This week, Keith and Viv are at the World Seabird Conference in Cape Town, South Africa. This is a first update from Keith after their first day!
Hi - all friends of Laskeek Bay Conservation Society - Viv and I and our partners Ryan and Helen have all arrived safely in Cape Town. Tonight we attended the Opening Reception for the Conference which opens tomorrow. Lots of people, good food and some very vigorous drumming to open the event. Tomorrow morning we get serious.
The Registration desk tells us that there are almost 600 people registered from 55 countries. The program is a daunting 56 pages with a total of 500 presentations and posters in many interesting sessions. It will be fun, and we hope to learn a lot to bring home to inform our on-going programs at Limestone.
South Africa has penguins and we have visited the colonies of the wonderful little African Penguins close to Capetown. The biggest colony is about 2000 birds. It was a busy place on the blustery day we visited, smelling much like a very odorous Cassins Auklet colony, with lots of young and many little artificial shelters to create additional habitat. Africa also has black oystercatchers, looking very much like our own Haida Gwaii BLOY. And of course we have taken the opportunity to visit game parks, looking at elephants, rhinos and the many beautiful birds. I did a safari on foot with armed Zulu guides; Viv did a horseback safari. Lots of pictures.
More on the conference later. Thanks again for all your work and support to get us here.
