Slogging through uncharted regions of Angola, the Okavango Wilderness Team has worked tirelessly to protect and preserve the Okavango Delta's region for the future, and it wins an award from Rolex and National Geographic for its inspiring work
Since 2015, National Geographic explorer Dr Steve Boyes, together with an interdisciplinary team made up of Angolan, Namibian, and South African scientists, started work in uncharted regions of Angola to conduct comprehensive surveys of the critical river systems that flow into the Okavango Delta.
Their work has now received the due recognition with the Okavango Wilderness Team receiving the Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year 2019 at the National Geographic Awards in June this year.
Every year, the Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year award is typically given to an individual, who has contributed significantly to exploration and story-telling, so as to highlight a specific cause or issue in the world and inspire people to work towards a more sustainable future. Past award recipients include photographer, speaker, author, teacher, and conservationist Joel Sartore (2018), photographer Brian Skerry (2017) and paleoanthropologist Lee Berger (2016).
This year's award, however, goes to the entire Okavango Wilderness Team, which has been working tirelessly to protect and preserve the delta, one of Africa's richest places for biodiversity.