hosted by Langebaan residents and team members, Sue Tonin (MFM Assistant Project Manager) and Johan de Goede (who brought along his cycling friends).  The next Away Weekend is planned in the new year for Stanford, home of MFM Project Manager, Anton Wolfaardt, with a ride to the coastal town of Hermanus” – John Cooper, News Correspondent, Mouse-Free Marion Project

Ultra Trail Run Cape Town

After running 98 km and climbing a total of 4972 m, Anton Wolfaardt (Mouse-Free Marion Project Manager) can still manage a broad smile; photograph by Leigh Wolfaardt

On the weekend of 23/24 November, Mouse-Free Marion Project Manager Anton Wolfaardt, an avowed mountain trail runner, participated in the arduous RMB Ultra-Trail Cape Town run on Table Mountain, a national park and part of the Cape Floral Region Heritage Protected Areas World Site.  With a 26-hour cut off, necessitating a pre-dawn start and running into the following night, Anton completed the arduous course well in time in 22 hours 35 minutes and 11 seconds, coming seventh in his Masters age category out of 26 starters -over half of whom did not finish.  An amazing achievement that Anton describes the next day.

“What an unforgettable experience – challenging, for sure, but an absolute privilege to tackle the breathtaking trails of Table Mountain.  It truly is a gem of nature.  Witnessing the sunrise from Signal Hill and the sunset at Vlakkenberg was spectacular, and running by torchlight on the mountain with the city lights below was magical.  That said, while I’m sure this morning’s sunrise was equally beautiful.  I’m quite glad I wasn’t still out there to see it.  My legs are certainly feeling it today”- Anton Wolfaardt, Mouse-Free Marion Project Manager

Matching shirts! John Cooper and Anton Wolfaardt meet up in the Hout Bay Aid Station, 57 km into Anton’s trail run; photograph by Leigh Wolfaardt

And what of future activities for MFM Cycling and its running offshoot?  Come March next year will be South Africa’s premier bike event, the Cape Town Cycle Tour, for which an 11-person team has already been entered for the tour’s 47th Edition, with the aim of raising R109 000, a hectare’s worth for each of the route’s 109 km.  Then a month later there is  the Cape Town’s Two Oceans Half Marathon in April, which several of us will be running in our MFM Project activity shirts.  Watch this space!

“Saving Marion Island’s Seabirds”, a rear view of the MFM Cycling team jersey at Ride Joburg

John Cooper, News Correspondent, Mouse-Free Marion Project, 03 December 2024

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Golden clumps of moss are scattered across a scoria field at altitude in Marion Island’s polar desert; photograph by Marienne de Villiers

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.