General Meetings are normally scheduled for the third Wednesday of
every odd-numbered month, excluding January. The dates for 2025 are:
19 March (AGM), 21 May, 23 July, 17 September, 19 November.
* The third Wednesday of July, the 16th, fell during school holidays. The July meeting was therefore scheduled for the following week.
We are very grateful to Howick High School for making their
facilities available to us as the regular venue for our General
Meetings. Unfortunately this is not possible in November because of
Exams. Please note that our General Meetings start promptly at
15:00 (3:00 PM) and you should arrive as soon after 14:30 as
possible for registration / checking in. Members, please remember to
wear your name tags.
The next General Meeting of U3A Howick will be the
N.B. Please note that this meeting will NOT be held in the usual venue. It will be held in the Clubhouse, Amber Lee Estate, off Karkloof Road, Howick.*
The Guest Speaker will be
Crystelle Wilson participates in the Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP2) as an observer. SABAP2 is a citizen science project involving ordinary people who are keen on birding and who help specialist scientists by mapping the distribution and abundance of birds across several southern African countries. It is a follow-up project to SABAP1 which took place from 1987 to 1991. SABAP2 began on 1 July 2007 and is ongoing. Information gathered is uploaded to the SABAP2 database at the University of Cape Town and is used for research and analysis.
Crystelle’s interest in birds began when she was a teenager, and she says birdwatching is a constant pleasure. She has a background in fine arts and journalism, and for 15 years edited KZN Birds, a newsletter for six KwaZulu-Natal bird clubs affiliated to BirdLife South Africa.
Crystelle will talk about how atlasing works and how birders can become involved. She will also describe several atlasing events across the country in which she has participated. (Photo: KZN Birds)
* Please note: If you live outside the "Greater Ambers" (Amber Valley, Amber Ridge, Amber Lakes, Amber Lee) and wish to attend this meeting, please send your vehicle registration to Jon Rash (e-mail u3ahowick@gmail.com or WhatsApp 0724255544) by Monday 17 November. This is required for access to Amber Lee. You will also be required to show your drivers licence on entry.
DIRECTIONS: Turn onto Karkloof Road from Main Street. After 1 km, at the 4-way stop, turn right. Turn immediately left then right, and pass the Amber Valley main gate. Follow the signs to Amber Lee (turn right in front of the Amber Valley south gate, and pass FreeMe Wildlife). At the top of the hill, keep left for the visitors entrance to Amber Lee. Provided you have sent your vehicle registration and have your drivers licence, you should enter smoothly. After the gate, proceed straight down the main Boulder Drive. Near the bottom on the left you will see the sign for the Clubhouse. Extra parking is available on the opposite side of Boulder Drive.
The Guest Speakers at our previous General Meetings in 2025 were:
19 March (AGM): Jon Rash - "Antarctica, a Window into Space"
21 May: Elwyn Jenkins - "Changing Place Names in South Africa"
23 July: Yvonne Spain - "On the Shelf"
17 September: Robin Davis - "Behind the Scenes at the SABC"
The next General Meeting will be our 2026 AGM, scheduled for
Wednesday 18 March 2026
Watch this space...
