Rand Aid birders now extra chirpy
INYONI CREEK – The endeavour resulted in a beautiful, illustrative bird guide.
Located on the banks of the Jukskei River and adjacent to a greenbelt, Rand Aid’s Inyoni Creek, Elphin Lodge and Tarentaal retirement villages are known for their prolific birdlife.
And now thanks to the efforts of an Elphin Lodge resident and her daughter, residents have access to a beautiful, illustrative bird guide.
Felicity Kanichowsky is known as the village’s resident bird expert. She is a member of the Witwatersrand Bird Club, the oldest bird club in South Africa, and of BirdLife South Africa (formerly the South African Ornithological Society). She is also involved in the South African Bird Atlas Project which is an important biodiversity monitoring programme.
The Atlas Project depends on a network of volunteers who map the distribution of birds.
“I love birds, they are my passion,” she said.
Kanichowsky serves on the village’s residents’ committee and she said a request was made at one of last year’s meetings for guides on the village’s birds, plants and trees to be compiled and she volunteered to undertake the ornithological compilation.
“I asked my eldest daughter Jacqueline Phillips to help me which she very willingly did. It is easy for me to list the birds around me, as I do that on a regular basis for my Atlasing programme,” said Kanichowsky. In the end, she had a list of 71 birds which she forwarded to her daughter.
“I was blown away a few weeks later when she sent me a copy of the beautiful pamphlet she had put together.”
Helen Petrie, Elphin Lodge’s manager, said the village appreciated Felicity and Jacqueline’s efforts in compiling the comprehensive guide.
“Thanks to them, bird spotting in our villages will be so much more rewarding,” said Petrie. The guide is available at Elphin Lodge’s office at a nominal cost of R10.
Details: Rand Aid Elphin Lodge info@randaid.co.za
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