Venda Guides Embark on a Successful Education Programme about the Mottled Spinetrails at Sagole, Limpopo

Venda Guides Embark on a Successful Education Programme about the Mottled Spinetrails at Sagole, Limpopo 

                                 

Spinetails are predominantly dark, swift-like birds with characteristic sickle-shaped wings and square tails. The interesting tail feathers with their extended, sharp, bare shafts account for the name. Mottled Spinetails are one of South Africas rarest resident birds with less than five known breeding sites in the country. The entire population in South Africa is restricted to the far north-eastern corner of the Limpopo Province in the Sagole, Masisi and Makuya regions of Venda and within the Levubu River Valley in the Kruger National Park. This species is strongly associated with Baobab trees in which they roost and breed, provided there are large cavities within the trees. There is, however, a single record of Mottled Spinetails nesting in the roof sandstone over-hang near Sagole. The famous Sagole Baobab supports the largest colony of this species in South Africa. During the late nineties, close on 300 birds roosted in this tree but sadly this number has plummeted to less than 25 birds. Mottled Spinetails are threatened by industrial pesticides, habitat change and disturbance at nesting and roosting sites.

Limpopo Bird Guides, Samson Mulaudzi and Christopher Nethonzhe have committed themselves to an educational programme at primary and high schools in the Sagole area. They have already made a huge impact with their first two visits. Samson reports: On the 24th of May 2012, we had our first talk with the kids at Matshena Primary School just 3 km from the Sagole Baobab Tree. We arrived there in the afternoon just before the school was out and met the principal and teachers. We agreed tol have our meeting outside under a Marula tree as the children would not fit inside one class room.

The kids were very happy to meet us and they were singing and dancing. We were joined also by the principal and a teacher during our talk with the kids. Christopher opened the meeting, telling them who we are and why we were there. Some of the kids said they have seen us in some magazines. He also taught them about the Mottled Spinetail, breeding in the Baobab tree and caves. Some of the kids know where the cave is. Our aim was to teach them not to destroy the nests. Christopher also stressed that by conserving the Spinetails, tourists will come to this only area to see this birds that, in return, may even benefit their villages.

Samsons turn came and he continued from where Christopher stopped. Samsons aim was to teach them about some interesting facts about our birds in South Africa: how many bird species we have got, as well as the endemic birds. Samsons teaching was based on the importance of birds in the area where we live. He also made a point on some ecological facts about how birds can help us when they are around us - they could be a warning sign for snakes in a tree and are great pollinators of plants, etc. Samson was impressed with the knowledge that some of the kids have. When kids answered questions correctly we handed them some nice ball point pens, as presents.

On Tuesday, the 12th of June 2012, we visited one more primary school to talk to he kids about the birds around them and our Mottled Spinetail Project, as well as about birds in general. We arrived after school hours and as always we again had some fun with the kids. What is interesting is that most of the kids are aware of the birds around them and also know their names in their mother language, which is good but also challenging for us, as we know most of the birds in English. Christopher made an introduction about our project and I finished off with discussions on some interesting facts about the birds in South Africa, as a whole. Once again, we handed out some ball point pens when they answered correctly.

Birdlife Polokwane, the Ben de Boer Trust and BirdLife South Africa have already helped us to start this education programme. We have generated a lot of interest and would be able to do a lot more with some material on birds (posters, books, etc.), as well as on trees, mammals, snakes, butterflies, etc. It would also be great to have some binoculars to give the kids some experience with them. If anybody would be willing to donate materials, binoculars or money to buy these things, it would be very much appreciated.