POLOWKANE – For Paul Nkhumane, birds are a calling. He is a bird guide for Limpopo Birding Routes who has done birding for almost 15 years and says people locally and internationally have shown interest in bird watching. When he was younger, he used to kill birds with a kettie, until he found out birds are an important part of life.
He then changed from killing birds to conserving them. Influence also came from his father who worked at a private game reserve.
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“During school holidays, me and my younger brother used to visit him. When he took people on game drives, if there was space, we would also tag along. This is how I started loving nature in general,” he said.
Birding is one of the fastest growing hobbies.
“There are lots more interesting things about birds than animals, because some of them migrate in winter, all the way from Africa to abroad. Some of them even change their plumage, changing from yellow to brown like larks, pipits and warblers among others,” he said.
He explained that many wonder how they navigate from South Africa to Europe and says it’s amazing.
“Some fly at night and they use the stars to navigate. Some of them fly during the day and use landmarks and the sun to find their way,” he explained.
He has exhibited at the Indaba for six years now and added there has been progress throughout the years, because it has given them exposure and kept them busy.
“The Limpopo Tourism Agency plays a big role in our lives. There are loads of people coming into the province, it is a big difference. We are doing well in selling the province to the world,” he said.
He is part of an initiative called Birds in Trees, where they plant two different species of indigenous trees in public schools for free.
“Before we plant the tree, we do a presentation and hand out prizes to learners when they answer our questions.
“The prizes are related to education and creating awareness and teaching the upcoming generation about nature and tourism as a whole. As you know, tourism is one of the biggest industries in the world,” he concluded.
