Die sooispit-seremonie vir Dyer Island Conservation Trust (DICT) se eie Rehabilitasiesentrum vir Afrika pikkewyne en seevoëls, die African Penguin & Seabird Sanctuary (APSS), was ‘n geskiedkundige gebeurtenis vir Gansbaai.
“Hierdie Rehabilitasiesentrum word opgedra aan die onvoorwaardelike welvaart van getraumatiseerde en beseerde Afrika pikkewyne en seevoëls,” het Wilfred Chivell, stigter van DICT gesê. “Woorde kan nie ons dankbaarheid vir die ondersteuning van ons donateurs, sonder wie hierdie dag nie moontlik sou wees nie, beskryf nie.”
Op Dinsdag, 19 Augustus 2014 het ‘n groot groep individue met ‘n passie vir bewaring, by die Great White House bymekaargekom vir die sooispit-seremonie van die sentrum. Wilfred het die gaste oor die agtergrond van die projek ingelig, waarna die volgende sprekers aan die beurt gekom het: Bridget Harpur (Takbestuurder: VWSA), dr Andrew Venter (Wildlands Conservation Trust) en David Polkinghorne (Blue Fund & Grinrod).
Daarna het die groep na die terrein op die Birkenhead Lodge-gronde gery vir die amptelike sooispit-seremonie. Die sooispit is deur Wilfred Chivell, David Polkinghorne, Bridget Harpur en dr Andrew Venter waargeneem. “DICT het die desperate nood vir ‘n rehabilitasie-sentrum raakgesien,” het Wilfred gesê.
“Tans word beseerde seevoëls wat gevind word, na SANCCOB (South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds) in Kaapstad vervoer, waar hulle gerehabiliteer en vrygelaat word. SANCCOB doen uitstekende werk, maar die langafstand veroorsaak onnodig spanning en die voëls vind dit ook moeilik om hul pad terug hierheen te vind.”
Die African Penguin & Seabird Sanctuary sal ná voltooiing deur DICT bedryf word, maar met die ondersteuning van Volkswagen Suid-Afrika, Wildlands Conservation Trust en die Blue Fund & Grinrod. Na afloop van die seremonie het die gaste na die Great White House teruggekeer vir verversings. In ‘n amptelike persverklaring deur Dyer Island Conservation Trust se Operasionele Bestuurder, Alouise Lynch, verwys sy na die volgende: Land has already been purchased and DICT have received funding from VW for infrastructure.
The next step is a laboratory, an education centre, equipment and specialised flooring. “Our funding of the APSS is the continuation of our long standing partnership and a commitment to continuously support the great work of DICT in conserving our Marine Big 5 - African penguins, great white shark, seals, dolphins and whales. The partnership with DICT forms part of our Think Blue initiatives which aim to support organisations that are involved in environment sustainability programmes,” said David Powels, Managing Director: Volkswagen Group South Africa. “We are delighted to expand our sponsorship of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust, now in its fourth year. One of the key strategic objectives of the Think Blue brand is to position Volkswagen as a company with meaning and impact through activities with various community and environmental partners and this partnership does just this.” said Bridget Harpur, Brand Manager at VWSA. “Grindrod has its roots in the maritime industry and with this comes an intense understanding of the environmental issues that pose a threat to communities in general,” said David Polkinghorne, MD of Grindrod Bank Limited. “Grindrod Bank and Grindrod Financial Services have an active interest in transforming and enriching South Africa, and as such have created The Blue Fund which is proud to be associated with a project such as APSS,” said Polkinghorne. The Blue Fund is a strategic partnership between Grindrod Financial Services and Wildlands Conservation Trust and has been created with a focus on the sustainable development of coastal communities and conservation of coastal marine ecosystems. “Wildlands have always been driven by a vision to transform and uplift communities and the environment,” said Wildlands CEO Dr Andrew Venter.
“When we were approached by Grindrod with the idea to develop The Blue Fund the synergy with the sustainability work we already implement across the country could not be ignored, and we decided the Blue Fund was a perfect fit for us.” The Blue Fund is also offering support to two projects driven by WESSA (the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa), namely, the Blue Flag Beach Drive on the KZN Coast and their Port St Johns Crafter Product Development and Support in the Eastern Cape.
Vir meer inligting rakende die vele aktiwiteite en projekte van DICT, kan hulle webtuiste by www.dict.org.za besoek word, of skakel vir Alouise Lynch by 082-907-5607 of stuur ‘n e-pos aan haar by office@dict.org.za.
Hardus Botha
