Through their involvement in rescuing the grounded fledglings for rehabilitation the community of Indermark has formed a strong identity and bond with the Cape Griffon. So much so that we were approached by their Soccer League to try and acquire sponsored soccer kits for their team that they had named the "Blouberg Vultures". Also at their request they wanted a picture of the Cape Griffon on the front of the jersey and the name of the team on the back. We received a generous sponsorship from Adidas - Germany who donated a full kit for the entire team and a private donor had the jerseys printed to the team's specifications. This is the first time that this team has ever had a soccer kit of their own! We are extremely encouraged by this as the more this community identifies itself with these birds the more they are certain to protect them. The "Bundesliga" in Germany has also donated a set of soccer jerseys to the team. When this team took to the field for the first time in their new kits a ceremony was held that was attended by many of the members of the community together with local dignitaries. This made such an impression that a local farmer whose farm shares a boundary with this community has donated a portion of his land to the community for use as a sports terrain. Again we are extremely encouraged as our project's activities are bringing different communities and people together. The mayor, a school principal and the agricultural committee chairman of Indermark form part of our organisation's corporate structure. This has given this community a sense of ownership of the project and they refer to it as their project. This is clearly evident when we hold our annual "Reward Day" for those who have rescued grounded fledgling vultures during the breeding season. The community members organise this event themselves, putting on a programme that includes traditional dancers, singers, drummers and they are the ones that give the speeches, encouraging their friends and neighbours to protect their vultures and explaining the benefits of doing so. Their local poet has even composed a poem in honour of their vultures that has been published in the journal of the Vulture Study Group - "Vulture News".

Through the involvement of local people in conserving this endangered species they have also benefited through our project's policy of uplifting and empowering local communities through conservation programmes. We have formed a community steering committee made up of the project's 2 managers and 4 individuals from these communities. Our aim through this committee is to identify issues within the communities that the project may be able to assist them with. To date we have, as previously mentioned, assisted in providing soccer kits for the League Soccer Team. We have also procured a donation of 7 computers, 17" monitors, keyboards, mice, mouse pads and 2 printers for an underprivileged school in the area from the Government of Liechtenstein. Once this computer equipment is installed we will provide training for the teachers in computer science. We are also assisting the schools in the area that had their toilets destroyed in the 2000 floods in upgrading this facility.

A fairly recent development is the request by the community for assistance in equipping their crèches with toys and educational equipment. We have visited the crèches in the area and there is indeed a desperate need for equipping them with items of an educational nature as well as articles with which to keep the children busy. We have also held a meeting with a representative from each crèche in the area and have committed the project to assisting in obtaining donations for this cause. This is an excellent way in reaching many segments of the community as these children will eventually attend the schools in the area and become "vulture rescuers" themselves as well as taking the message home to their parents that participating in this conservation action has benefits for them. We have made a point of emphasising that there is a direct link between the benefits they receive and caring for the vultures and their environment. At the Indermark community's request we have obtained a large signboard for which we have recently received permission from the Blouberg Municipality to erect at the entrance to the village stating "Welcome to Indermark - You are now entering a Vulture Friendly Area". This is definitely a strong indication of a drastically changed attitude toward these birds.

Together with the Blouberg Municipality our project is also involved in the development of an eco-tourism venture for the communities in the area with the focus being on the Cape Vulture breeding colony. This municipality has received a mandate from the government to assist in job creation in the area and have requested our assistance as we have been operating in the area, working with the communities and focusing on this breeding colony for the past 10 years. This is an undertaking that will not only benefit the local people by creating jobs through many related areas such as tour operators, car watch attendants, vendors of refreshments, homemade crafts and so on but will also greatly benefit the vultures, affording them even greater protection, as well as the environment as a whole. In line with this concept the community has also identified an area where there is a natural wetland that they want to conserve and utilise as a park and tourist attraction. We are also involved in this and will assist them with this project.

Due to our project's track record with involving local communities in conservation actions we have been requested to assist communities in Botswana in establishing similar projects. We have already held a workshop with representatives from the Otse community at which we provided ideas and ways in which they could adapt their situation to both benefiting the community as well as the Manyelanong Cape Vulture breeding colony. We invited them to join one of our community committee meetings and were extremely impressed and encouraged by the manner in which our local members took charge of the meeting and spoke with authority at length about their project. This is proof of the degree to which these people have taken ownership of this project demonstrating a new level of confidence. This has an empowering effect and now they frequently refer to the vultures and the vulture colony as belonging to them.

The "Blouberg Vultures" - Indermark's League Soccer team in their new soccer kits.

Peter Snyman attending National Arbor Day at a local school. The Project cultivates its own trees from seed/saplings, donates trees to local groups, who discuss the importance of planting, tending and propagating new trees, and then participants ceremonially plant the new trees.

Trench Gardens planted at Mpokaneng Primary School by scholars, after being trained how to do this at a course at the Project's Environmental Education Centre.

So well-regarded and respected is the academic and practical knowledge and ability of the Project staff, that the governmental Department of Nature Concervation rely on the Project to train the Department's Game Guards in certain courses. Here you see additional accommodation put up in the form of tents to house Game Guards from the Government Department for such a training session.

Local former Postmaster planting a tree, grown from seed at the Project Nursery, in front of the local Post Office on Arbor Day. More Community Involvement.

Peter Snyman presenting a Vulture Lecture through an interpreter at the Bhoikhutsô Primary School. In this manner effective transfer of practical knowledge about environmental matters is carried out to the young ones living in the Blouberg Area.

Interested community members receiving conservation literature.

The above three pictures show involved community members, receiving monetary/ certificate rewards for conservation work well done.