The Old Diocesan Issue 12 - Magazine - Page 30
ODs in the news
From Cape Town to London
and Dundee to Marion Island,
ODs continue to make headlines
MARK MAKING MARION MOUSE-FREE
In October 2025, Mark Shuttleworth (1991W), among the most prominent
ODs in recent decades, gave a major boost to the Mouse-Free Marion
(MFM) Project with a $1-million donation, as reported by African Birdlife,
Bizcommunity and others. Regarded by conservationists as one of the
most important ecological restoration initiatives in the world today, the
project aims to eradicate invasive house mice from Marion Island, which
lies 2,000km south-east of Cape Town. Accidentally introduced in the early
19th century, the mice now prey on chicks and even adult birds in what is
a critical breeding ground for threatened or endangered seabird species.
The MFM Project is a partnership between the South African Department
of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, and BirdLife South Africa (BLSA),
of which Mark is an Honorary Patron. His support for the initiative goes
back to 2015, when he funded the feasibility assessment that first explored
whether such an ambitious eradication project was possible. His latest
contribution provides vital momentum, strengthening the case for
other major donors. Several more ODs are also closely involved
through BLSA, including board members Matt Biden (2001W),
Ismail Bhorat (2001K) and Vernon Head (1984O), as well as
Simon Mandy (2001G), who is on its Ethics Committee.
See mousefreemarion.org for more info.
A Grey-headed Albatross
photographed on Marion Island
– one of 19 seabird species,
of the total of 29 on the island,
threatened with local extinction.
