The Cape Parrot Project - a Wild Bird Trust project

The Cape Parrot Project is a Wild Bird Trust initiative and was established in 2009 by Dr. Steve Boyes out of the village of Hogsback, in the Eastern Cape province. The project aims to conserve the nationally endangered Cape Parrot through research and reforestation efforts, with community involvement and upliftment being viewed as an integral part of the future success of the project.

With fewer than 2 000 Cape Parrots in the wild, the Cape Parrot is under threat of extinction. It is South Africa’s only endemic parrot and is found in limited forest patches in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Limpopo Province, Historical and current logging practices of Yellowwood trees especially have reduced the availability of natural nesting sites in tree hollows and reduced the number of natural feeding trees for the parrots.

The majestic Cape Parrot :

Since 2009, the project has planted over 43 000 trees in over 153ha of restored habitat, resulting in 349 tonnes of carbon sequestered. The project uplifts local communities by employing community members to plant trees and restore habitat and supports and builds communal nurseries for communities to germinate seedlings that are then repurchased for reforestation efforts. Given the long-term efforts needed to regrow forests, this project is expected to continue over several lifetimes with the support of strategic partnerships.

The reforestation team in action :

The Cape Parrot Project’s ultimate goal is to strengthen local social-economic and environmental resilience, achieved through a long-term process, linking our reforestation efforts with community collaboration and livelihood development.

Our current projects include :

Reforestation through community involvement and upliftment in Eastern Cape.

Research and reforestation in the Hogsback area (Mistbelt forest), located in the Eastern Cape, through community involvement by establishing communal nurseries where the community members grow indigenous trees, including the Yellowwood that provides much-needed nutrition to the critically endangered Cape Parrot. The monies received by community members for growing the trees and their involvement in reforestation provide financial support to many families in this area.

A list of our needs: