Rick O'Neill was the recipient of the John Hind-Smith Environmental Achievement Award handed out by the Sunshine Coast Conservation Association (SCCA) event on June 14.
The SCCA, whose mandate is to protect biodiversity in the greater Sunshine Coast region, established the prestigious award in 2006 to honour a worthy local citizen who has exemplified the spirit of John Hind-Smith by their dedication and commitment to the environment and preserving wildlife.
Hind-Smith, a native of York-shire, England, hiked and caved widely in the UK, and ended up on the Sunshine Coast in 1960. His passion was for nature and he hiked extensively around Mount Elphinstone and the Tetrahedron. He freely shared his vast knowledge of our ecosystem and was a life-time member of the Sunshine Coast Natural History Society (formerly the Marsh Society), director of conservation for the Gibsons Wildlife Club, a founding member of the Salmon Enhancement Society, the Elves Club, the Search and Rescue Group and the Tetrahedron Alliance. John was instrumental in having the area preserved as a provincial park and a beautiful sub-alpine lake in the park bears his name.
O'Neill is deeply dedicated to the environment and, like Hind-Smith, toils away quietly, never for self recognition, but on behalf of our natural environment. Whether sampling for forage fish along intertidal areas, identifying amphibians on Mount Elphinstone or photographing the natural world as a way to bring the forest ecosystems into focus for others, O'Neill does it all with only the environment in mind.
He has devoted countless hours to protect biodiversity on the Coast and he has taken many groups out for walks to teach about mushrooms, amphibian, birds and trees. As a founder of Elphinstone Living Forest, he was the driving force behind developing a comprehensive ecosystem plan.
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