Field Market commits to conservation by providing Parkmore owls with homes
Instead of just bringing the community together every month, the Field Market is now helping local wildlife thrive through the installation of four owl houses at Field and Study Park.
The Field Market has strengthened its commitment to conservation by sponsoring the installation of four owl nesting boxes at Field and Study Park, creating safe homes for the area’s resident barn owls and spotted eagle owls.
The final owl house was installed on August 4 by the Owl Rescue Centre, completing a project that saw three barn owl houses and one spotted eagle owl house erected in some of the trees at the park.
The initiative was made possible through a resident, Janis Chapman, who initiated the project and obtained permission from Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo before the Field Market stepped in to sponsor the owl houses.
Read more: Soweto learners get hands-on owl conservation experience in Sandton
Field Market organiser Handri Coolen said the project was another way for the market to give back to the park that has hosted the popular community market for the past decade.
“This is for the owls that are in the area. As far as my understanding, owls don’t make their own nests; they find a structure and then make a nest. This is a safe place for them to make a nest,” Coolen said.
“There have been lots of owls in the park in the past, and there have been barn owls at the nearby recreation centre and in some of the houses in the area as well. So we hope that they will make these houses their homes.”
She added that the market, held on the first Saturday of every month at Field and Study Park, has always aimed to invest in the park and its natural environment.
Also read: Sandton learners experience owl ringing and release up close
“We’ve been here for 10 years, and this is one of the ways we’re giving back to the park. It’s a beautiful space for the community, and hopefully one day visitors will be lucky enough to spot an owl here. We hope these houses will be a success, that the owls will breed here and that there will be owlets.
“Thank you to Janis Chapman for organising this project and to everyone who contributed, especially the Owl Rescue Centre for the incredible work they do rescuing and protecting owls.”
Godfree Sithole from Owl Rescue Centre said each nesting box was designed specifically for the species it would accommodate.
@caxtonjoburgnorth Watch: Field Market organiser Handri Coolen and Owl Rescue Centre representative Godfree Sithole explain how four newly installed owl houses at Field and Study Park will provide safe nesting sites for local barn owls and spotted eagle owls. The conservation initiative was sponsored by the Field Market to help protect the park’s owl population. Video: Xoliswa Zakwe #Sandton #barnowlrescue #owl #Parkmore
♬ original sound – Caxton Joburg North – Caxton Joburg North
“The barn owl houses have smaller entrance holes because barn owls prefer more privacy. The spotted eagle owl houses are more open because they are much larger birds.”
Sithole urged residents to be mindful of wildlife before removing trees and to avoid using rat poison, which can have devastating consequences for birds of prey.
“People should stop cutting trees before they look because there might be an owl living there. Owls depend on us. They come into our gardens to catch rats, so if you poison the rats and the owl eats one, the owl can die too.”
He encouraged communities to play an active role in protecting the birds.
“Let’s look after our birds. I would also like to thank the Field Market for supporting the Owl Rescue Centre, and I hope this inspires more communities to join the fight against owl cruelty.”
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