» Listings for 2017

1. Good news from South Africa for bird species from Birdlife

   Posted on 9:00pm Thursday 20th Jul 2017

   Birdlife International report there were celebrations in April 2017:  the Mpumalanga’s Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs declared the Greater Lakenvlei area a Protected Environment. New Protected Environment Declared in South Africa  ©Romy Antrobus-Ruth Greater Lakenvlei is an important conservation area: It has many “specials” e.g. Wattle Crane, Blue Crane, White-winged Flufftail, Yellow-breasted Pipit and many others. BirdLife South Africa recognises this area as the Steenkampsberg Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA). It is an important water catchment area. Lakenvlei (a wetland) is a peatland which helps with the storing and purification of water. The peatland holds a huge amount of carbon, so minimizing the impact of climate change. The tourism and agricultural activities provide jobs for hundreds of people, connecting tourism to the beauty of the area and outdoor activities South African legislation provides for different categories of formal protection: Nature reserves and national parks, where activities are strictly controlled Protected Environment where some activities e.g. farming practices can continue but destructive and unsustainable activities are not allowed Areas are divided into zones such as natural areas and degraded areas.   In natural areas, activities are strictly controlled – over-grazing and indiscriminate use of pesticides are not allowed. Greater Lakenvlei now has a Management Plan which will be implemented to benefit the birds in this area.  Hopefully this declaration will encourage more bird lovers and nature lovers to visit, which should lead to more jobs and help conserve the area. It was made possible by the collaborative efforts of the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) and their NGO partners, the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and BirdLife South Africa Click here to go fly away to Birdlife International

    

2. Innovating for animals to improve their welfare

   Posted on 6:00pm Wednesday 19th Jul 2017

   It's always great to hear about innovative ways to help animals, be they wildlife, marine life, feathered animals, pets, reptiles, working animals or livestock.  So I wanted to tell you about The Brooke, an international animal welfare charity which works to improve the lives of working horses, donkeys, mules and the people who depend on them. The Brooke has an Innovation Fund.  It invests in innovations that aim "to improve the welfare of working equines and the lives of those communities that depend on them".  It enables Brooke and its partners "to trial new ideas and develop new work that extends our reach and impact for the welfare of working equine animals globally". Projects funded so far have: Involved a hydroponics pilot project to help provide good quality green fodder to donkeys sustainably throughout the year in drought-prone areas in India. Trained South Sudanese livestock officers in handling and basic donkey husbandry. Developed a new harnessing and traction system for working donkeys in South Africa.  A major problem for many working animals are the sores they develop from badly fitted tack. Worked with communities to write a manual in Arabic for equine owners in Palestine and across the Arab-speaking world which will help animals take better care of them. In Lesotho, collaborated with Send a Cow to integrate equine welfare messages and education into a pilot project Piloted a new eLearning system allowing remote communities without electricity or internet access to access bespoke educational tool - a big problem is that owners just don't know how to care for their animals, so this should help them take better care of them This year, Brooke’s areas of special interest are: Livelihoods: strengthening livelihoods that benefit working equines  Food security: building resilience in equine owning communities to protect their working equines and households Reach: Reaching working equines in remote/conflict affected/insecure locations where Brooke has no presence Disaster responsiveness: where working equines are integrated into responses to natural and socio-political disasters The criteria and guidelines can be found here.   This is a fantastic idea that hopefully will see hard-working animals benefit - horses, camels, donkeys and mules - in many countries where The Brooke work.  Good luck to them!

