Residents at four local rest homes are benefiting from an initiative organised by local bird enthusiast Susan Oliver.
"The Wild Bird programme" was first conceived when Susan visited a friend who had moved into Elizabeth R. "I realised that she, and many of the residents, would enjoy watching wild birds. Many of the residents may have limited mobility, but their minds are alert and they enjoy learning about new things. Bird watching is an ideal activity, as some of the most important qualities for successful and satisfying bird watching are having sufficient time, sitting still, being quiet and being able to pay attention."
Susan describes herself as "a keen feeder of birds in my own garden," and has spent many happy years observing and learning more about them.
Once Susan came up with the idea of encouraging residents to sit and watch the birdlife, she did some research into how best to put this into action. "An American study found while providing food and feeding platforms was a start, it was insufficient. It seems the 'watchers' need encouragement, prompts, questions and educational material to best develop interest, knowledge and appreciation of the wild birds."
Susan then designed her programme and approached the Toko Lions, asking them to sponsor it.