093 | BIRD & BIRDER FRIENDLY AIRPORT JAGD & GÄSTEFARM

93

A WINNING BIRD CONSERVATION AND BIRD TOURISM RECIPE,

the bird and birder friendly AIRPORT JAGD & GÄSTEFARM

Photos by Birgit Leicher and text by Stefan Rust

2013

(In terms of the Geneva Convention the copyright of these texts belong to Stefan Rust)

Described as hardworking and dedicated, Uwe and Janet Trümper from the Airport Jagd & Gästefarm are the proud recipients of the highest rated Bird & Birder Friendly Award, rated with three penguins, on the 15^th of June.

Uwe and Janet together with volunteers of BirdsConTour constructed two Wild Bird Support Stations on their big establishment. These stations aim at giving back to nature in form of offering bird food, water, nesting possibility and nest building material for the space that is taken by the human residents and their infrastructure. It also seeks to draw birdlife closer to the farm garden for the purpose of natural pest control by the birds and serves as an excellent entertainment for the guests right in front of their doorsteps.

But the Wild Bird Support Stations are not the only projects the award-winning couple support. The Airport Jagd & Gästefarm neighbors to the Hosea Kutako National Airport on the eastern side. Uwe and Janet support research projects organized by WARN (Wildlife and aircraft research Namibia project). The aim is to find sustainable solutions to reduce birdstrikes by airplanes. To better understand the interactions of the ecosystem at the Hosea Kutako International Airport and to shed light on the link between insects and birds, insect surveys are done in areas of the airport and on neighboring properties such as the Airport Jagd & Gästefarm.

Being concerned for the welfare of the endangered vultures, Uwe and Janet Trümper support research projects on these feathered scavengers undertaken on their land by experts, being aware that vultures need to be conserved for their important ecological functions.

Yet another project on Airport Jagd & Gästefarm that lures and supports a variety of birds is a wetland area. Fenced off to keep it undisturbed from cattle, this wetland is a paradisiacal habitat. It receives its water from the airport and although it is wastewater, it is properly recycled not to cause harm on wildlife.