Romario Valentine with a piece of art he made depicting a sea bird.
- A Durban tween who wrote a book on conservation is raising money for seabirds.
- Romario Valentine, an ambassador for Ocean Sole who has worked with the UN, says seabirds are critical to the environment.
- The youngster started a backabuddy campaign that has almost raised the R10,000 he plans to donate to seabird welfare this Christmas.
A Durban tween, author of a conservation book, has raised nearly R10,000 to fund seabird welfare.
Romario Valentine, who was Ocean Sole’s youngest ambassador and worked with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to help combat land degradation in Africa’s Sahel and Sahara region, is now raising funds to raise awareness and protect seabirds.
Earlier this year, through Penguin Publishing, the young man published his book, protect our planet guide young nature lovers through key environmental issues, from recycling and reforestation to solutions to pollution and climate change.
In his latest venture, the 11-year-old conservationist is aiming to fund the Mouse Free Marion project, which aims to conserve seabirds on Marion Island, off the coast of South Africa.
Due to a warmer and drier climate over the past 30 years, there has been an increase in mice feeding on birds. Birds have no defense against mice, whose attacks have grown exponentially in recent years.
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Romario’s proud mother, Delsha Moodley, explained how the youngster decided to embark on his latest project.
“Romario’s favorite seabird is the African penguin. He paints endangered birds to raise awareness. This time he chose the critically endangered Tristan albatross. It is found on Gough Island. When Romario researched the bird, he discovered that it was being attacked by mice.
“As he is a BirdLife owlet award winner, it led him to read about a similar problem on the BirdLife South Africa website, where he heard about the same situation happening to important seabirds on a South African island called Marion.
She said:
She decided to raise awareness while also supporting the Mouse Free Marion project spearheaded by BirdLife South Africa.
Seabird guano “droppings” contain nutrients that help coral reefs grow, Moodley added.
“The money raised will go towards the Mouse Free Marion project, where they will drop a mouse bait that will kill them. It is a huge undertaking and they will need all the financial support they can get,” he said.
Speaking about conservation and the project, young Romario said:
I believe that you are never too young to help nature and help improve the lives of others. My advice is to set small goals. Do your best to live more sustainably. Connect more with nature and find a place to clean often, plant trees, recycle, reuse and buy only the things you need because when we care for nature. we take care of ourselves
Romario said that each young person and citizen, in general, can do their part for conservation.
“I would say start small. Do your research, read books and online. Go to environmental events organized by organizations that are doing everything they can to help biodiversity. This way, understand them and vice versa.”
Romario Valentine has raised nearly R10,000 for seabird conservation.
When asked how he balances his conservation work with school, Moodley said Romario’s time management was key.
“As a mom, I manage her time efficiently with plenty of time to rest and play. I balance her schedule so she maintains a balance between school, sports, and her environmental activism.”
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She added: “Romario believes his mission is to protect the planet and leave a legacy for future generations.
“As a family, we are honored to have such a caring spirit as the boy Romario. We appreciate nature and are pleased to be able to help him on his journey to fulfill his passion not only for himself but for the rest of the natural world.” “
If you would like to contribute to Romario’s backabuddy campaign, click here for more information.
