Community Service
Once described as the “Heartbeat of Rotary,” Community Service is a multi-pronged effort to improve the quality of life within their local communities. Rotarians have long been making substantial and lasting contributions to their communities. To a large extent, Rotary’s reputation is built on the Community Service projects undertaken by Rotarians.
Nyoka Ridge Cape Vulture Restaurant & Monitoring
The Cape Vultures of the majestic Magaliesberg Mountains have for a number of years now fed on carcasses provided intermittently at the Nyoka Ridge farm in the Skeerpoort area.
The owners of Nyoka Ridge Farm have committed themselves to not only continuing with the intermittent supply of food to the vultures, but also to establishing the site as an integrated state-of-the-art facility, for sustainable resource management, vulture population research and monitoring, as well as for student education and public awareness programmes. The site will also form part of the Magaliesberg / Hartbeespoort birding route as well as be an important project within the UNESCO registered Magaliesberg Biosphere.
Vulture populations face a dearth of man-made hazards that include a diminishing food source, electrocution on electricity pylons, drowning in farm brick dams and ingesting poisons meant for problem animal control. Seven of the nine vulture species found in southern Africa are now listed in the Eskom Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa.
The values of vulture restaurants have been well articulated over the years and include allowing for the monitoring of vulture populations, assisting the population by providing an intermittent source of safe food, a source of calcium (bone-chips) for bone development in growing chicks, a venue for research, education and awareness.
Over the years the project has hosted many visitors both local and from all over the world, school groups and individuals. The International Vulture Day held yearly in September has been hosted by Nyoka Ridge project for a number of years now with attendance growing to well over 100 visitors.
This display of soaring and spiraling by these endangered birds is unequaled anywhere else in this country.
Who we are…
HAWS is a registered non-profit organization that provides welfare services for abandoned, neglected and abused pets as well as farm and wild animals. HAWS also has a sterilization clinic for the animals of less privileged members of our community. We welcome volunteers to assist us in all aspects of sustaining the existence of the shelter, be it hands-on at the kennels or with HAWS fundraisers.
HAWS’ Aims and Objectives
- Reducing the number of animals that come into our kennels by offering sterilization for the animals belonging to underprivileged members of our community.
- Educating the public in the care of domestic animals and raising awareness of the consequences of ignorance and indifference in the treatment of all animals.
- Addressing complaints of animal abuse in the community.
- Rehabilitation of abandoned, neglected or abused domestic animals and re-homing them into loving homes.
- Assist in finding the appropriate facilities for any wildlife or farm animals that need care or attention.
