Owen Williams, wildlife artist and GWCT Wales Chair and Trustee, has received a prestigious conservation award for his work relating to woodcock conservation.
The Stanley Duncan Conservation Trophy was presented to Owen on Tuesday 25th July on the BASC stand at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show 2023, the first time ever the award has been presented outside of the Game Fair. Presented by BASC Chairman Eoghan Cameron, the trophy aims to highlight the significant contribution of an individual or group to wildlife conservation.
Owen has been passionate about wildlife and game from a young age, spending hours on end fishing, rough shooting and observing local wildlife near his home in rural Ceredigion in mid-Wales. Having not studied at university and following a period living in London selling advertising for magazines, Owen returned to his family home and became an artist specialising in wildlife, fuelled by his passion for the British countryside.
Later in his career, Owen developed a fascination for Eurasian Woodcock and their biology. To learn more, he decided to pursue training to ring wintering woodcock at his sites near Llanilar, Ceredigion. Once he was fully trained, Owen realised that there were significant gaps in the knowledge of woodcock biology amongst both the scientific and shooting communities.
As a result, he formed the Woodcock Network in 2007 (which later became a registered charity in 2010), a network of trained ringers with the objective of increasing the number of woodcock ringed in the UK to provide more data to the BTO and the GWCT about this species. This additional data would help fill several knowledge gaps, such as our understanding of the species’ migratory habits, their population dynamics and the role of shooting.
Battling the winter rain and cold for over 15 years, Owen has ringed over 2,500 woodcock to date. He has also contributed to woodcock research extensively, having co-authored several scientific papers with the GWCT Wetlands Department. His work has not been limited to woodcock either, repeatedly giving up his time to volunteer for the GWCT as a Chair and Trustee, attending fundraising and outreach events, and helping out the GWCT Wales team wherever possible. Nevertheless, he still finds time to spend with his wife, children and grandchildren, in addition to his painting!
Ever an advocate for the benefits of sustainable shooting and game management, Owen’s hard work, vast knowledge and infectious enthusiasm make him a worthy recipient of this conservation award, and we look forward to seeing what other significant contributions he will make in the future. Congratulations Owen!