Mike, aka the Owl Box Man, saw that the ducks and geese in his area were searching for water because their dam had dried up so he asked the community for help
Brackenfell, Cape Town – Mike has a passion for the birds in his neighbourhood. He goes by ‘The Owl Box Man’ and works to protect the birds by always looking out for their best interests.
He started by building owl boxes to house the various owls in Cape Town because of their habitats were being destroyed, working on releasing owls back into nature and now… he is working to replenish a dam in Brackenfell that feeds ducks and geese the water they need. He had noticed that the ducks and geese were wandering off into peoples gardens, using smaller ponds and pools to get water.
He took to his Facebook page and asked if anyone would be able to bring a water tank to the Vredekloof dam so they could refill it.
“Ducks and geese have moved along to houses seeking water, is there anyone with a tank and willing to assist with transport that could help collect water and at least full up the smaller “bath/pool” by the parking area?”
He never imagined people would come armed with water to refill the entire dam. People came armed with water bottles, water tanks and even helped pay for the diesel needed to get the water to the dam.
Mike said the dam looked like a dried up Sahara sand patch but after the water was delivered, it looked so much more like a dam.
“Not only did you guys send truckloads of water, but you are still sending, you have already helped form the sand pit that once resembled the Sahara, into what more likely resembles an actual dam again!!!!!!!
Words aren’t enough, and I can only honestly say THANK YOU.
it is not often that people are so caring in a time when self-centredness is commonplace, thank you for returning faith in humanity.”
He is encouraging people to continue adding water so it rises and stays filled until the first rains come. If you would like to get involved in the project or want to be involved in helping Mike rescue birds and other animals, you can check out his Facebook page here.
When chatting to Mike, we couldn’t help but feel inspired by his positivity. He has so much hope South Africa and knows small stories like this make a big difference in the long run. We couldn’t agree more Mike! Keep up the excellent work.
Take a look at the before and after of the little dams.
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