CARING FOR CRANES
Dr Lara Jordan, Drakensberg Project Coordinator, EWT African Crane Conservation Programme
LaraJ@ewt.org.za
Although hard to believe in the current climate, with the world’s attention focused on COVID-19, some things remain the same, and this means Grey Crowned Cranes are in their breeding season. In South Africa, Grey Crowned Cranes are most densely populated in the Drakensberg, which often means that they congregate in large flocks. Due to this, people often don’t realise that the species is globally Endangered. As such, they are afforded a great deal of protection by South African law. Within KwaZulu-Natal, Grey Crowned Cranes are protected in terms of the Natal Nature Conservation Ordinance, 15 of 1974 and the Threatened or Protected Species Regulations, issued in terms of the National Environmental: Biodiversity Act, 20 of 2004 (as amended). This provides the species with a great deal of protection, in that no person may possess, disturb, capture or transport such without the necessary permits.
Every year, a few Grey Crowned Crane chicks are brought into captivity by well-meaning individuals, who discover what they think is an abandoned chick. However, you may be surprised to learn that the ecology of the species means that the adults leave chicks in the wetlands on purpose. They do this because until the chick can fly, it is very vulnerable to predators and other dangers. The parents hide the chick and return after the danger has passed. That danger could be as simple as somebody walking their dog. This can often look like abandonment, but it is not necessarily the case, and often happens well before you observe the birds.
Unfortunately, a chick that is removed from the wild and reared by untrained personnel has a very low chance of survival. Crane chicks, due to their long legs, require a very specific diet rich in calcium and a very specific balance of nutrients and protein. Another important aspect of crane rearing is imitating the amount of exercise the chicks would naturally walk a day in the wild. If either of these aspects are absent from their rearing, this often causes the bones to bend later in the development process. These bones eventually break, and the chick then needs to be euthanised. Alternatively, the malnutrition of the chicks leads to organ failure and the chicks die. These chicks can also suffer from badly developed feather growth, which would prevent their immediate release. Unfortunately, 80% of the rescued chicks we have seen this season have died or had to be humanely euthanised. Those that do survive are at risk of having been compromised.
Should you find a chick that you feel may be abandoned, here are some tips on what to do:
- Take a picture of the chick to confirm species
- Leave the chick exactly where you found it
- Move away from the site as quickly as possible
- Find a place where you can safely watch from without being seen by the adults, remember their eyesight is a lot better than ours
- You should see that if you are properly hidden, the adults will return to the chicks
- Should you be concerned that this has not happened, or if you feel that the chick is in imminent danger, please call the below numbers:
- FreeMe Wildlife: 033 330 3036, Endangered Wildlife Trust: Dr Lara Jordan 0719035880 ,or Janine Rennie 0825327836, or your local Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife District Conservation Officer.
- The only people that can remove the chick are those that are permitted by Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife to do so.
ZOOMING TO TRAIN FARMERS
Bonnie Schumann, Nama Karoo Coordinator, EWT Drylands Conservation Programme
BonnieS@ewt.org.za
Critical work continues with the help of technology as our Drylands Conservation Programme recently held four online training webinars as part of their GEF 5 Sustainable Land Management Karoo Forever Project.
This initiative aims to share knowledge with farmers around the Karoo, without requiring them to travel. This approach not only reduces carbon footprint from travel, but at this critical time in our country, allows participants and staff to stay safe and maintain social distancing, as farmers can join in the discussions from the comfort of their homes.
Experts on different topics share information during this interactive process. The first series focused on intensive sheep farming, where the result is a reduction of pressure on the natural resources. The webinars are recorded and uploaded on the project website (http://karooforever.org.za/) so that participants can access the content again. Visitors to the website can also view the series.
This initiative is funded by the Global Environment Facility through the Department of Environmental Affairs and the United Nations Development Programme.
RMB SENSING JOURNEY
Alison Janicke, EWT Head of Resource Development, AlisonJ@ewt.org.za
As part of the RMB Senior Leaders Programme, leaders are provided with opportunities to step out of their usual arenas, in order to see and experience “sparks of the future” – people and places of innovation and collaboration in service of society as a whole and not just the agenda of a few – and to connect more deeply with those on the edges of the mainstream. They call these “sensing journeys”. Inevitably, such experiences open their eyes, hearts and minds to possibilities not found in the business-as-usual space, and enable a reconfiguration of purpose, relationships, and meaningful action.