    

3. Tusk announce new partnership with Land Rover to help African wildlife

   Posted on 9:00pm Monday 17th Jul 2017

   There's good news from the charity Tusk.   They've just formed a new partnership with Land Rover.  Tusk say that this new partnership will have a significant impact on their work in Africa. Sharing an ethos..... going Above and Beyond for the wildlife and people in Africa - Tusk and Land Rover** In the email I received from Tusk, Land Rover’s Global Marketing Director Mark Cameron was delighted to announce Land Rover's formal partnership with the Tusk Trust, as both have a similar ethos:  going Above and Beyond. Tusk are trying to build a sustainable future for the African continent and its wildlife.  Since it was founded in 1990, it has invested over £30 million into a range of projects across Africa.   Taking a look at their project list, I can't help but feel excited.  Projects include the AfriCat Foundation, Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Project, Durrell Madagascar, Coaching for Conservation, the Lamu Marine Conservation Porject, the Mali Elephant Project, Local Ocean Trust, various water projects, vulture conservation, rhino projects, those with primary and secondary schools, the South African Wildlife College and the Walikale Gorilla and Forest Conservation Project.  Click here to see their projects Given some of the very tough and rugged terrain Tusk and its partners work in, the enhanced partnership with Land Rover must surely be good news for people and wildlife, and Tusk must be very excited as they work to help African have a sustainable future for people and wildlife.  Click here to find out more about Tusk **cc Tusk and Land Rover

    

4. Wildlfires affect animal and human health even if you don't live in the area

   Posted on 10:00pm Thursday 6th Jul 2017

   So you want to to be healthier, with a healthy diet, exercise, a good night's sleep and the physical and mental ability to live life to the full.   So how far have you thought about the air you breathe?  Wildfires have been ferocious this year - Chile, Portugal, Spain, the US for starters - and they affect not only those living in the area but also further away.  In the US west, Alaska and Canada, more than 9.8 MILLION acres burnt last year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center The American Lung Association has information on how wildfires affect people's health thousands of miles away.   It says in the US that climate change has caused higher spring and summer temperatures.  The snow has melted erlier, causing soils to be drier for longer and lengthening the wildfire season and increasing drought.  These hot, dry conditions can make fire more intense and also make it burn for longer.  Wildfires spread air pollution locally, but thousands of miles away.   For people, they can cause breathing difficulties in even healthy individuals, but particularly in hildren, older adults, and people with lung diseases such as asthma and COPD, and heart problems.  Although those in the immediate vicinity are of course affected first, fire and smoke spreads downwind.  Click here for more info The impact of wildfires on the animal kingdom and its habitat is horrific.   Domestic pets, working animals and wildlife die in large numbers as they have no fast way out.  Wildfires can spread at considerable speed.   Vigilence is essential to take care when it is particularly dry and hot.

    

5. Give a gift which helps many

   Posted on 8:00am Thursday 22nd Jun 2017

   I read this wonderful quote recently from somebody called Charley Willey, who worked out the following: "Make one person happy each day and in 40 years, you will have made 14,600 human beings happy for a little time, at least."  That struck a chord with me, and of course as an animal lover, I came up with an alternate version: "Make one animal happy each day and in 40 years, you will have made 14,600 aniamls happy for a little time, at least." Of course, you can make your dog or cat happy every day and at the end of that time, that will just have been one animal over the length of time that you are blessed with them.   But then there are ways to reach out to help a vast number of animals.   Feed the birds in your garden or via a window feeder, and you feed many (or more than one, at any rate).  Grow wildlife friendly flowers in your garden with a simple packet of seeds, and you'll help butterflies and moths, bees and other insects. Put a small wildlife pond in your garden or a bird bath and watch in enjoyment as animals come to drink or take a quick dip. Plant a tree and you'll give hundreds of animals shade from the sun, shelter from the rain, and somewhere to rest and nest. Sponsor an acre, and you'll help thousands of animals and many different species by providing them or protecting their habitat - the area where they live. GIve a horse lover a virtual gift from a charity like the Brooke or Spana and you can help hundreds of horses, donkeys, mules and camels, all thirsty after working long hours in incredibly hot temperatures.    Add your name to a petition and improve the lot of animals in your country or abroad. Every act helps and every act has the power to improve the lives of animals and people world wide.  And every act has the potential to help not just one animal but millions of them.