26 Feb Critically Endangered Blue Swallows – “Into the Blue – Hope on Fragile Wings”
Hooray! Today is an exciting day for us as we launch our documentary called “Into the Blue – Hope on Fragile Wings”.
It started with an email from award winning filmmaker; Johan Vermeulen. What was meant to be a one day event; filming a professional bird photographer in nature, turned into 5 days of filming in the field and an 18+ month journey and the production of this short documentary.
We wanted to tell the story of South Africa’s critically endangered blue swallows and their equally endangered Mistbelt grassland homes. We hope the story will drive awareness about the fragility of nature, the importance it holds for us as humans and the need to safeguard it for future generations.
You can watch it now on YouTube: Into the Blue – Hope on Fragile Wings
Please share it far and wide! And please let us know what you think.
We would love to drive as much publicity for the cause as possible and hopefully through it provide support to the people and organisations looking to safeguard these special birds and the incredible Mistbelt grasslands that they call home.
A magnificent, male Blue Swallow spreading his wings and showing his white underwings at Rosealnds Nature Reserve, South Africa.
We selected the Conservation Heritage Trust to be the beneficiary of donations for a number of good reasons. We know Kevin McCann personally as well as the excellent work done by him and his team (including Steve McKean) at Conservation Outcomes. Kevin sits on the Board of Trustees.
He and a dedicated team have focussed on the development of biodiversity stewardship for the past 20 years. They have an excellent reputation within the South African conservation community and are seen as important contributors to biodiversity stewardship and protected area expansion beyond traditional parks. Their work is often cited by partner organisations as effective in moving conservation from policy/legal frameworks into meaningful, sustained, on-the-ground outcomes.
We felt they were best to steward any funds raised and ensure that they are prioritised and directed to what will count most towards protecting the blue swallows and their breeding habitats. All donations made to the Conservation Heritage Foundation for Blue Swallow conservation are ring-fenced within the Trust account and managed by the Ewing Trust Company.
These funds are administered exclusively for Blue Swallow conservation by a dedicated conservation team comprising staff from Conservation Outcomes, BirdLife South Africa, and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (the provincial conservation authority).
To find out more about the Conservation Heritage Trust and donate to this worthy cause please go to: conservationheritagefoundation.co.za/blue-swallow/
The male, Blue Swallow Johan caught on camera in our documentary “Into the blue – hope on fragile wings”.
Finally, thank you so much to Johan for using his incredible talent to tell this story. Thank you for giving so much of your time and passion towards this project at no cost! It could not have happened without you!
Thank you to Dr Melissa Whitecross, Kevin McCann, Nathan Bam, Steve McKean and Nhlanhle Shelembe for giving so generously of their time and sharing their expertise and knowledge. And thank you to every person and organisation that has devoted time and resources to protecting these special birds and places. We may have left some of you off the documentary by accident, but we value you nonetheless!
The birds, the grasslands and the amazing men and women working to safeguard them need our help!
Thank you for your support,
