The Johan Koen Bird Park in Pretoria North, an FF Plus initiative, will open its doors for visitors soon.
It is a registered, non-profit organisation with a vision to not only conserve the environment, but also make a positive contribution to people’s mental health. The last step in the process before official opening the Bird Park is to finalise the Community Upliftment Programme (CUP).
The idea for the Bird Park was hatched after a fire at the Hillside Golf Course destroyed the habitat of several bird species. The FF Plus cooperated with Wildlife South Africa to save the birds, including a family of Egyptian geese that were wandering the streets.
These geese have since made the Johan Koen dam their new home. The event inspired the initiative to create the Bird Park in Pretoria North. Pieter Dicks, the Tshwane Metro’s parks director, immediately bought into the idea. Dinah Shopa from nature conservation is also on board.
They realised the Bird Park could also serve as a place where people can relax and escape from their everyday problems in addition to nature conservation.
The Johan Koen Bird Park will house several bird species, including waterfowl, Egyptian geese and darters.
Safety measures have been implemented to secure the Park. The Park will also be supported by sponsorships and several large companies in the Pretoria North region have already expressed interest.
;
