People behind the Turtle Monitoring project
July Ngubane - turtle project monitor for a staggering 23 years!
© WWF-Canon / Richard McLellan
Nobody epitomises the nature of the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park Turtle Monitoring Project than July Ngubane, who was recently saluted for 23 years of inspired continuous contribution to the Project.
Employed as a Project Leader by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, and previously by the Natal Parks Board, July joined the Project more than two decades ago to help save the plight of marine turtles in his homeland.Like other members of the local community, July is employed to ensure the long-running monitoring and conservation programme is maintained year-in, year-out and, during the nesting season, night-in and night-out.
Married to his work
With a palatably high sense of dedication and satisfaction, July is 'on the job' somewhere along the shore virtually every day of the year.
July's value to the Project was recently demonstrated in front of a group of visitors from WWF's Global Species Programme, who travelled to Maputaland to investigate the Project. On a night when foot patrols were cancelled due to inclement weather, July undertook a rapid appraisal of the shoreline by Four-Wheel-Drive with several 'rookie turtle spotters' in tow.
On a moonless night, with raindrops spitting through the arc of light illuminating the rapidly changing beach in front of the vehicle, only July was able to pick-up the tiny hatchling footprints cutting across their path from the san-dunes to the sea.
Even on closer inspection, once stationary and out of the vehicle, the tracks were hard to see. However July was able to trace them to their source, excavate the vacated nest and assess the nesting success.
You have been a source of inspiration to many... and a great role model for all members of your community
Programme Manager, EKZN Wildlife Regional Marine Ecologist, Dr Ronel Nel recently saluted July for his exemplary service record and the achievements of the Programme during his tenure.
Spreading awareness
Every nesting season, approximately 15 local people are employed as monitors to patrol the beaches, raise awareness about the importance of turtle conservation within their community and provide outreach for other aspects of the programme.
Increasing turtle-based tourism activities provides both opportunities and challenges for the people and the project, as does the education and extension of more sustainable marine harvesting initiatives being promoted in the area.
