Project Update: May 2009

The Project team is pleased to report that from 19-30 January 2009 and also from 16-28 February 2009, we visited 23 villages located around Mpumalanga Gold Mines where 16 advice-giving meetings were held with local communities and stakeholders (See photo).

The main objective of the meetings was teach them on the importance of bats, brainstorm and lobby them to form active working groups which will assist in conservation and protection of bat species in the area. We are pleased to report to report that 15 active working groups have been established. Women have also taken active part this programme as they have formed their own groups. The main task of these groups is to rehabilitate and restore the destroyed and vandalised habitats, roosts and caves of threatened bat populations in the area.