Founder of Devon-based seahorses charity receives award

The founder of a Devon-based wildlife charity has been given an award in recognition of his work helping the study and conservation of seahorses.

The British Naturalists' Association (BNA) said Neil Garrick-Maidment had received the 2023 David Bellamy Award.

It said the award recognised that Seahorse Trust boss Mr Garrick-Maidment was "a field naturalist of distinction for his contribution and dedication" for more than 40 years.

The charity has its offices in Topsham.

Trust executive director and founder Mr Garrick-Maidment was presented with his honour at the BNA's Encaenia ceremony on 22 April at the Natural History Museum in London.

His work has included setting up the British Seahorse Survey in 1994 and the National Seahorse Database, which was later expanded into the World Seahorse Database Survey, which includes information from more than 50 countries.

In addition to research, Mr Garrick-Maidment founded the Seahorse Trust in 1999 an "umbrella organisation to preserve and conserve the natural world, using seahorses as its flagship species".

Mr Garrick-Maidment said he was "so humbled by this award, and I am accepting it on behalf of myself and all the amazing volunteers who have helped over the years".

He said: "We must learn what is needed to protect seahorses and their habitats from harm and create solutions so seahorses and all marine species can thrive."

The award is named after David Bellamy, the botanist and broadcaster who became a household name as a TV personality, scientist and conservationist, who died in 2019.

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