AFC’s Simon Combes Conservation Award is the most prestigious award and highest honour AFC presents to an artist member who has shown artistic excellence and extraordinary contributions to the conservation cause, exemplifying the same qualities as the award’s namesake. Nominees must have been a Signature Member of AFC for at least 3 years. Past honorees include David Shepherd, Robert Bateman, John Banovich, Robert Glen and Sue Stolberger, Dr. Guy Harvey, Pollyanna Pickering, Richard Ellis, John and Suzie Seerey-Lester, Karen Laurence-Rowe, Guy Coheleach, Mark Hobson and Guy Combes.
A prominent member of AFC, Simon Combes was Project Director of the Kenya chapter of the Rhino Rescue Trust, an organization founded in 1985 to protect endangered species from being poached, and to help the communities surrounding Lake Nakuru National Park affected by wildlife conflicts. On December 12th, 2004, Simon was tragically killed by a charging Cape buffalo while hiking near his home in Kenya.
Simon was widely respected as a man of superb artistic talent, as a brilliant communicator, writer, instructor, world- traveler, painter, and as a steward of our planet. We were honoured to have him as a member of Artists for Conservation.
The award’s trophy design was created by Peter Gray of South Africa and founded bronze with personal inscription.
