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Mango Groove and Sappi host winning bird-lovers to special day
Mango Groove and Sappi host winning bird-lovers to special day
See Also
Dlinza Forest Aerial Boardwalk
The Karkloof Crane and Conservation Centre
Ongoye Forest Birding Camp
Thonga Beach Lodge and the Mabibi Campsite
The Wakkerstroom Wetland Reserve and Training Centre
Marutswa Forest Trail and Boardwalk
Southern KZN Birding Route
The Karkloof Crane and Conservation Centre
Ongoye Forest Birding Camp
Thonga Beach Lodge and the Mabibi Campsite
The Wakkerstroom Wetland Reserve and Training Centre
Marutswa Forest Trail and Boardwalk
Southern KZN Birding Route
“We are so pleased to have been able to host Claire and John and to have shown them some of the wonderful natural sites that we support in and around our forestry areas”, comments André Oberholzer, Sappi’s Group Head Corporate Affairs. It was most opportune for us to host Claire and John to coincide with Big Birding Day, a very important day on the country’s national birding calendar and one of which we have been the title sponsor for two years. It’s a great boon to be able to count on the support of the country’s most iconic band in our conservation efforts for the benefit of birds and birding,” he said.
Sappi sponsors a number of activities that relate to trees and birding, such as producing the definitive guide on birding – the Sappi Newman’s Birds of Southern Africa – and a range of Tree Spotter books identifying trees throughout the country. Besides sponsoring the annual Big Birding Day, Sappi also supports BirdLife SA in a number of ventures; amongst them the promotion of avitourism in conjunction with its Sappi WWF TreeRoutes Partnership projects and the training of knowledgeable bird guides deployed at multiple birding sites.
Sappi sponsors a number of activities that relate to trees and birding, such as producing the definitive guide on birding – the Sappi Newman’s Birds of Southern Africa – and a range of Tree Spotter books identifying trees throughout the country. Besides sponsoring the annual Big Birding Day, Sappi also supports BirdLife SA in a number of ventures; amongst them the promotion of avitourism in conjunction with its Sappi WWF TreeRoutes Partnership projects and the training of knowledgeable bird guides deployed at multiple birding sites.
Iconic South African band supports Birding Big Day initiative.
John Leyden adjusts his binoculars and peers intently into the tops of the canopy of trees as Doctor Dave cups his hands around his mouth and makes the soft warbling sound of the Narina Trogon. Claire Johnston turns to me and whispers, in awe: “Oh my word, he’s really very good isn’t he – he sounds just like the real thing!”
John Leyden adjusts his binoculars and peers intently into the tops of the canopy of trees as Doctor Dave cups his hands around his mouth and makes the soft warbling sound of the Narina Trogon. Claire Johnston turns to me and whispers, in awe: “Oh my word, he’s really very good isn’t he – he sounds just like the real thing!”
Due to their pressing schedule around their concert held to promote the band’s latest album ‘Bang the Drum’ during their Big World Party Tour at the Gardens on the Saturday, they didn’t have enough time to observe the other two South African crane species that often congregate at the hide at the Karkloof Conservation Centre’s Gartmore Farm, but Caroline Goble from the Centre was on hand to share news of recent sightings of the Blue Crane and the Wattled Crane – both regular visitors to the area.
And although he wasn’t able to entice the elusive Narina Trogon to show itself, Claire and John and the four winning couples were treated to sightings of a feast of birds during the special outing to the Gardens arranged to coincide with Big Birding Day. As keen birders themselves, Claire and husband John jumped at the opportunity of participating in a birding outing to highlight the importance of this national bird count day, sponsored by Sappi and BirdLife SA.
On the day prior , when Claire and husband and founder of the legendary Mango Groove, John Leyden arrived in KwaZulu Natal, Sappi had also arranged for an exclusive outing for the two bird lovers to the Karkloof. “We plant only indigenous in our garden back in Jo’burg”, “and we are also steadily replacing those plants that aren’t indigenous with the home-grown stuff”, said John. “It’s helping to attract more and more birds to our garden and we simply love sitting quietly watching them from our own verandah”, says Claire. “I still have a huge amount to learn about birds”, she admits, “but John is really into it and I’m learning every day”, she says.