A cohort of ten RMB leaders conducted their sensing journey site visit to the EWT on the morning of 20 February. The interactive onsite visit involved an opportunity to engage and participate meaningfully with EWT staff to enable them to get insight into the EWT’s work and vision. Activities included a presentation covering the work of the EWT, the support received from RMB, and the impact owning our property will have on the EWT in the future; a visit to the wetland on the EWT’s Conservation Campus, including a discussion on how to identify alien species, the negative effects of these species, and how to remove the species, followed by an opportunity to navigate the wetland, identify an alien species and remove the species; and a variety of demonstrations of EWT work, including an EWT Conservation Canine detection demonstration.
THE UGANDA CRANE FESTIVAL 2020 DRAWS GREY CROWNED CRANES TO THE CELEBRATIONS
Jimmy Muheebwa, Uganda Projects Coordinator, Gilbert Tayebwa, Research and Monitoring Field Assistant, and Phiona Orishaba, Community Education Field Assistant, EWT African Crane Conservation Programme
JimmyM@ewt.org.za, GilbertT@ewt.org.za, and PhionaO@ewt.org.za
The unusual happened as the International Crane Foundation/Endangered Wildlife Trust/NatureUganda Partnership celebrated cranes on 2 March 2020 in Kabale, Uganda. The function that was held at Kikungiri Primary School and attracted hundreds of participants including primary school children, university students, conservationists, civic leaders, the media community, private sector practitioners, and politicians. Surprisingly, cranes, which were slated to be the centre of the talk during the celebrations, made an appearance, to the amazement of many.
The Uganda Crane Festival formed part of the build up to World Wildlife Day 2020, and was intended to promote partnerships and engagements with stakeholders who may be impacting on wetlands and cranes, increase crane and wetland awareness among youths in the project area, and engage communities to improve their appreciation of wetlands and their connection to Grey Crowned Cranes.
By 8:30 on the morning of the festivals, hundreds of participants had gathered at Highland Hotel Kibale, where they received t-shirts and banners. Guided by the traffic police and led on by a brass band, the procession marched through Kabale town up to the celebrations venue, Kikungiri Primary School. The guest of honour on this auspicious occasion was the Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Godfrey Kiwanda, who was taken on a tour of a variety of wetlands-based arts and crafts exhibitions displayed by schools and communities to demonstrate sustainable use. The EWT’s Jimmy Muheebwa was afforded the opportunity to share project initiatives such as Crane Custodianship, “Cranes in the Classroom”, and the Conservation Agreement approach, and how the initiatives have contributed to improved crane breeding success. A “Cranes in the Classroom” school assessment had also been conducted, and the winning schools received their prizes – a plaque for first place and certificates for second and third places – at the festival. Katuna Primary School were well-deserving winners, while Rushabo Primary School and Buhara Primary School took second and third place respectively.
As Minister Kiwanda took to the podium, a flock of cranes hovered in the area, clearly considering landing in the area. The crowd had been taught how to make crane calls, and put this knowledge to good use, calling for over five minutes, which then transformed into dancing, singing, gesturing, and clapping in imitation of Grey Crowned Cranes. The minister was amused by the timing of the cranes’ appearance, just as he was about to speak, and wondered if it had been prearranged. He was glowing in his praise of the work being done by the cranes project, and paid special tribute to EWT partners, the International Crane Foundation. The minister also launched the National Species Action Plan for the Grey Crowned Crane, the development of which NatureUganda had championed, on behalf of the government of Uganda. The proceedings were closed with local communities staging a crane dance, which the minister couldn’t resist joining.
REMEMBERING CONOR TOMLIN
“You cannot leave Africa, Africa said. It is always with you, there inside your head.” – Bridget Dore, poet.
Conor Tomlin was born in Johannesburg on 28 March 1999. His life involved extensive travel and experiences of living around the world with his parents due to his mum’s career. As a boy, he lived in Egypt, Ireland, England, in the USA in both California and Nashville, and in Australia, before returning to South Africa to live in Cape Town when he was 13. There, he attended the British International School, and upon graduation, he left South Africa again to attend college in the USA, where he studied Computer Science.
Conor was a real all-rounder in life. He was an enthusiastic and strong rugby player, which he was well suited to with his 6ft3 sturdy frame. He played the tuba in the school band in Australia, and performed a leading role in two school plays; Aladdin and High School Musical. He was a capable student, achieving A grades in his A Levels in Maths, Computer Science, and Spanish.
