Award Recipients

Since 1993, the following people have been awarded bursaries:

Gerard Goreman – Birds and Political Change in Eastern Europe

The first award by the Eric Hosking Trust in 1994 was used to write a series of articles for newspapers and magazines to highlight the problems for nature conservation which have arisen since and because of the end of the cold war

Pat McPherson Short Stories About Birds for Young People

To write a series of short stories about birds for younger children, 5 – 8 years, then to liaise with local school and libraries, where these stories can be read to small groups

Frances Right – Nonsuch Nature Walk Leaflet

The production of a nature walk leaflet including, writing and illustrating, for the Nonsuch Park, Cheam in Surrey

Jade Gibson – Loru Environment Education Centre Leaflet

To produce an illustrated leaflet and signed nature trail for the Loru Environment Centre, Vanuatu, South West Pacific

Lake District National Park – Paint day for children

A themed event day at the Brockhole, the Lake District National Park visitor centre, where children will be invited to help an artist build a nature sculpture

Mark Bolton – Ageing of Storm Petrels

To use photography to record wing and body plumage to help develop a reliable way of ageing storm petrels

Miss Farkasovska – Daphne Morava River Flood Plane

To put together illustrative materials to be used in lectures for classes in secondary schools in Slovakia about the Morava river floodplain area and wetland importance and conservation

Nigel Hughes – Painting of Endangered Species of Cracidae

To produce large oil painting of all 33 species of curassow and guan, all from tropical America

BNA Blake Shield Millenium Youth Award

A one off millennium award to be given through the British Naturalists’ Association, which Eric used to be a vice president, to a young person for their illustrative observations of nature

Stephen Browne – Turtle Dove Project

To look into the decline of the Turtle Dove population in the UK by researching one of there wintering migration habitats in West Africa, Ginak Island, in the Gambia

Trace Williams – Bali Starling Research

Part of an MSc on the Bali Starling the money was used towards video monitoring equipment on nesting boxes used by these birds at Jersey Zoo

Mark Bolton – Madeiran Storm Petrel monitoring

The use of remote cameras to monitor nest attendance of storm petrel’s in the Azores archipelago

Juan Brown – Manx Shearwater research project

To give a paper on the Manx Shearwater from observations made on Skomer Island to a conference in Madeira, of biologists and site managers from all over the world

Sue Warrell – Breeding Sand Martins in Lancashire

An assessment of breeding sand martins in Lancashire: their distribution and numbers, and threats to their conservation, the money was used for writing up a detail report together with drawing maps and other illustrative material.

Stephen Votier – Warblers of the Western Palearctic

To produce a comprehensive guide to all of the Sylviidae recorded in the Western Palearctic, including detailed notes on identification, ageing and sexing for use in the field

David Chandler – RSPB Phoenix Young Birders

The money was used to part fund a three stage course for teenage members to help develop their techniques of bird and wildlife observation and conservation skills

Colin Antwis – Finger Point Paintings

This highly successful award went towards the cost of producing 30 bird portraits that could be understood by touch as well as sight. The subsequence exhibitions have been enjoyed by many site impaired people as well as those of us with normal vision

Greg Conway – Wintering Warblers

To write a report on the size and distribution of warbler populations wintering in the UK, which has greatly increased over the past 50 years: coinciding with a period of rapid global warming

Stoycho Stoychev Eastern Imperial Eagles

With only 20 pairs of the Eastern Imperial Eagle left in Bulgaria, the bursary was used to photograph the eagles and fund an educational poster campaign among local people.

Emma Stone – Wild Dogs

The bursary was used to fund the production of educational and community awareness of the issues surrounding the conservation of the African Wild Dog both locally in Zambia and internationally.

Nial Riddell – South America Flamingo Project

The aim to document photographically the Flamingo’s of the Altiplano of South America and to use these images to highlight the threats to both the habitat’s and the flamingo species.

Anna Goodenough – Fungal Identification Research

To help fund research into the influence of the orientation on bacterial and fungal loading in nest boxes occupied by Great Tits. This research has shown that the offspring in south-southwest facing nest boxes have a lower chick fitness by a factor of at least 1.5.

