Vaal Bird Club Program for May 2019
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Club meeting Monday 13 May 2019
Alf Peters will give a talk on his and Charlene’s recent trip to Botswana and Namibia on Monday evening 13 May
Venue: Old Mutual Building
Time: 19h00.
Guests are welcome, the cost being R25 per guest.
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Club outing on Saturday 18 May 2019
A club outing to Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve is planned for Saturday 18 May 2019. We will need a volunteer to lead the outing as Alison Lydon will be in the UK, and I will also be out of town. Detail of the outing will be discussed at our club meeting.
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Donation to the Fitz Server
There was a request from Ernst Retief for donations from bird clubs toward the Fitz Server. It concerns donation needed to buy a second server for the Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology, which now hosts the projects previously done by the ADU, like SABAP2, CWAC, etc. The Vaal Bird Club committee members decided that our bird club can donate R3,000 toward this fund, as it is an important initiative regarding birds and birding in South Africa.
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Gardens & parks in Sasolburg and Vanderbijlpark
Local people, both in Sasolburg and Vanderbijlpark, are doing a great job in cleaning up and making it safe to visit the Highveld Garden (in Sasolburg) and Phoenix Park (in Vanderbijlpark). We visited both and enjoyed going there. Please visit the venues being revamped, they are good for local birding.
There is no charge when visiting Phoenix Park.
Highveld Garden was developed as a botanical garden when Sasolburg was developed, there is a natural fountain and the trees there are also interesting to see. It is open from 06h30 in the morning until 18h30 in the evening. Mondays to Wednesdays there is no charge if you visit as individuals, R35 per person if you come as a club, the Garden is closed on Thursdays and from Friday to Sunday the cost is R35 per person. There is also a lapa that can be rented for R1,000.00 per day. You can contact Thabiso Skosana (081 736 4117), the resident nature conservator. You can also look on their Facebook page or write an email to info@highveldgarden.co.za.
We are looking for a pair of binoculars to give to Thabiso, as he is studying Nature Conservation through UNISA & does not yet have a pair of binoculars. Thank you Reg for giving him your previous Roberts Bird Guide, as he was using the 1970 Prozesky bird book.
To find out more or add to the Club Meeting Agenda please contact: Rina de Klerk at 082 626 6990 or email: deklerkr@telkomsa.net