African Wildlife & Environment Issue 84 2023

WESSA REGIONAL NEWS

On Saturday morning 29 July 2023 the Birds of the Magaliesberg Biosphere eBook was launched in style, with over seventy attendees at the Margaret Roberts HerbalCentreintheDeWildtareaclosetoHartbeespoort Dam. The Centre also hosted the event and was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Brits Hartbeespoort, WESSA Northern Areas and the National Association of Conservancies of SA. WESSA NORTHERN AREAS REGION Launch of the Birds of the Magaliesberg Biosphere

Article and photos by John Wesson

The speakers were Vincent Carruthers, John Wesson, Renier Balt, and Mark Anderson. The event was also attended by WESSA CEO Helena Atkinson, all the way from Cape Town. The eBook was a joint project between the Rotary Club of Brits-Hartbeespoort, Birdlife Harties and WESSA Northern Areas Region. It was written by John Wesson and Renier Balt. This is the third in the series. The first was released in 2010 as the Rotary Club of Brits Hartbeespoort, Rotary centenary project. It acts as a very handy tool for all birders and wildlife

enthusiasts that would like to explore the Magaliesberg biosphere area, covering detailed habitats, hot spot areas, special birds to look out for and finally detailed accounts of the eight sub birding areas with the most up to date verified bird lists based on the latest South African Bird Atlas project 2 data.

Pictured here are from left to right. Mark Anderson, CEO of Birdlife SA, Renier Balt representing WESSA and Birdlife Harties, John Wesson representing Rotary, Birdlife Harties and WESSA, Vincent Curruthers and Glen Ross, current Rotary Club of Brits Hartbeespoort President, who closed the meeting

53 | African Wildlife & Environment | Issue 84 (2023)