Pot Plant Owl
Our chicks have fledged! The owl family is no longer on the balcony or in sight. I am sure we will see or hear them tonight and over the next few days. Will be doing a final goodbye and shutting off wecam soon. More details to follow - webcam will remain on for 48 hours in case there are any fly-bys. Bitter sweet moment!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Pot Plant Owl wins International Owl Award
07 Dec 2012:
I have just received wonderful news!

We have just heard that Pot Plant Owl has won the Lady Gray'l Award. This is an award given out at the International Owl Festival in March every year in Houston, Minnesota. This is what the award is for:

The Lady Gray'l Award is named after a Great Gray Owl who was hatched in 1984. Thanks to caring biologists with an interesting plan, that same owl who would have starved as the runt of the brood. Lady Gray'l spent a 21-year career touching the lives of untold thousands of people and giving researchers new insights into the life of the Great Gray Owl. Lady Gray'l spent nearly her entire lifetime living and working with Dr. Bob Nero, raising money for owl research through their hundreds of school visits and day-long stints in malls. Thanks to Gray'l, Great Gray Owls were plucked from relative obscurity to become the provincial bird of Manitoba. Lady Gray'l flew from this world on October 13, 2005, and this award was established to honor her accomplishments by recognizing other owls following in her footsteps.

Pot Plant Owl and her family hold a very special place in our hearts. She has done so much in our lives, and it's amazing to know that 'her' reach is now worldwide - enough for her to win a special International Owl of the Year award.

The Pot Plant Owl story has reached thousands of people around the globe, instilling in them an awareness, not only about owls, but about garden birds and Nature in general too. Thanks to our sweet Pot Plant Owl, the PPO Facebook page and Africam's webcam have brought joy to thousands of people daily. The PPO webcam was followed in schools as part of a set curriculum. The wetland where PPO hunts has been saved (to date) from development with a 28 000 strong petition, and PPO campaigns to save ALL wetlands in South Africa. PPO is now publicising the plight of the Pels Fishing Owl, whose breeding sites in the southern Kruger Park are threatened by a hotel development.

I speak on behalf of Pot Plant Owl when I say a huge big THANK YOU for this award. I look forward to receiving the award in Houston, Minnesota on PPO's behalf. (Regret, she can't personally attend due to family commitments, but has asked me to accept the award for her).

To USA PPO fans - hope to see you at the 'International Festival of Owls' in March next year!
Posted by Pot Plant Owl at 11:45 PM 8 comments

Friday, December 9, 2011
Update on PPO's wetland
The day we received the wonderful news about Pot Plant Owl's "Lady Gray'l Award", we also received an email from the Government Department who will be deciding on the proposed development on the wetland site - Pappa's hunting ground.

We are meeting the decision maker on site this Monday morning - 12th December.

Fingers crossed that the original decision will be upheld, and the delineated wetland is protected!