Russel Mamabolo, Regional Corporate Affairs Manager at PetroSA, which hosted the event, said that his company is proud to be associated with the awards.
"We're excited that the people of Mossel Bay are as passionate about the environment as we are," he said. "We put a lot of effort into maintaining our reputation as the cleanest refinery in the world, and it's good to know that we're effectively part of a team of people and organisations who're all committed to making Mossel Bay a green destination and a sustainable community."
Mr Mamabolo presented the awards in six categories: restoration, rehabilitation and education, conservation, eco-tourism, environmental initiatives, and eco warriors.
Category: Restoration
The restoration category award was presented to the five-member, Friemersheim-based PILON community cooperative.
This co-op grew out of MEP's Strategic Firebreak Project, in which about 120 people from six communities in Mossel Bay were trained in the clearing of alien vegetation and in cutting and maintaining firebreaks.
With guidance and assistance from the Oyster Bay Reserve, PILON is now a sustainable business which continues to work on firebreaks and aliens, but now also produces firewood, charcoal and furniture, and offers tree felling, garden cleaning and a machine rental service.
Category: Rehabilitation and Education
SAPREC, which is situated in Mossel Bay's Mossdustria industrial area - is primarily concerned with saving, rehabilitating, and releasing polluted and injured penguins and other seabirds.
The project was begun at home by Carol Walton - who has more than 20 years' experience in the field. When she ran out of space, Ms Walton established the South African Penguin Rehabilitation Centre in Mossdustria, with the help of Dr Frans de Graaff of the Hartenbos Dierehospitaal
It was recognised by Cape Nature in March 2005.
"Each bird that comes into the centre is given individual attention to ensure that it's a hundred percent healthy, and that it'll have the best possible chance of survival once it's been released," she said. "We don't euthanase any birds, unless it's absolutely necessary, and penguins that can't be released are sent to other facilities which operate captive breeding programmes."
SAPREC also provides ongoing education about protecting the environment at various schools in the Mossel Bay area.
Category: Conservation
The Garden Route SPCA's Mossel Bay Branch was presented the conservation award for its work in helping to restore balance to the environment.
In a statement made before the prize-giving, the SPCA said that balance is the key to optimum performance and survival in any eco-system.
"But the SPCA finds itself in an environment where the balance is skewed by an overpopulation of domesticated animals.
"Poverty, a lack of education and a lack of knowledge about how to care for animals result in cruelty and unnecessary suffering."
The SPCA runs various parallel projects to address these issues: an education unit of two people visits schools and communities to present puppet shows and dipping baths, while the Adopt-A-Spay project presents regular Spayathons, during which animals belonging to people who can't afford to sterilise them, are spayed or neutered.
Category: Eco Tourism
The eco tourism award was presented to Waves S'Cool of Surfing, which uses surfing as a tool to educate people about the sea through its 'Ocean Awareness' programme.
"I am very passionate about teaching people how to use the sea safely," said the school's founder, international surfer Llewellyn Whittaker.
"Way too many lives are lost because people just don't know what to look out for when they swim at the beach.
"I'm one person alone trying to get support to change hundreds if not thousands of lives, and recognition like this gives me motivation to carry on," he said.
"I hope it will also open a few more doors so that I can get more support to make this dream a reality."
Category: Environmental initiatives
This award went to Riaan Bosch's Why Honey? project.
"Why Honey? actively promotes beekeeping as a sustainable way for people to live in harmony with nature while deriving an income from it," he said.
Why Honey? removes swarms of bees from houses and other man-made structures, and places them under the care of emerging farmers in hives in safe locations.
"We've implemented management plans with most local conservancies to ensure that bees don't invade houses, and I offer talks and demonstrations in order to generate a better understanding of bees and the important role they play in nature."
Category: Eco Warriors
The Eco Warrior Award was presented to tour guide Willy Komani.
"Willy was retrenched many years ago when the Langeberg Co-op closed its operations in Mossel Bay," said Fred Orban, a founder of MEP and owner of the Oystercatcher and Hunter-Gatherer Trails, who nominated Mr Komani for the award.
"I met him when was cleaning beaches for a living, but I quickly realised that he was a man who didn't consider picking up rubbish as being beneath his dignity.
"I saw that he had a natural passion for protecting the environment, so I invited him to train as a field guide on the Oystercatcher Trail – and he's now become one of the top guides around.
"Everyone who spends time with him on the trail, compliments him on his passion for the environment, he's starred in a number of TV documentaries – including the BBC's 'South Africa Walks – and publications like Getaway and the London Daily Telegraph have written about him.
"Willy plays a significant and unselfish role by continually motivating members of his community to conserve rather than destroy; he regularly takes street kids and others on educational hikes; and he has this charming way of putting over the cultural ways of his parents and grandparents to anyone who takes an interest in the environment and our beautiful coastline," said Mr Orban.
Mr Orban thanked the honorees – and PetroSA (and Jakkalsvlei wines, who co-sponsored the evening) - for their collective contribution to the cause, while MEP chairperson, Vicky-Lyn Keet, said, "We have to keep working to protect the environment if we're going to have a future, and the people and organisations who've been honoured here tonight are doing that and more - they're leading the way."
Environmentalists honoured by MEP for their contribution this week are (back, from left:) Willy Komani (Eco Warrior), SAPREC represented by Walton (Rehabilitation and Education), Riaan Bosch from Why Honey? (Environmental initiatives), Llewellyn Whittaker from Waves S'Cool of Surfing (Eco Tourism), Vanessa Barnard from the SPCA (Conservation) and Amber-Kay Pillay (PILON community cooperative. Restoration).
