MPENJATI HO GROUP
The Mpenjati group works closely with Ezemvelo Mpenjati Reserve management with the upgrade projects undertaken within the Reserve..
Fundraising
The following events and ongoing projects are used to fund the various upgrades undertaken in the Reserve:
- The Mpenjati ECO Festival – Is held annually in December at the reserve.
- Educational/Awareness Displays – held throughout the year at shopping malls and public events e.g. The Portuguese Mariners festive held each year in Port Edward.
Completed Projects
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Children’s Playground:
The old playground equipment was refurbished, and is also being maintained on an ongoing basis.
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Foot Bridge on the beach trail – North Bank:
In a joint venture between the Honorary Officers and reserve permanent staff the steps on both sides of the footbridge were replaced.
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Current Projects
Yengele Trail – Mpenjati NR North Bank
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This ongoing project sees the trail being repaired and upgraded. The wooden steps on the beach side have all been removed, and replaced with earthen ones.
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Facebook and publicity:
The Mpenjati Nature Reserve Facebook page is maintained by the Mpenjati Honorary Officers Group, and includes responding to numerous online queries submitted on a weekly basis.
Educational/Awareness Display:
The main thrust of the display project is to take our mobile displays about Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and conservation to schools, allowing children, many for the first time, to learn about animals, to touch and feel horns, skulls, feel shark skin and so forth. We educate children about the need for Reserves, and Protected Areas. We also touch on some of the “uglier” issues such as the threat of poaching and alien plants in the hope that they will develop an appreciation for the need to conserve South Africa’s natural heritage and instill a burning desire to visit one or more of our Reserves. A desire that we hope will be channeled through to their parents.
We also take our displays to shopping centers, shows and festivals; here we promote Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and the Honorary Officer Corps. At these displays we have a dual adult and child audience. In the future once sufficient funding is available we plan to source Audio Visual Equipment, which will be used to show educational videos at schools and at our public displays
One section of this Project is to host public displays, which includes photographs of dead poached animals, together with genuine snares, animal skulls showing bullet holes, and other items relevant to the after effects of poaching. The purpose of these displays is to raise awareness of the manpower, equipment and resources needed to combat this threat and to elicit financial donations from the public by showing them the “not so nice side” of poaching. As funds become available, the contents of our displays are also extended and improved. One of the successes at the schools is the handing out of educational brochures to each child (Currently in short supply). This information on its own has a significant effect on children.
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