About the Gauteng and Northern Regions Bat Interest Group.
The Gauteng and Northern Regions Bat Interest Group (GNoR BIG) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization run by volunteers in their spare time. It was established in 1994 around the same time as its sister organization, Bats KZN which is based in Kwa-Zulu Natal province. GNoR BIG is based in Gauteng Province but extends its activities to all the northern provinces (North-West, Limpopo and Mpumalanga), hence its name. Membership is open to anyone and subscription fees are minimal. The primary function of the group is educating the public about bats, with the ultimate aim of assisting their conservation through a wider understanding of the fascinating nature of these misunderstood animals, as well as their benefits. Meet our executive committee.
Mission
We are committed to:
Educate people to understand and value bats as essential allies;
Assist in advancing scientific knowledge about bats, their conservation needs, and the ecosystems that rely on them;
Relying on non-confrontational approaches to facilitate win-win solutions that help both bats and people.
Protect critical bat habitats and encourage others to join in our conservation efforts.
Activities
Talks to the public.
Weekend bat outings to interesting places, from farms to nature reserves, cave sites, etc.
Answering bat queries from the general public.
Arranging talks by bat specialists covering topics such as recent findings from field trips, bat-human diseases, bat biology and so on.
Contributions to the body of knowledge on African bats.
Training in bat identification and as bat workers.
Julio Balona
Chairperson
Julio is super zealous about all aspects of nature, but has a particular fascination for bats.
He believes the natural environment is under serious threat and that bats in particular need help due to the ignorance and misinformation that plague them.
Contact: 082 359 1295
Email: africanbat@gmail.com
Dawn Cory-Toussaint
Sharron Reynolds
Treasurer
Sharron is passionate about bat rehab and has completed several rehab courses. She is working closely with other bat rehab centres and her local vet to study and understand the causes of lymphatic lipidosis in bats raised on commercial milk substitutes. Her love for all wildlife has resulted in her working at Friends of Free wildlife as a volunteer in her spare time.
Contact: 082 553 5258
Leon de Kock
Membership
Leon is a nature lover by heart, and combines his passion for bats, birds and all things nature as much as he can. He believes that educating people about nature is the key to a healthy ecology.
Caroline Lötter
No specific portfolio
Caroline loves all things natural and is deeply concerned about the state of this planet. She works in the ecological consulting industry (at Inkululeko Wildlife Services), specializing in assessing and mitigating the impact of wind farms and other developments on bats and their habitats (e.g. caves).
She is a member of also the South African Bat Assessment Association Panel.
Annatjie Barkhuizen
