GIVING A HOOT ABOUT CONSERVATION
Realising that there was a rapid decline in owl numbers and that owls had become one of the most common wildlife casualties brought into veterinary practices, brendan murray and his wife, danelle, decided about ten years ago to focus all their efforts on conserving them. The organisation they founded, owl rescue centre, is based at hartbeespoort in the north west province, and now takes in up to 800 owls every year through their rescue efforts. The owls are rehabilitated and when they can survive on their own in the wild, are released in the sanctuary – a farm which is located within a 12,000-hectare conservancy.
Owl Rescue Centre is a non-profit company and registered rehabilitation facility that is dedicated to the protection of owls in South Africa. Efforts aimed to decrease the risk factors to the owl populations are executed in ongoing owl-conservation projects. The Owl Rescue Centre creates awareness among communities in order to help them to understand that owls share our natural habitat, and play an important role in the ecological system by keeping the rodent population under control. The education is aimed at overturning the misperceptions people have about owls and to inform them that owls pose no threat to human beings.
FROM THE MOUTHS OF BABES
It is not only owls that the Murrays concern themselves with, but with all aspects of conservation. For them it is a way of life, and their family values are tied into this belief. Their passion for the environment also extends to their children. Their six-year-old daughter inspired them to pioneer a plastic recycling drive to stop plastic waste from landing up in the ocean. “After Rebecca watched a program on what happens to marine life because of plastic straws, she started refusing them whenever offered. She made a concerted effort to change her consumer behaviour.We realised that if a six-year-old could make an effort to keep our environment clean, then so can everyone else,” Brendan says.
He duly researched methods of plastic recycling and came up with a way that the Centre could manufacture their conservation
products – like owl houses, bat houses and bee hives, which are currently made from wood – out of recycled plastic instead.The Bee Hives specifically encourage the conservation of bees and are not designed for the harvesting of honey.
FROM BAD TO GOOD
The idea would not only provide for re-using massive amounts of plastic waste, it would also increase the lifespan of the houses. Although the wooden owl houses work very well, wood deteriorates over time and often needs replacing. “The plastic owl houses will still benefit many generations of owls hundreds of years from now,” Brendan explains. “In this way, we can fill two needs with one deed,” Danelle adds. Instead of the plastic being harmful to the environment, it now has a purpose of providing a habitat to aid in environmental conservation.
In an environment where natural habitats are lost through development, some owl species are making use of man-made structures, such as the owl houses, to nest in. Erecting an owl house provides a safe breeding spot for these owls where they can lay their eggs and rear their young. “We have seen a great increase in the owl population since the onset of our owl house project,” Brendan says.
PLAY YOUR PART
The plastic bottles are first granulated into a workable product. This is then put through an extruder, which melts it down to be pressed into moulds to be made into these products. A number of schools, individuals and companies are already collecting their
In an environment where natural habitats are lost through development, some owl species are making use of man-made structures, such as the owl houses, to nest in. Erecting an owl house provides a safe breeding spot for these owls where they can lay their eggs and rear their young.
plastic bottles and containers to aid Owl Rescue Centre’s project, but the Murrays hope to gain more support in this. They aim to recycle 600 tons of plastic per year by turning this into a feasible environmental project. They believe that every person who inhabits this earth as a consumer has a responsibility to keep it clean and to conserve it for the wildlife who calls it home. They therefore appeal to corporate institutions, who leave a large carbon footprint, to join forces with Owl Rescue Centre and help them to see this project succeed.
The Murrays also regard this project as a great opportunity for schools to teach learners about recycling. “When the children start to collect all the plastic that they use, they become consciously aware of their usage.The principles of reduce, reuse and recycle are thus instilled in them from a young age,” Danelle explains.
To find out more about Owl Rescue Centre, visit their www.owlrescuecentre.org.za or follow their Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/OwlRescueCentre. In her memoir, My Dark Country – available on Amazon – Danelle Murray tells their life story about how and why Owl Rescue Centre was founded and the unique challenges they have lived through and still continue to face as conservationists living in South Africa.