## AGM15FEBRUARY2014

## CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT

## 2013 Committee

## Slide 2

Chair : Lesley Frescura Vice-Chair : Arnia van Vuuren Treasurer : Dave Bishop Secretary : Janet Levy Membership: Lesley Frescura Publicity: Arnia van Vuuren Activities: Paul Bartho Indoor meetings: Rob Jamieson and Cheryl King Publications : Crystelle Wilson Courses: Dave Bishop Shop: Merle Mackenzie Media: Virginia Cameron Website: Paul Bartho Conservation: Arnia van Vuuren meetings: Rob Jamieson and Cheryl King : Crystelle Wilson Dave Bishop Merle Mackenzie Virginia Cameron Paul Bartho Arnia van Vuuren Lesley Frescura Arnia van Vuuren Lesley Frescura : Arnia van Vuuren

Chair : Lesley Frescura Vice-Chair : Arnia van Vuuren Treasurer : Dave Bishop Secretary : Janet Levy Membership: Lesley Frescura Publicity: Arnia van Vuuren Activities: Paul Bartho Indoor meetings: Rob Jamieson and Cheryl King Publications : Crystelle Wilson Courses: Dave Bishop Shop: Merle Mackenzie Media: Virginia Cameron Website: Paul Bartho Conservation: Arnia van Vuuren meetings: Rob Jamieson and Cheryl King : Crystelle Wilson Dave Bishop Merle Mackenzie Virginia Cameron Paul Bartho Arnia van Vuuren Lesley Frescura Arnia van Vuuren

Chair : Lesley Frescura Vice-Chair : Arnia van Vuuren Treasurer : Dave Bishop Secretary : Janet Levy Membership: Lesley Frescura Publicity: Arnia van Vuuren Activities: Paul Bartho Indoor meetings: Rob Jamieson and Cheryl King Publications : Crystelle Wilson Courses: Dave Bishop Shop: Merle Mackenzie Media: Virginia Cameron Website: Paul Bartho Conservation: Arnia van Vuuren meetings: Rob Jamieson and Cheryl King : Crystelle Wilson Dave Bishop Merle Mackenzie Virginia Cameron Paul Bartho Arnia van Vuuren

Welcome to the Port Natal AGM - the 65 . This year marks BirdLife Midlands' 25 th th anniversary and we send our congratulations to Drummond Densham and the club and wish them a very successful year. I would also like to welcome Dr Peter Ryan, our guest speaker, Acting Director Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology, UCT and past President of BirdLife South Africa. (Slide 3)

The team on the 2013 committee continued to work with dedication and commitment throughout the year, filling gaps and supporting each other wherever possible. We are in desperate need of some more hands and minds and would be delighted if some members joined us. Our record of events looks marvellous in print, but it takes a lot of sweat to put these together, and we would not be able to do these things without the incredible support of our volunteers, who assist with education, outings and publicity. Cheryl King has resigned from the committee for personal reasons, but I would like to take this opportunity of thanking her for organising the indoor meeting speakers for 2014 and for her generous support for our raffle. We hope to have her back one of these days. I think that in some quarters we are known as 'the terrible three', but very little would happen in our club without Arnia and Crystelle's extremely hard work and it all comes from a deep -seated fervour for the conservation and survival of birds, but not only that, their love affair with them as well. I am privileged to have got to know them well and to work with both of them. (Slide 4). Arnia's expertise when it came to researching and speaking with authority on the proposed changes to Durban's present harbour and the proposed dig -out port has been an excellent asset to us. She has also followed the proposals for wind turbines in the city with curiosity and concern. Crystelle, in the meanwhile is fanatical about Cranes, her Boston farm and its birds and atlasing. She has also produced the BirdLife Midlands 25 anniversary brochure, our annual th calendar which supports our projects, KZN Birds and is busy working on a brochure on eThekwini's garden birds, which will be ready in May for the Indigenous Gardens. (Slide 5).