Home Renovations at Boulders Beach Penguin Colony
July 17, 2012 by dyertrust
Dyer Island conservation Trust and Marine Dynamic volunteers joined forces with Sanparks Boulders Beach staff and volunteers to do a bit of home maintenance.
The Faces of Need African penguin housing project aimed at improving fledgling success has grown dramatically since its inception in 2006. Homes have been placed at many colonies, the highest concentration on Dyer Island. Homes exist on Robben Island, Bird Island, Ichaboe Island and Stony Point which has just placed 200 homes with an occupancy of up to 80%.
The Trust placed homes at Boulders together with SanParks and a few years later, it had become time to do some maintenance. Volunteers of Marine Dynamicsand Trust interns
(Click here to read more on this programme)cleared an area currently not inhabited by the endangered African penguin. Dune stabilizing plants were placed, over grown plants and weeds removed and some homes dug up and cleared, in the hope of being ready for the 2nd breeding attempt of the year.
Visitors to Boulders were intrigued as to what we were up to providing an ideal educational opportunity. The housing project has proved an excellent educational tool for highlighting the plight of the African penguin. With only an estimated 22000 breeding pairs left, every bird counts, and the day left all feeling like they had truly made a difference.