Claire and John were excited by the huge variety of bird species to be found in and around the Karkloof area, which is where some of Sappi’s TreeRoutes programmes are centred, such as the Karkloof Conservation Centre; which in turn forms part of the Southern KZN Birding Route. They stood in awe of the natural beauty of the 105m high Karkloof falls which plummets into the valley below and thoroughly enjoyed when Dave was able to point out some of the more elusive species that they don’t see every day in their native Gauteng, like the Orange-breasted Waxbilll and the Grey Crowned Crane.
On the day prior , when Claire and husband and founder of the legendary Mango Groove, John Leyden arrived in KwaZulu Natal, Sappi had also arranged for an exclusive outing for the two bird lovers to the Karkloof. “We plant only indigenous in our garden back in Jo’burg”, “and we are also steadily replacing those plants that aren’t indigenous with the home-grown stuff”, said John. “It’s helping to attract more and more birds to our garden and we simply love sitting quietly watching them from our own verandah”, says Claire. “I still have a huge amount to learn about birds”, she admits, “but John is really into it and I’m learning every day”, she says.
Claire and John were excited by the huge variety of bird species to be found in and around the Karkloof area, which is where some of Sappi’s TreeRoutes programmes are centred, such as the Karkloof Conservation Centre; which in turn forms part of the Southern KZN Birding Route. They stood in awe of the natural beauty of the 105m high Karkloof falls which plummets into the valley below and thoroughly enjoyed when Dave was able to point out some of the more elusive species that they don’t see every day in their native Gauteng, like the Orange-breasted Waxbilll and the Grey Crowned Crane.
Eco-tourism = Community + Environment
Avid birders who entered The Witness competition to win the chance of going birding with Mango Groove at the Pietermaritzburg Botanic Gardens, did so primarily to spend the morning in the company of everyone’s favourite South African band and leading lady Claire Johnston. But Sappi, main sponsors of the band’s brilliant concert which took place later that day, made sure that they were in for an additional treat. . During their early morning walk around the gardens on Saturday 27 November Sappi’s own ‘bird man’, Dr Dave Everard (Environmental Manager for Sappi Forests) - and a dab hand at identifying almost any bird by sight or sound - was around to point out the abundance of birds that are found in the natural surrounds of the KZN capital city’s beautiful Botanic Gardens.
Left: Song-bird and bird lover Claire Johnston from Mango Groove shows her inimitable style at the Sappi -sponsored concert held at the Pietermaritzburg Botanic Gardens on Big Birding Day.
Left: Claire Johnston of Mango Groove(front right) strolls through the lush green Botanic Gardens accompanied by some of the winning birders.
Left: Song-bird Claire Johnston and hubby and founder member of Mango Groove, John Leyden, are both keen birders and enjoyed their Sappi-hosted outing to the Karkloof. They were full of praise for the Sappi Newman's Bird Book.
Left: Song-bird Claire Johnston and hubby and founder member of Mango Groove, John Leyden, are both keen birders and enjoyed their Sappi-hosted outing to the Karkloof. They were full of praise for the Sappi Newman's Bird Book.
Left: The Sappi-sponsored Mango Groove concert held in the tranquil surrounds of the Pietermaritzburg Botanic Gardens was a huge hit. The concert coincided with the release of their new album "Bang the Drum" which features the unmistakeable Kwaito-Pop-African-fusion sound that has made them South Africa's best loved band.
Mango Groove's career has spanned an exciting and turbulent time in South Africa’s history. Since its first iconic multi-platinum release in 1989, the band, together with its charismatic lead singer Claire Johnston, has gone on to become a household name in South Africa
Mango Groove's career has spanned an exciting and turbulent time in South Africa’s history. Since its first iconic multi-platinum release in 1989, the band, together with its charismatic lead singer Claire Johnston, has gone on to become a household name in South Africa