Join nature fundis at conservation festival
Guest speakers will focus on various topics from birds and frogs to the ocean and environment.
The inaugural Illovo Wagtail Conservation Festival (IWCF) which is set to take place on Saturday, 22 July at the Illovo Business Park in Lower Illovo has been extended with the inclusion of a dinner and talk.
“We are proud and excited that we will be graced by David Allen, the curator of birds at the Durban Natural Science Museum as our keynote speaker and Henk Nel of Birdlasser at our conservation dinner hosted by Umsinsi Adventures on Friday night, 21 July,” said IWCF secretary, Cassandra Rogers.
Birdlasser is a birding app where the public can enter the co-ordinates of any sightings. Nel will give a presentation on the application and the committee hopes to have it in operation during the festival.
The event is from 6.30pm to 9pm and the cost is R100 per person, which includes dinner and two complimentary drinks. Tickets are limited. For more information or to book, call Adam Cruickshank on 061-485-3625 or email wagtailconservationfestival@gmail.com.
“On Saturday, 22 July, our conservation day will be hosted by Umsinsi Adventures in partnership with Illovo Business Park,” said Rogers.
“We will host walks and talks, markets and fun for the children. We will have wonderful speakers speaking on various topics from birds to frogs, the ocean to the environment. We will also have Nick Evans come and teach us about snakes, which is exciting for the young and old.
“Both these events are a first for us, and we aim to have this as a family conservation day, where together we learn about the environment, what creatures live in our environment, how to look after our environment, and enjoy the beauty of nature.
“This along with other fun items like market stalls, great food, fun for the children on the last weekend of school holidays, and downtime for moms and dads wanting to enjoy a day out in the winter sun.”
Speakers include Gill van Wyk of Toti Conservancy, who will talk on trees, Jeanne Tarrant will speak on frogs, Helen Bruigom on bats, Steve Davis of Birdlife Port Natal, Steve Woodhall, Henk Nel, Nick Evans, Marlise Craig on insects, and Liz Cook of Ushaka on marine ecosystems.
Steve Woodhall is a butterfly enthusiast and photographer who began watching and collecting butterflies at an early age. He is the past president of the Lepidopterists’ Society of Africa, has contributed to several books, among them ‘Living Butterflies of Southern Africa (Umdaus Press), and is the author of the Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa’ and the highly popular ‘What’s that Butterfly?’. He is recognised both locally and internationally.
Jeanne Tarrant, who will be talk on frogs, runs the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Frog programme and has been on the TV programme 50/50 a number of times.
Steve Davis will do a bird identity for beginners course on the Saturday morning, and he co-authored the book ‘Field Guide to the Shore Birds of Southern Africa’.
Nick Evans works at the KZN Amphibian and Reptile Conservation. He is a well-known expert in the field of snakes. His snake rescues have gone viral on social media sites.
Henk Nel is a developer from the birding application ‘Birdlasser’.
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The committee thanks its festival partners, Illovo Business Park, Umsinsi Adventures, Birdlife Port Natal and Birdlasser.
The event is from 7am to 3pm and entry is free.
