New hide and focus
PLETTENBERG BAY - Plett’s birding gems were the centre of attention during a collaborative birding trip recently, showing off, among others, Bitou’s latest bird hide project.
In a collaboration between Plett Tourism, the Garden Route & Klein Karoo (GR&KK) and Birdlife South Africa, nature and birding journalists were hosted on a media trip that took them to various sites in the Bitou area.
They had a sneak peek at the new bird hide at Kwendalo Wellness Farm, visited the Bitou Bird Hide Project, and explored the Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness Centre.
The Garden Route and Klein Karoo is a world-renowned ecotourism destination with a diversity of habitats ranging from forest to fynbos and from marine to montane.
This range of habitats hosts more than 450 species of birds – over half of South Africa’s bird species. About 50 of the country’s 69 endemic and nearendemic bird species, which occur nowhere else in the world, are found in this region.
For this reason, Bitou tourism players have started to highlight avitourism to establish the area as a premier birding destination in recent months.
"At Plett Tourism, we believe in the importance of maintaining and developing new
relationships with journalists and media representatives to ensure accurate and favourable coverage of our town, and in particular the tourism industry," said Plett Tourism chief executive Patty Butterworth.
"We encourage building positive relationships with the media, which in turn assists us to effectively manage both our association and the town’s reputation to the industry and to potential travellers."
Birding stands for wellness
The new Kwendalo Bird Hide – built in collaboration with BirdLife Plettenberg Bay – was officially launched at a ceremony.
'From seasoned birdwatchers to curious novices, this natural viewpoint offers a serene space on the vlei and a haven for all
who seek solace in nature’s winged wonders." About 90 different bird species have already been recorded in the area of the hide.
Dr Matthew Zylstra, programme director and conservation ecologist at the Kwendalo Institute, shared with the group how birding and wellness went hand-in-hand.
"Many people are unaware of the health and well-being advantages of birdwatching. Along with the better-known benefits of physical activity and being outdoors, birdwatching, specifically, has been shown to promote better mental health like mood enhancement and stress reduction; creativity like cognitive flexibility, and attention restoration like reduced mental fatigue," Zylstra said.