“Steve’s been coming here since a wee lad. This tree-chopping madness was making him sad. He loves this forest, he loves every tree. He loves it all just as much as me.”
(Lulu & Tee: Russ the High Flyer)
Dr Steve Boyes founded the Cape Parrot Project in 2009 – having undertaken his doctoral studies on the Meyer’s Parrot out in the Okavango Delta, he became aware of the plight of South Africa’s only endemic (found only in a particular place) parrot – the Cape Parrot (Poicephalus robustus).
He headed to Hogsback to see what could be done and, from that small start, the Wild Bird Trust (WBT) was birthed. The Cape Parrot Project (CPP) was the founding project of the organisation – and here we are, 17 years later, still working in Hogsback, the forests of the former Transkei area and the Magoebaskloof. WBT is a non-profit Trust and public benefit organisation.
Who is the Cape Parrot Project?
The vision of the WBT is to keep birds safe in the wild by securing critical habitats for the benefit of wildlife, ecosystems and people in perpetuity. The CPP is focused on conserving the Critically Endangered Cape Parrot (current South African Threatened and Protected Species regulations) as a flagship for the conservation of Afro-temperate forests and related species.
In achieving this, our mission focuses on three key areas to deliver impact:
- Research and monitoring to establish baselines and track trends for the species and its habitat,
- Conservation action to act on research findings, in particular forest restoration,
- Awareness outreach, education and partnerships to reach communities with our findings and the possibility of helping with implementation, thereby creating economic opportunities.
Our primary base is in Hogsback, where one of the largest populations of Cape Parrots is found and where we employ 20 full-time staff members and facilitate a further 24 contractor positions. We also have a base in Magoebaskloof, Limpopo (2 full-time staff members), where there is a smaller population of parrots, and a support team based throughout the country.
For all those wanting to know “but who are you and what do you do?” – we will be submitting more articles to the HT, but you can follow our work on the socials: facebook.com/capeparrotproject, instagram.com/capeparrotproject, and the Cape Parrot Project YouTube channel.
PS. You can purchase Russ the High Flyer – a book written especially for the CPP – from us directly! Contact: Susan Wishart (Project Manager), susan@wildbirdtrust.com, 067 416 7219.