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FINAL REPORT AND RESULTS - EPILOGUE:
The Travellers Worldwide Species Survival
project, which started in July 2003, has recently finished its volunteer
component, although the fieldwork will still continue in a different format.
The results reflect the efforts of a
multi-disciplinary team from the Wildlands Conservation Trust, Ezemvelo
KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife, 11 scientific mentors and almost 40 Travellers
volunteers in collaboration with the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park Authority and
the management of the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park.
The main aim of the project was to update
information on the less charismatic, yet equally important, rare, threatened and
endemic species found within the Park through a synthesis of existing
information as well as standardised fieldwork to record new distribution points
for as many as possible target species.
Project staff and Travellers volunteers
spent much time collecting data in the field. The Park is very large and the
taxa are diverse, making the collection of adequate quality data challenging.
Apart from collating historical records, the project surveyed all the
representative habitats of the Park through 14 sample transects. As a result of
the cryptic nature of many priority survey species, their presence and
distribution were recorded through live trapping and active searches. Specimens
were recorded with a Geographic Positioning System (GPS) and identifications
were confirmed by taxonomic specialists, often by scull measurements, dentition,
digital photographs, sound recordings, the study of skins and DNA.
New records found during the fieldwork
include one species, the Rufous Mouse-eared Bat (Myotis bocagei) for the
province of KwaZulu-Natal, 28 for the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, 130
additions to the World Heritage Schedules, recordings of 22 species which
significantly extend the known distributions in the Park as well as numerous
recordings of more than 80 rare, threatened and/or endemic species throughout
the Park.
The project has recorded and submitted more
than 2 000 records of species, made with a GPS in the Park, to the Ezemvelo
KwaZulu-Natal Biodiversity database. This is a 23 % increase in the number of
distribution points for the Park in only three years.
This information is also contributing to the
South Africa Reptile Conservation Assessment and will in future play an
important role in the South African National Spider Survey.
Rare, threatened and endemic species lists,
species checklists, species data sheets and distribution maps were distributed
to Park managers and other interested and affected parties for the following
taxonomic groups: Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians, Fish, Butterflies, Fruit
chafers, Dragonflies/Damselflies, Spiders, trees, Flowering plants and
Orchids.
Various media activities and releases were
made, including newspaper and magazine articles, radio and local and
international television programmes, for instance two inserts (Gaboon Viper and
Crocodiles) on Michaela’s Wildlife Challenge, a popular UK television show with
a strong conservation message.
Part of the
mission of the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park is managing and protecting the
ecosystems and biodiversity according to stringent standards in line with those
of the South African government and the Unesco’s World Heritage Commission.
During the past three years this project in partnership with the Wildlands
Conservation Trust,
Travellers Worldwide
and their volunteers, has played an important part in working towards
that goal.
Xander Combrink
PROJECT MANAGER
A personal note from Xander to
Travellers:
On behalf of myself and Dr Scotty Kyle (Project Leader), we would like to
thank Travellers Worldwide for your continued support the past three years by
placing close to 40 volunteers on the project. I went through my records
yesterday and was scrolling through all the electronic files with Travellers
volunteer names on, and thought back on all the FANTASTIC memories of the past
three years with all of them. This was only possible because of the Wildlands
Conservation Trust and Travellers and for this we cannot thank you enough!
Every one of them has played an important part in helping us to learn more about
the area's unique biodiversity
I'm still in contact via SMS/TEXT or e-mail with many of the volunteers and will
try to keep up with what's happening in their respective lives. No doubt some of
them will find their way back to the shores of St Lucia and the wonderful
natural heritage that is conserved within the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park.
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+44 01903 502595
