I am honoured to announce that this year I received the Laura Starke Memorial Bursary Award for the second time. Unlike many bursaries that focus on academic merit, this bursary is special in the sense that it takes more than ones’ academic achievements into account when selecting a candidate. For this reason I am incredibly grateful to receive this award because it represents the acknowledgement of the sum of my efforts within the field of herpetology, not just what I put down on a piece of paper.

The bursary is in memory of Laura C Starke who graduated in Entomology and Botany at Rhodes University in 1969.  She was a true nature lover and worked in the Protea Unit in Stellenbosch.  She lost her life in a mountaineering accident on 26 October 1975.

As you may have noticed from my endless supply of content, I like to get out into the world… get into the wild. I like to feel it, touch it, hold it and see it, but above all else, I like to bridge the gap, to show people whats out there, to make science more accessible, so that everyone can marvel at the beauty of the world. Thank you to everyone that nominated me for this award, it is appreciated more than you can possibly imagine.