Conor continued his love of travel by participating in Rustic Pathways projects as a volunteer in Thailand, Laos, and Peru during school holidays.
But his heart was increasingly in Africa, and he fell in love with the bush initially through trips with his family, and later through his work as a volunteer on wildlife conservation projects in the Kruger National Park and in Zimbabwe. Conor missed South Africa very much during the two years he was at college in the USA and returned every holiday, which always involved a trip to the bush. He was a keen wildlife photographer, and leaves behind him literally thousands of photos of wildlife, birds, and of the beautiful African habitats he visited. Conor was also a very capable horse rider and a special memory his family have of him was his happiness from the experience of game viewing by horseback in the Kalahari, during their last family bush trip.
Conor was known for his kindness and generous spirit; he made friends all over the world, always with an open heart, and many have written of how he helped them. He was a kind and affectionate big brother to his sister, Aoife, and a loving son to his parents, Stephen and Fiona. Conor was a special young man who planned to return to Africa after college. He talked of using his Computer Science skills to contribute to the fight against poaching. Sadly, this couldn’t be fulfilled due to Conor’s tragic and untimely death. He is greatly missed by all who knew him, who cherish their memories of him and the gifts and love he brought to their lives.
Conor’s family has decided to donate funds to the EWT Wildlife in Trade Programme Conservation Canine Project for the next five years, in honour of Conor and to memorialise his life and love for Africa’s bush.
You can leave a legacy too
The EWT relies on bequests both large and small to ensure that we continue fulfilling our vision of a healthy planet and an equitable world that values and sustains the diversity of all life. None of us can avoid the need to have an up-to-date will, ensuring that our last wishes are carried out and our legacy is continued in the way that we would choose. Including a bequest to an organisation like the EWT that you have supported in your lifetime, or that you would have liked to support, is a way to bring meaning and purpose to a life well-lived, and know that you have left the legacy of a better planet for future generations. We assure you that your legacy will make a lasting impact to the benefit of all who inhabit our beautiful country.
Your bequest will help us to…
- Empower communities to live and work in harmony with nature
- Increase safe space for Cheetahs and Wild Dogs in South Africa and beyond
- Conserve grasslands and wetlands to secure our critical water sources
- Ensure our iconic raptors remain in the skies
- Raise awareness and create connections between young people and their natural environment through our schools programmes, developing the guardians of the future
… and so much more!
We are proud to be working with Capital Legacy to make leaving a legacy even easier. With a wealth of knowledge and expertise, Capital Legacy provides you with client-centric and excellence-driven service when it comes to drafting your Will, taking care of the administration of Trusts and administering your Estate in the event of your death. Capital Legacy are also the innovators of the Legacy Protection Plan™, an insurance product that completely protects your beneficiaries from the legal fees and expenses that arise when you pass away. Capital Legacy is also committed to protecting forever, together, and for every Legacy Protection Plan™ referral they receive from the EWT, they’ll be making a donation to the organisation. Find out more at https://ewt.org/get-involved/get-involved-leave-a-legacy/ or contact TammyB@ewt.org.za
THE EWT AND THE CONSERVATION COACHES NETWORK HOST SOUTH AFRICA’S FIRST CCNET COACH TRAINING
Claire Relton, Senior Science Officer, EWT Conservation Science Unit
ClaireR@ewt.org.za
Conservation organisations, like the EWT are tackling complex and urgent environmental issues across the globe. Funders, donors, and key stakeholders are counting on us to meet our conservation goals and have positive, effective and lasting impact. To this end, conservation teams need to plan, monitor, adapt and improve their strategies while providing accurate evidence for what works and what doesn’t work. Conservation Coaches are trained facilitators that train and assist teams and their stakeholders with developing adaptive conservation plans in order to achieve the desired success. Earlier this year, the EWT hosted South Africa’s first, and Africa’s third, CCNET Coach Training at Valverde Eco Hotel, near Lanseria, Gauteng. The Conservation Coaches Network (CCNET, established in 2009) is a dynamic community of conservation planners from around the world, whose mission is to lead conservation project teams through the Conservation Standards five-step process in order to develop and adapt effective strategies and measures of success.
