Bird Fair gets bogged down by wet weekend weather

The annual Sasol Bird Fair took place from 5 to 6 September at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden. The event offered birding enthusiasts topical lectures by experts, guided walks, children’s entertainment, train rides and spot prizes.

The Sasol Bird Fair is a project of BirdLife South Africa, sponsored by Sasol, in partnership the South African National Biodiversity Institute (Sanbi) and the aim of the fair was to educate and raise excitement about bird conservation, and inspire an interest in bird-watching.

However, the wet weather acted as a deterrent to the event which was a cause of concern for Ronny Tshabala, marketing and communications officer for the Garden. Exhibitors came from as far as Limpopo and the Northern Cape, so Tshabalala was disappointed at the turnout owing to the weather.

Tshabalala added, “Obviously as an outdoor facility we are at the mercy of the weather. When the weather is wet like this, we won’t get the public support we wanted. But the show must go on and we hope the weather will improve and that people will come through.”