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 word” of its intended eradication of Marion Island’s mice to increase awareness and to give opportunities for the public to ask and to hear answers to their questions.  Over the last few years, the Project has been achieving publicity in a number of ways, one of which has been by giving talks so far to 12 of the 41 bird clubs which are affiliated to BirdLife South Africa.  Three members of the MFM Project Team have been giving up their evenings to talk to the clubs.

Earlier this month, Assistant Project Manager, Dr Sue Tonin, gave a talk entitled “Saving Marion Island’s Seabirds” to the Tygerberg Bird Club, an affiliated club, that is based in the Western Cape.  She explained to around 50 club members attending that the scale of the ongoing damage caused by the introduced House Mice to the island’s petrels and albatross chicks – and to a few adults – is of great concern.  She writes to MFM News: “My talk to the Tygerberg Bird Club was very well received.  There were lots of good questions from a really engaged audience, with a frank discussion of the challenges and extreme importance of the MFM Project.  I pointed out that, although the MFM Project’s planning is going well, more donors are needed as the costs of ridding the island of its “killer mice” will be very high”.

Sue continued: “I made a point of starting my talk with profuse thanks for the R20 000-hectare sponsorship the Tygerberg Bird Club has already made via a collection from its members aboard the Flock to Marion 2022 voyage (click here).  They are good at fundraising and promised more!  We then spoke a fair bit about the upcoming Flock to Marion AGAIN! 2025 voyage for seven nights in the Southern Ocean over 24-31 January next year.

Mark Anderson, CEO of BirdLife South Africa and Chair of the Mouse-Free Project Management Committee, has given talks on the Project to BirdLife Border, BirdLife eThekwini KZN (which has sponsored 50 ha; by far the most generous club to date), BirdLife Northern Gauteng (1 ha) and the Vaal Bird Club (1 ha).  Previously, Sue Tonin gave a similar talk to the affiliated West Coast Bird Club (2 ha).

Dr Anton Wolfaardt, MFM Project Manager, has given the most talks to South African bird clubs – to no less than eight of them!  They are BirdLife Inkwazi (3 ha), BirdLife Northern Gauteng (1 ha), BirdLife Overberg, BirdLife Plettenberg Bay (6 ha), Lakes Bird Club (11 ha), Stanford Bird Club (3 ha, not affiliated), Waterfall Bird Club (5 ha) and Witwatersrand Bird Club (16 ha).  Anton has also spoken about the MFM Project to the large number of bird club members who were aboard the Flock to Marion 2022 voyage, which funded many hectares for the Project.

The MFM Project remains grateful for the hectare sponsorships made by these and by other affiliate clubs, often collected from their members.  Keep them coming!

In addition to listening to talks delivered to bird clubs (and to many other bodies within and beyond South Africa), interested persons can follow the project via the news section on the MFM website, by subscribing to our online quarterly newsletter, and by following us on Facebook and Instagram.

John Cooper, News Correspondent, Mouse-Free Marion Project, 27 March 2024

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Young Wandering Albatrosses engage in mutual display on Marion Island, with part of the new base above Transvaal Cove as a backdrop; photograph and poster design by Michelle Risi

The Mouse-Free Marion Project is a registered non-profit company (No. 2020/922433/08) in South Africa, established to eradicate the invasive albatross-killing mice on Marion Island in the Southern Ocean.  The project was initiated by BirdLife South Africa and the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.  Upon successful completion, the project will restore the critical breeding habitat of over two million seabirds, many globally threatened, and improve the island’s resilience to a warming climate.  For more information or to support the project please visit mousefreemarion.org.