Three well-experienced coach trainers facilitated the course, namely John Morrison (WWF US), Genevieve Pence (CapeNature) and Erica Cochrane (International Crane Foundation). The training took place over the course of a week and included both theoretical, teambuilding and practical learning sessions, as well as an enlightening field trip to the Sterkfontein Caves in the Cradle of Humankind. Four EWT staff members participated in the course and are now certified CCNET Conservation Coaches, including Dr Lizanne Roxburgh and Claire Relton from the EWT’s Conservation Science Unit, and Kerryn Morrison and Dr Adalbert Aine-omucunguzi from the EWT/ICF African Crane Conservation Programme. Other participants included staff from CapeNature, SANCCOB, Wildlife Conservation Society, Panthera, Conservation South Africa and Peace Parks Foundation. The hugely successful event not only ignited long-term collaboration between the EWT and other African conservation organisations implementing the Conservation Standards, but also initiated participants into the larger global CCNET community. As part of the Conservation Standards movement, the EWT aims to work collaboratively towards measurable and impactful conservation for the benefit of nature and people.
TACKLING THE CHALLENGES OF LINEAR INFRASTRUCTURE IN AFRICA
Wendy Collinson, Manager, EWT Wildlife and Transport Programme
wendyc@ewt.org.za
Wendy Collinson, EWT Wildlife and Transport Programme (WTP) Manager recently joined colleagues Lourens Leeuwner, EWT Wildlife and Energy Programme (WEP) Manager, and Constant Hoogstad, EWT Senior Manager: Industry Partnerships, in Kenya at a conference workshop co-hosted by the EWT, Ewaso Lions, the Grevy’s Zebra Trust, Africa Conservation Centre, Centre for Large Landscape Conservation and the Development Corridor Partnership. The theme was Designing Linear Infrastructure for Sustainable Outcomes. Linear infrastructure concerns roads and rail, energy, power lines, canals, pipelines, and fences, and their impacts on the environment.
The three-day workshop, hosted in Nairobi, exposed delegates to the benefits of utilities and NGOs partnering together to work towards a common goal. Nearly 70 participants from five countries gathered for the workshop primarily to discuss solutions to advance ecologically-friendly linear infrastructure practices on the African continent.
Africa is currently experiencing an explosion of linear infrastructure development, with the number and extent of roads, railways, power lines and pipelines rapidly expanding. In order for this development to result in a net benefit to the economic and social well-being of Africa’s citizens, measures must be taken to ensure that transport and energy transmission infrastructure is carefully designed to avoid, minimise, and mitigate damage to the ecological and cultural resources on which both people and the economy depend. Workshop participants were from diverse backgrounds and represented a variety of stakeholders including industry practitioners, national infrastructure agencies, conservation and community groups, universities, and multilateral development finance institutions.
This inaugural engagement in Kenya is the start of a much bigger mission by both the WTP and WEP teams. One of Kenya’s current projects is the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor which comprises a complex suite of infrastructure projects intended to unlock the economic potential of oil and trade in the East Africa region.
As part of its plans under LAPSSET, the Government of Kenya is facilitating unprecedented and rapid investment in linear infrastructure in the arid and semi-arid lands of northern Kenya. The projects, in various stages of development, include highways, a standard gauge railway, a crude oil pipeline and a transmission line. These are being routed through the biodiversity-rich Ewaso Nyiro North Basin, a landscape renowned for its protected areas, community conservancies and endemic species.
Efforts to mitigate the environmental impacts of LAPSSET have highlighted the critical importance of building on existing county, project and stakeholder relationships to generate new forms of coordination for managing the Corridor’s complexity and an opportunity for the EWT to offer expert advice for intervention of the cumulative impacts, planning and implementation processes during the planning process.
Wendy also had an opportunity to visit a China-funded transport corridor, the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) that links Mombasa and Nairobi and eventually will continue further towards Uganda. This railway controversially traverses both the Tsavo and the iconic Nairobi National Parks. Various mitigation measures have been taken to lessen the impact on wildlife movements during the construction of the railway, but emerging linear infrastructure across Africa is expected to have major implications for future development and conservation at local to continental scales.
A final outcome of the conference was the announcement of the second African Conference for Linear Infrastructure and Ecology (ACLIE). With the inaugural ACLIE hosted in the Kruger National Park, South Africa 2019, this biannual conference will be hosted in Kenya in 2021. More details to follow, but the main aim of ACLIE is to mainstream business and biodiversity by setting up partnerships between local NGOs and utilities. Through this, we hope to promote sustainable development practices in Africa, with the ultimate goal of having wildlife friendly linear infrastructure networks across Africa.
