GEORGE NEWS - The Tsitsikamma Section of the Garden Route National Park walked away with the Best Performing Park of the Year award at the SANParks 2024 Garden Route Achievements Awards function on Friday night, 1 November.
Ebb-and-Flow Rest Camp in the Wilderness Section won the Best Performing Camp of the Year and Dr Sandra Taljaard, park manager for the Wilderness Section, received a Regional General Manager Special Award.
Taljaard's award was in recognition of her commitment to staff development, operational excellence and maintaining the park’s integrity. She is retiring from SANParks in the coming months after 25 years of loyal service to SANParks.
South African National Parks (SANParks) recognised deserving staff at the awards function held at Premier Hotel in Knysna. The event brought together staff members from Knysna, Wilderness and Tsitsikamma Sections of the Garden Route National Park who have made significant contributions to the preservation of our natural heritage.
Garden Route Achievement Awards honour and celebrate exceptional staff who consistently go above and beyond the call of duty.
More than 24 employees received individual and team awards in the categories Best Customer Service, Excellent Performance in the Workplace, Best Performing Park of the Year, Best Performing Camp of the Year, Best Ranger Post, Leadership Development, Outstanding Leadership, Best Performing Division/Business Unit, Regional General Manager Special Award, and Lifetime Contribution Award.
A team of rangers from Harkerville in the Knysna Section walked away with Excellent Performance in the Workplace Award for their commitment to trail maintenance, including clearing fallen trees, replacing signage and improving eroded areas, ensuring public safety and excellent hiking and cycling conditions.
In a momentous highlight of the evening, Dr Ian Russel was bestowed with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
This is a well-deserved acknowledgement in recognition of his lifetime contribution to the understanding and conservation of aquatic ecosystems. Russel's passion as field ecologist, incredible commitment to long-term monitoring, rigour of thought, high quality scientific writing, and mentorship and inspiration to the next generation are commendable.
Russel retired on 31 July this year as a senior scientist in aquatic ecology after serving SANParks for 34 years within the Garden Route Scientific Services Unit.
All the winners of the Garden Route Achievement Awards 2024 will go on to compete against the winners of 21 other functional national parks managed by SANParks at the annual Kudu Awards at the end of November. We wish them all the best!
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