Dear all,

Your committee has been approached by Atholl Midgley, a member of the KwaZulu-Natal Crane Foundation, who has worked with Wattled Crane chicks at the Johannesburg Zoo.  You might remember that we were selling bricks for the wall of the envisaged Crane crèche in the Midlands a few years’ ago, and now it seems that the new facility under construction at Nottingham Road in the Midlands is nearer completion, but fundraising is still very necessary to the success of this project.

The KZNCF is a small group of some 30 odd people, registered with a Public Benefit Organisation number and committed to taking over the reins from the Johannesburg Zoo, to raise the Wattled Crane chicks from the abandoned second egg.  These birds are classified as “critically endangered” and 80% of those remaining in SA are to be found in the grasslands and wetlands at the bottom of the slopes of the Drakensberg.  If you attended our indoor meeting talk by Tanya Smith a couple of years ago, you would have seen the dedication of her team in obtaining that second egg for raising in the nursery.

The KZNCF is running a raffle which commenced at the Sasol Bird Fair in May, and we have been asked to encourage our members to support this unique and very important project.  I am therefore attaching the list of sponsors of prizes of a stay in the Midlands, as well as a copy of the competition form. If you would like to see images of the construction of the Nursery please write to me and I will send you the PDF file.

The draw for the competition will be held at the BLSA offices on 30 July and the forms must be returned by Friday 25 July by email to athollm@mweb.co.za, tel 083 520 5860.

The bank details are as follows :

Name of Bankers       Nedbank