- South Africa’s eco-champions gathered for the 12th Eco-Logic Awards, celebrating achievements in wildlife and climate conservation.
- Winners, like BirdLife SA and Abalimi Bezekhaya, were honoured for their commitment to environmental protection.
- This year’s winners also received consultations from Biomimicry SA to further their impactful work.
It was an evening filled with celebrations as the country’s eco-warriors were honoured for their role in protecting and preserving the planet during the 12th annual Eco-Logic Awards.
Finalists, kitted in their glamorously green eco-outfits, attended the event held at The Avenue at the Two Oceans Aquarium on Wednesday 30 October.
The event recognises eco-warriors for their outstanding efforts in South African wildlife conservation, waste innovation, climate change, and water conservation, among others.
Winners of this year’s Eco-Logic Awards will benefit from a consultation (valued at R300 000) with the Biomimicry SA team. They will also enrol in Biomimicry SA’s “Change Makers by Nature” programme.
David Parry-Davies, editor of The Enviropaedia and founder of the Eco-Logic Awards, said: “The awards is about identifying the kind of thinking that is harmful to the environment and then thinking what is the opposite of that, that will enable us to heal the planet and in the process heal ourselves. Instead of treating nature as a commodity, we need to recognise that working with nature is more effective.”
Parry-Davies encouraged people to use their “consumer power”.
“The people causing most of the damage are the big corporates and manufacturers who are polluting and over-manufacturing.
“If we can send a message to them saying that we don’t want products that are harmful to the environment – either the product or the way it’s produced.
“We want products that are beneficial to (not only) people but also the planet.”
‘Silent’ joy
The ceremony started with a “silent” joy facilitation session – each guest was given headsets and guided with music and meditation. This was followed by the awards ceremony, which was facilitated by local comedian Themba Robin who was also a Master of ceremonies.
In the Nature Conservation category, BirdLife South Africa was crowned the winner.
Hanneline Smit-Robinson, head of conservation at Birdlife, said winning the award means they can further promote their work.
“This is a testament to the hard work and the passion of the BirdLife South Africa conservation team in terms of the impactful conservation projects that we do on wild birds and their habitats.
“Our work is built around conserving habitats and saving the species from extinction.”
Atlantic Special Economic Zone came first in the Climate Change category.
The Eco-Community bronze winner went to Abalimi Bezekhaya.
The non profit organisation (NPO and public benefit organisation (PBO) based in Khayelitsha supports micro-farmers in the Cape Flats townships to grow vegetables organically.
Babalwa Mpayipeli, a member of Abalimi Bezekhaya, said they feel privileged to be recognised for their efforts in organic farming. She said the recognition would instill a sense of hope within the team.
In the Eco-Hospitality and Tourism category, the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) took third place.
Zandile Ndhlovu, the Black Mermaid, was recognised as the Eco-Angel, while the Eco-Warrior award went to Kumi Naidoo.
The Eco-Logical Intelligence Lifetime Achievement Award went to Dave Varty (Londolozi).
