At just 14 years old, Romario Valentine is already making waves in conservation, using his passion for nature, art and activism to help protect some of the world’s most vulnerable seabirds.
Through his Back a Buddy fundraising campaign, the young environmentalist is raising money for three important conservation initiatives led by the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (Sanccob) and BirdLife South Africa.
Funds raised will support efforts to protect the critically endangered African Penguin, as well as the Albatross Task Force and the Mouse-Free Marion Project.
One of the organisations benefiting from the campaign is Sanccob, which operates a seabird rehabilitation centre in Table View.
Romario hopes his campaign will inspire others to support conservation and help secure the future of seabirds.
Inspired at a young age
Romario’s journey into environmental activism began when he was just six years old.
During a school production where he played the role of an orca, he learned about the devastating effects pollution can have on marine life. “That moment sparked something in me,” he explains.
Since then, he has become an environmental activist, conservation artist and author of the book Protect Our Planet – Take Action with Romario, which encourages young people to become “Earth guardians”.
Supporting critical conservation projects
Through his campaign, Romario is supporting three major conservation initiatives.
The first focuses on saving the African penguin through Sanccob. The species faces numerous threats including declining fish stocks, oil pollution, habitat destruction and disease. Today, only about 8 000 breeding pairs remain in the wild in South Africa.
The Albatross Task Force works to reduce seabird deaths caused by fishing gear. Since launching in 2006, the initiative has helped reduce seabird deaths in South Africa’s trawl fishing industry by about 90%. Another project close to Romario’s heart is the Mouse-Free Marion Project, which aims to eradicate invasive house mice on Marion Island. The mice, introduced more than 200 years ago, prey on seabird chicks and threaten several species with extinction.
Making a difference
Romario has already helped sponsor 57 hectares of Marion Island through the project’s Sponsor-a-Hectare initiative and hopes to reach a goal of 100 hectares.
His dedication to conservation has not gone unnoticed. Among his accolades are the WESSA Youth Environmental Award, the Pick n Pay Hero Award and the BirdLife South Africa Owlet Award.
This year he also achieved Phase One certification as a SANParks Junior Honorary Rangers member in the Lowveld.
Beyond fundraising, Romario believes education and hope are key to protecting the planet.
“To me, hope means being a visionary and believing you can achieve anything with resilience and self-determination,” he says. “Only together can we create an everlasting legacy and leave something glorious for future generations.”
Follow him on LinkedIn: @artistromario.
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