At least 32 members of TBC were aboard the MSC Orchestra last month, travelling southward to South Africa’s sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands on the “Flock to Marion 2022” cruise.  The trip’s main aim was to raise funds for the eradication of mice on Marion Island.  This is a very audacious project but needs to be done. It’s shocking and very sad how the mice are eating away (literally) at the chicks.  The project is planned to kick-off in 2024 (providing sufficient funds are raised).

Enthused by onboard lectures on albatross conservation by Peter Harrison MBE and by the Mouse-Free Marion Project Manager, Anton Wolfaardt, we proposed that the club should donate to the Mouse-Free Marion Project by sponsoring 20 hectares with a R 20 000 donation.  This idea was proposed to members present during a get together onboard and with everybody present agreeing wholeheartedly with this idea, we went ahead with the pledge. 

BirdLife South Africa’s CEO, Mark Anderson, has written to the club saying “your VERY generous donation has brightened my day.  Thank you very, very much.”  
To date, 20 of the 40 BirdLife South Africa-affiliated bird clubs, including the Tygerberg Bird Club, have contributed a total of R 140 000 to the MFM “Sponsor a Hectare” campaign.  A staggering amount of in excess of R3M was pledged towards this campaign during the Flock to Marion cruise.