September 1, 2004
By Lebofsa Masha
SPONSORED by Sasol, BirdLife South Africa and Africa Birds and Birding, the Johannesburg Zoo will host a mega bird fair, jam-packed with entertainment activities, on the third and fourth days of September.
The Sasol Birds and Birding Fair aims to promote an interest in birds and birding, with a particular focus on garden birds.
The first day focuses on schools in Gauteng while the second day has a more general appeal.
The first day of the fair will see lectures for hundreds of Gauteng schoolchildren at the zoo's education centre. Sasol will provide a host of prizes and goody bags for the pupils to take home.
Keith Leitch, marketing manager for the South African Crane Working Group, will talk to school children about one of South Africa's most endangered species. "The wattled crane is critically endangered, with only 235 left, and the grey-crowned crane is listed as 'vulnerable' with around 4 500 birds in South Africa," Leitch said.
The following day, Saturday 4 September, there will be loads of activities, with music performances by the Soweto String Quartet and a fashion show by top designer Chris Levin, various exhibits, including a display of birds by the zoo staff and plants and indigenous trees that attract birds into gardens, as well as tours and lectures and activities for the children.
For birding beginners, there will be two courses on garden birds - one in English by Geoff Lockwood, one in Afrikaans by Andre Botha - on Saturday morning at the zoo's education centre. Part of this course will see the two experts leading a guided bird walk at the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens between 9am and 11am on Sunday, 5 September.
The music concerts and fashion shows will be held at the bandstand at various times during the day, while displays, bookstalls for the bird enthusiast and other retailers will be ranged around the area. There will also be 4x4 vehicles on exhibit.
Random Harvest Indigenous Nursery will also have a stall, and for every tree bought from their stand, the company will donate an identical tree to BirdLife Soweto to be planted by various eco-clubs in Soweto schools as part of a greening the township campaign.
The programme:
Friday 3 September
- 9am to 2pm - Gauteng schools programme
- 5.50pm - Geoff Lockwood presents an illustrated talk on nocturnal birds followed by a night tour of the zoo
Saturday 4 September
- 10am to 5pm - various stalls, including arts and crafts, natural history books, bush clothing, cameras and 4x4s
- 9am to noon - courses at the education centre on garden birds
- 10am to 10.30am - a marimba band entertains at the bandstand
- 11am to 11.30am - a bird demonstration by the staff of the Johannesburg Zoo at the bandstand
- 1pm to 1.30pm - Chris Levin launches his new range of casual bush clothing at the bandstand
- 1.30pm to 2pm - a performance by the Soweto String Quartet
- 2pm to 2.30pm - a bird demonstration by the staff of the Johannesburg Zoo
- 4pm to 4.30pm - Chris Levin fashion show
- 4.30pm to 5pm - another performance by the Soweto String Quartet
- 5pm - competition prize draw
There will also be various illustrated talks during Saturday afternoon:
- Noon to 1pm - Albert Froneman will discuss "Voel Fotografie" while David Johnson will talk on "Gardening for Birds"
- 2pm to 3pm - Gerhard Veroom will present "Roofvoels" and Warwick Tarboton will address "South African Endemics"
- 3pm to 4pm - Johann Knoble will talk on "Voels van die Kruger Nasionale Park" and Etienne Marais will discuss "Top Birding Spots"
- 4pm to 5pm - Albert Froneman will discuss "Photographing Birds" and David Johnson will look at "Forest Birding"
All illustrated talks will cost R50, while the beginners' birding courses are R150. The Friday evening talk will be R80.
All tours and lecturers should be booked in advance. For more information about the fair, contact Senzo Ngcobo on 011 646 2000 or 083 722 5586.
Permission to use web site material
Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as:
- Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website
(www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency
(www.joburg.org.za)";
- If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original
article on this website;
- The name of the article's author is acknowledged;
-
The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill
in this brief online form).
Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 |