CYCLING FOR A CAUSE
Tammy Baker, EWT Business Development Officer, TammyB@ewt.org.za
EWT supporter extraordinaire, and owner of the Hoedspruit Spar, Rowan Ferreira, recently took part in the Cape Town Cycle Tour 2020 to raise funds to purchase a GPS tracking collar for a pack of Wild Dogs, helping the EWT’s Carnivore Conservation Programme to continue monitoring this Endangered species.
Rowan set himself a fundraising target of R30,000 and exceeded this by R10,530, raising R40,530 in total! This is one of many events and drives that Rowan has undertaken for the EWT, making him a true Conservation Champion, and we would like to thank him for all his efforts and commitment to the conservation of Wild Dogs.
If you’d like to undertake your own fundraising effort for the EWT, please contact Tammy Baker on TammyB@ewt.org.za
RAT DETECTIVES CONTINUE GOOD WORK
Annie DuPre-Reynolds, Manager, EWT Wildlife in Trade Programme
AnnieD@ewt.org.za
Over the past few years, we have worked with our partner, APOPO in Tanzania, to train African Giant Pouched Rats in detection work. These rats are now capable of smelling pangolin scales hidden in other substances and masking agents. The use of wildlife detection rats is very new, and we are excited to say that the proof-of-concept phase of this project was successful!
The proof-of-concept phase was generously funded by the UK government through the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund and the US government through U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We’re happy to share that this work will continue, thanks to funding from the German development agency GIZ and the Wold Conservation Network’s Pangolin Crisis Fund. The next phases of the project will expand the rat’s training to include detection of other wildlife products while developing unique deployment strategies to position the rats where they are needed most.
Thank you to all of our funders – watch this space for more updates on our Detection Rats!
TAKING A LEAP FOR FROGS
Dr Jeanne Tarrant, Manager, EWT Threatened Amphibian Programme
JeanneT@ewt.org.za
The EWT’s Leap Day for Frogs campaign has been running for six years, with the 2020 iteration taking place during a Leap Year. This year our theme, ‘Take the Leap’, invited the public to take a leap of faith in doing something towards recognising the importance of our amphibious friends.
Globally, amphibians remain the most threatened back-boned animals on Earth, with the latest assessments showing 41% of species in this group as being threatened with extinction. That’s a huge proportion of an ancient group of animals that has been successful over the past 300 million years, inhibiting all corners of the planet – except in places that are too cold, too hot or too far away (amphibians can’t make it to some of the more isolated islands, for example the Galapagos have no amphibians). But now, because of loss of habitat, pollution of freshwater and a deadly fungus, amphibians are facing a very real and rapid demise. A warning that our changing planet is not able to support life in the way that it should.
These sobering statistics are not exactly cause for celebration, so why have fun in the name of frogs? Leap Day for Frogs is about highlighting the plight of these creatures, but creating an appreciation for them is the first step towards recognition of their importance. Leap Day for Frogs aims to do this, and invites members of the public to get involved in whichever way they see fit – be this frog art or poetry at schools, cleaning up a local wetland, learning more about frogs or playing a game of leap frog
We are relatively fortunate in South Africa where 20 of our 135 frog species are threatened, so not quite as high a proportion as globally. We are also blessed with an amazing diversity of frogs that inhabit our vast array of habitats from montane fynbos in the west, to coastal forest in the east and everything in between – rain frogs, ghost frogs, stream frogs, puddle frogs, Giant Bullfrogs, tree frog….the list goes on.
For Leap Year this year we had over 1,250 people taking part in activities around the country, ranging from Highland dancers doing a fling for frogs, frog tattoos, school groups learning about frogs and wetlands, to park runners dressing up as frogs. As the EWT, we partnered for the 6th consecutive year with Kloof Conservancy to run a fun day of activities and a night frog walk at Ipithi Nature Reserve in Gillitts on 29 February. Turnout was great, considering the cold and wet weather, with 120 people attending. Local artist, Giffy Duminy, also raised awareness by painting incredible frog murals under the Elizabeth Bridge in Kloof. In Cape Town, our project team there led an exciting walk in the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, finding several frog species, including tadpoles of the Critically Endangered Table Mountain Ghost Frog – our flagship species for a conservation research project we are coordinating on the mountain.
It is wonderful to see this event growing in reach year after year and a genuine interest from young and old alike in what really are some of the most fascinating creatures we are lucky enough to share the planet with.
This work is made possible by Rand Merchant Bank, Disney Conservation Fund and Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.