Anna Barashkova – Pallas Cat: A Way to Survive

To produce photographic and written data on the Pallas’ Cat and then make informational posters and booklets, to be distributed among local people, including school children. It is hoped that by increasing public awareness this threaten species can be protected.

Omar Fadhel – Photographic Recording of Iraq Key Biodiversity Areas

Working on behalf of Nature Iraq this project was to record with a digital camera areas of importance for birds and other species in the Marshlands of Southern Iraq. These marshes, once the largest in the Middle East, were drained during the Saddam regime but since 2003 have been restored approximately 50-60% restored.

Sujas Prasad Phuyal – Bats & Caves from Nepal

The overall project was to prepare an updated checklist of the Bats and Caves of the Pokhara Valley, Nepal. To produce a photographic record of the bats species and of the caves, then to publicize the information gathered through a web site. His bursary was to cover the cost of a digital camera and help toward other expenses.

Rebecca Stanley – Birding for Beginners

Organised by the Tees Valley Wildlife Trusts,this project is to engage young people to design and create a large mural of bird related artwork at the Porttack Marsh reserve

Nils Navarro – Cuban Illegal Bird Trafficking

A community campaign by artist’s and scientist to highlight the illegal trafficking of wild birds in a Cuban local village of Gibara, on the north-eastern coast.

Sayam Uddin Chowdhury – A pictorial guide to the Shorebird of Bangladesh

To publish 300 copies of pictorial guidebook, describing all 65 species of shorebirds of Bangladesh. These will be distributed free of charge to local conservationists to help them to identify globally threatened shorebird species and habitats along the Bangladesh coastline.

Osiman Mabhachi – Grey Crowned Crane conservation in Zimbabwe

Setting the stage for conservation of the Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum at key sites in Zimbabwe through photography and documentation of community perceptions.

Siddharth Rao – Photographic guide to common birds of the Western Ghats

This book with English and Kannada text, aims to bring into focus the importance of birds in the region and help nurture an interest in them. Copies will be distributed to local schools and communities.

Vivian Fu – Animation for promoting conservation of the Spoon Billed Sandpiper

The production of a short animation about the Spoon billed Sandpiper which can be coloured by children in countries along the migration of this critically endangered species.

Anna Asatryan – Botanical illustration of the flora of Armenia

Armenia is notable for its rich and diverse flora, this project will raise awareness both locally and through Europe. This will be achieved through the distribution of postcards produced from watercolour painting of the rarer plants, together with conservation lectures to local communities.

Michael Gichia – Conservation of endangered species in the Taita Hills, Kenya

Encouraging local communities in the Taita Hill forest of Kenya to help in the conservation of the critically endangered Taita Apalis (Apalis fuscigularis) and Taita Thrush (Turdus helleri). Photography will be used to illustrate an awareness leaflet and exhibition. A short video will also be made.

Bruno Monteferri – Gotas de Agua: Dry forest conservation in Peru

A promotional video by Luciano Troyes Rivera about the importance of dry forest ecosystems in Peru, the endemic bird species found there and to encourage ecotourism to help raise awareness and support the protection of this understudied habitat.

Karina Atkinson – To produce a Field Guide to the Birds of Reserva Natural Laguna Blanca, Paraguay

The field guide will highlight the need for conservation by illustrating 285 bird species including the endemic and threatened species found in the world’s most biodiverse savannah, The Cerrado. The illustrations will be dawn by Derek Onley and be available at all the birdwatching stations on the reserve, for reference and for sale.

David Waweru – Conservation of Abbott’s Starlings (Cinnyricinclus femoralis)

The main aim of this project is to conduct surveys of existing Abbott’s Starling population, which is believed to be as low as 500 individuals. Analyse the treats to its habitat. Then to empower local communities through art exhibition, power point presentations, photography and illustrated publications, to conserve this vulnerable species.

Ernest Seamark – Conserving Africa’s Bats through training and capacity building

Bats are viewed in a negative light and feared by many African cultures. Education using good photography will show the import roll bats play in a balanced environment.

Until British Bird Magazine stopped its Bird Photograph of the year competition in 2017, the Trust was a long standing supporter of the digiscoping award