Marion Mengell, a nature enthusiast and co-ordinator of the Friends of Nylsvley group, unexpectedly passed away last week.
Mengell (82), who resided in Pretoria, was the co-ordinator for the Friends of Nylsvley group, as well as more than 20 other friend groups in Gauteng.
According to her daughter, Katrina McFarlane, Mengell’s family started camping at Nylsvley almost 30 years ago and it was there with other friends that she started the Friends group. She was instrumental in running educational nature courses, work parties and setting up the facilities to carry out the Bush Bird Census which has run for 21 years under the leadership of Dr Warwick Tarboton.
She also facilitated a system where necessities needed to keep operations at Nylsvley running, could be purchased by the Friends of Nylsvley. Staff at the reserve have said:
“We have lost our mother.”
Mengell was born in England and came to Zambia in the 1960s. She eventually moved to South Africa and was involved in the Girl Guides Movement in KwaZulu-Natal and became a district commissioner. She enjoyed teaching girls about nature, said McFarlane.
“She was happiest when she was surrounded by her family and the natural environment.”
