A Print for Marion: Supporting a Necessary Intervention

I recently donated a print to an auction in support of the Mouse-Free Marion Project—an initiative focused on a problem that is both specific and, in ecological terms, urgent. It’s the kind of project that doesn’t always make headlines, but arguably should.

Marion Island sits in the sub-Antarctic, isolated and largely inaccessible, which is precisely what made it such an important refuge for seabirds. Species like albatrosses and petrels have bred there for generations, relying on the absence of land predators. That absence no longer exists.

House mice, introduced inadvertently by humans, have altered the island’s ecological balance in a way that is difficult to overstate. Their population has grown unchecked, and more troublingly, their behaviour has changed. They now attack seabird chicks—sometimes in large numbers, often over prolonged periods. The result is not incidental loss, but sustained pressure on already vulnerable species.

The Mouse-Free Marion Project is an attempt to deal with that reality directly. Its goal is the complete eradication of mice from the island, using methods that have been tested in other island ecosystems but scaled to match the complexity of Marion itself. It is logistically demanding, expensive, and not without risk—but the alternative is to allow the current trajectory to continue.

What makes this effort significant is not just the immediate goal of protecting bird populations, but the broader principle it represents. Island ecosystems are often highly specialised and therefore highly fragile. Once disrupted, they do not easily correct themselves. Intervention, in cases like this, becomes less a question of choice and more one of responsibility.

The auction offered a practical way to support that work. Contributing a print is, on its own, a small gesture, but it forms part of a wider network of support—one that brings together scientists, organisers, and contributors from outside the conservation field. There is something useful in that intersection. It widens the scope of who gets involved, and how.

It’s also worth recognising Laurie, who founded and continues to drive this initiative. Projects like this depend on sustained focus over long periods of time, often with limited visibility and no guarantee of success. Her ability to keep the work moving forward—and to bring others into it—has been central to where the project stands now.

Thank you, Laurie, for the work you’ve put into this, and for creating an opening for others to contribute in meaningful ways. I hope the next stages unfold as planned.

To donate or find out more - https://mousefreemarion.org/