shannon.duplessis 
| We don’t need to be Catholics to grieve the loss of His Holiness Pope Francis. As the first pontiff in history to take a public stance on combating climate change, he was a strong advocate for climate action and a friend to climate activists. Photo by Jeffrey Bruno/Creative Commons Laudato Si’ In Laudato Si’, Pope … Read more |
| The South African Constitution requires the government to protect endangered species from extinction. In theory, that’s a forward-thinking attitude. In practice, it is not easy to hold the government accountable. After years of deadlock between conservationists and commercial fisheries, South Africa has finally taken a decisive step to protect its critically endangered African penguins. An … Read more |
| Boulders Beach—Managing Tourists and African Penguins A common question at Boulders Beach African penguin colony has nothing to do with penguins. “My hat blew off. Can you please get it for me?” The answer is always “No.” Seabird rangers at Boulders Beach won’t risk disturbing the African penguins to retrieve a hat. We spent the … Read more |
| You may wonder why our partners step in to raise chicks instead of leaving them in their natural habitat. It’s not because African penguins are bad parents; in fact, they are remarkable caregivers, especially given the challenges they face. However, their breeding season coincides with another critical stage—molting. During molting, penguin parents must stay ashore … Read more |
| A highlight of our March 2025 South Africa trip was releasing rehabilitated African penguins back into the wild. The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) invited us to help. We live for moments like this! Please enjoy the video. |
| You always remember your first time. I’ve never been so happy to complete a tax form. We just filed our first 990-EZ for KruShan Foundation. We’ve graduated from filing the postcard 990 thanks to generous, caring donors. You’ll find it, our financial reports, and our 2024 annual report here. P.S. I once worked with some … Read more |
| Dr. Dion George, the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, has requested public feedback on proposed regulations for the environmental management of offshore oil bunkering. These regulations aim to decrease the risks of bunkering to the marine environment, especially the endangered African Penguin species. Bunkering, which involves supplying fuel for ships, poses risks such … Read more |
| We’re excited to announce that a project we funded in late 2024 is now operational. We’ll let our partner tell the story. KruShan Foundation: A Lifeline for African Penguins and Seabirds in Gansbaai The KruShan Foundation, led by Kruger and Shannon du Plessis, has been a crucial partner for the Dyer Island Conservation Trust and … Read more |
| What a way to start a new year. We’ll admit we got a bit emotional when we hit our fundraising goal, knowing what the funds will do to protect critically endangered African penguins. A generous donor promised to match all donations received in January up to a total of $2,700. We can continue our crucial … Read more |
| Meet Shannon Du Plessis Note: This interview originally appeared here: https://canvasrebel.com/meet-shannon-du-plessis/ on January 20, 2025. We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shannon Du Plessis. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shannon below. Shannon, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory … Read more |