Ian Little
The biologist and senior manager at the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) recently received a Whitley Award in London for his work in grassland conservation in KZN. Known as the “Green Oscars”, winners receive funding of more than half a million rand.
Where was your love of nature born? There’s no particular moment that I can recount. I grew up in the Drakensberg at Cathedral Peak, where my father was a forester. We later moved to Idaho in the US for three years, and returned to live on a farm in the Eastern Cape. I have loved animals and wild places for as long as I can remember.
What exactly do you do? The EWT works to conserve species and areas that are threatened by irresponsible actions and development, usually driven by greed or ignorance. In order to make people aware of the work that we do, we emphasize that people will suffer without the natural resources that we are trying to protect. Unfortunately, my current post sees me in the office most of the time. I oversee all of the EWT’s habitat programmes and a typical day revolves around things like fundraising and strategic planning. My days of dedicated fieldwork are numbered, but I have the opportunity to lead a team of passionate people. By ensuring that the team makes sound conservation decisions, my impact is greater than if I spent all my time in the field. It’s a worthy trade-off in the long run. That said, I do try to get into the field as often as possible. It also makes my outdoor holiday time that much more precious.
Why this career? I feel as though it found me. My PhD work centred on grassland conservation research and this post became available as I was finishing with that research. I was very fortunate.
The best part of your job? Seeing positive change for special species and habitats, and working with amazing and dedicated colleagues.
The worst part? The ongoing destruction and greed that has become commonplace among modern society and politicians. It really makes me dislike humans as a species more and more every day!
How did it feel to receive the Whitley Award? It was amazing, although I really didn’t appreciate the magnitude of it at the time. The money will be used for strategic long-term protection of grasslands and forest habitats along the eastern escarpment north of the existing uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park. This area is not only home to a plethora of endemic and threatened species, it’s also one of the country’s most important water catchment areas.
What can ordinary South Africans do to aid your conservation efforts? There are many ways to help. You can lobby for government support and add your voice to halt irresponsible mining and development activities. You can live your daily life in a sustainable manner, by limiting your footprint and impact on your local and regional environment. And you can support the EWT ( ewt.org.za) – we’re an NGO that relies entirely on funding to support conservation efforts. Our ability to achieve largescale conservation impact is limited only by the amount of funding that we manage to secure.
Bucket list destination? Big islands like Madagascar and Borneo are top of my list, given the rapid rate at which they’re being destroyed. I’d like to see their natural beauty before it’s gone forever.