About the project
Marion Island is a jewel in South Africa’s Island crown and is part of the Prince Edward Islands, lying about 2000 km south-east off the southern tip of Africa. Wild and beautiful, Marion Island is home to globally important seabird populations, including a quarter of the world’s Wandering Albatrosses. It does, however, have one big problem – mice. Introduced by sealers in the 19th century and with a warmer and drier climate over the last 30 years, they have increased in numbers and are devastating the island’s invertebrates, plants and seabirds. The mice are eating chicks and even adults of both surface-nesting and burrowing seabirds. The scale and intensity of these attacks is increasing and, without intervention, many species, including the iconic Wandering Albatross are expected to become locally extinct.
That is why in the southern hemisphere winter of 2025 the hugely complex Mouse-Free Marion Project will commence. A fleet of helicopters will be brought by sea from South Africa and will be used to spread rodenticide bait from underslung bait buckets in overlapping swathes across the entire island – the only method that has so far proven successful in eradicating rodents from large islands, such as South Georgia.
CCC were asked to manage the UK launch of the Mouse-Free Marion Project at the South African High Commission in London, where the support of a new patron, His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh was to be announced. Around 80 partners, funders and special guests attended. Following the success of the London launch CCC has been retained by the project to work on a wider PR programme.
CCC delivery
- Project management
- Media management and story placement
- Planning and stage management of event
- Design and production of event graphics
- Venue liaison and AV production
- Official photography
Photography from Marion Island: Tom Peschak, Otto Whitehead
Photography of event: Art Lewry, CCC
