Above picture:  An Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross by Claudia Risch, acrylics on canvas, after her own photograph taken aboard the Flock to Marion 2025 voyage

Claudia Risch lives in the little rural village of Hermannsburg in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Province, where she works in a local school as an administrator,  She writes to the  Saving Marion Island’s Seabirds: The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project: “I was on board the Flock to Marion AGAIN! 2025 voyage in January this year, together with my 16-year-old, Matteo.  This was our first ever pelagic trip, so pretty much every bird was a new sighting.  Seeing majestic albatrosses in person was absolutely surreal.”

BirdLife South Africa members Matteo and Claudia Risch aboard the MSC Musica on their way to Marion Island; photograph by Claudia Risch

Claudia continues: “I grew up on a farm in southern KwaZulu-Natal and from a young age loved birding and photography.  I have not had any formal art training, but thanks to the COVID lockdown in 2020 and watching many YouTube videos, I got into drawing and painting, and I haven’t looked back since, spending every free moment drawing and painting in my home studio.”

“My family has been travelling and camping throughout South Africa every chance we get, and we’ve challenged ourselves to visit every national park in South Africa before our two boys are out of school.  Out of 19 national parks we have only three left to visit!  During these travels we take copious amounts of photos of mammals, birds and landscapes, and from these I make my art.”

After the Flock to Marion voyage Claudia painted an Endangered Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche carteri from one of the photographs she took.  She submitted her artwork to Project #49 of Artists & Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN) in support of the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) celebrations of World Albatross Day on 19 June, also making it available to the MFM Project.

Inspiration for her painting: an Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross flies past the MSC Musica near Marion Island; photograph by Claudia Risch

Claudia says that it was her 50th birthday in February this year. Instead of receiving gifts for it, she is aiming to raise R 5000 via a Back a Buddy online appeal to help save Marion Island’s seabirds from an infestation of house mice –  a cause she says is “now close to my heart”.

She goes on: “I am thinking of other ways to create awareness about donating to the MFM Project.  I recently made a presentation to our primary school’s nature club about our Marion trip and about the plight of the island, and there may be another presentation to our greater community who could be persuaded to donate to the cause.  I also plan to donate a percentage of my art sold towards the campaign.  I feel like a small fish in the sea with this though, but I know every bit helps.”

Mark Anderson, CEO, BirdLife South Africa and Chair of the MFM Management Committee writes: “It is encouraging that so many people, including those who were on the Flock to Marion AGAIN! 2025 voyage, have become passionate about the MFM Project, and are doing their bit to ensure that we raise funds and awareness for this critically important conservation project.  Thank you to Claudia and the many other people who are helping ensure a better future for Marion Island’s seabirds”.

Mouse-Free Marion Project supporter, Claudia Risch

Anton Wolfaardt, MFM Project Manager, commented: “We’re deeply grateful for Claudia’s heartfelt support and inspired by the creative ways she’s raising awareness and funds for the project.  Stories like hers remind us that every contribution – no matter the size – helps bring us closer to saving Marion Island’s seabirds

Indeed, every contribution does help.  If you have been touched by Claudia’s story, please consider sponsoring a hectare or donating any amount you wish directly to her appeal (via the link above).

 

John Cooper, News Correspondent, Mouse-Free Marion Project. 16 July 2025

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A vagrant Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross, Bullard Beach, Marion Island, 03 December 2016; photograph by Kyle Lloyd

The Saving Marion Island’s Seabirds: The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) 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.