Owl awards 2022

Each year BirdLife South Africa presents Owl Awards to members of the birding community who have made outstanding efforts to help 'give conservation wings'.

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EAGLE-OWL AWARDS

Garth Batchelor

An early interest in birds led Garth (above) to study for a BSc at the University of Natal at Pietermaritzburg before moving to the Transvaal, where he gained his MSc and Ph.D. Initially a fisheries scientist, he later became an environmental planner and was responsible for the expansion and establishment of several reserves. One of these, Verloren Vallei near Dullstroom, became a significant refuge for Wattled Cranes. Latterly Garth has led the Crowned Eagle Working Group, which promotes the conservation of this species by surveying breeding efforts within a core 100-kilometer radius of Mbombela. Group members locate Crowned Eagle nests, monitor their productivity and work with landowners to mitigate threats to the birds. Since monitoring began in 2005, 69 Crowned Eagle nests have been located and 42 are currently under surveillance.

Italtile & Ceramic Foundation

Several of BirdLife South Africa's programmes have benefited from the generosity of the Italtile & Ceramic Foundation (above, right). It initially supported the Important Bird & Biodiversity Areas Programme for a number of years and is now providing funding for the position of manager of the Empowering People Programme and the Environmental Education & Awareness project in northern KwaZulu-Natal. This project has been the catalyst for the growth of the programme's activities, including the development of other projects at Ntsikeni, southern KwaZulu-Natal, and Daggakraal, near Wakkerstroom, which are important for the Critically Endangered White-winged Flufftail and Endangered Botha's Lark respectively. The Italtile & Ceramic Foundation also supports BirdLife South Africa's Community Bird Guides by sponsoring a Wilderness Leadership School Entrepreneur course for some of the guides.