1. Forester of the Year Award/floating trophy
Purpose
The purpose of the award is to annually recognise individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to forestry practices, or have improved the reputation of forestry in South Africa through their individual operational actions. The award aims to recognise foresters for a specific forestry practice or action, as opposed to cumulative achievements. The award aims to recognize operational foresters whose achievements might not always be noticed at a national level, due to their lack of exposure.
Award
The award will consist of a floating trophy (some form of tree trophy) with a plaque on which is inscribed the name of the award winner.
A certificate will also be issued to the award winner.
A copy of “There is Honey in the Forest”, signed by the SAIF president.
Hopefully a sponsored prize, but no guarantees!
Criteria
The Award will be made for application of an economical, social or environmentally positive innovation or practice (plantation or natural forests) in the area of general forestry in Southern Africa.
Examples of achievements by an individual which could be judged as outstanding, include the following areas:
- A new tool, machine or method to carry out forestry work
- Providing outstanding service to a surrounding community
- Show excellence in a particular environmental situation
- Commit an act of bravery during forestry duties
- Other specific circumstances which warrant a nomination
Number of awards
One award will be made annually.
Eligibility
The award is open to all SAIF members.
Nominations
Nominations will be considered once a year and must be put forward and motivated through the branches of the Institute or Council. Nominations must be accompanied by a proper written motivation and submitted to the Council before 31 March.
Selection
The Council will consider the submissions at its own discretion. In making its decision, Council will pay high standards and pay due attention to the peer assessments required. The voting for each ballot will be by secret ballot if necessary, and if 25% of the Council members vote against it, the award will not be made to the nominee. All discussions concerning the award will be minuted.
Presentation
The award will be presented either at the Annual General Meeting of the Institute or a branch, or at a special general meeting convened for the purpose, or at any other appropriate gathering.
2. The Distinguished Forestry Award of the Southern African Institute of Forestry
Purpose
The purpose of the award is to give recognition to those contributions to or the application of forestry in southern Africa, which have been individual and outstanding. This is the highest award given by the Institute.
Award
The award will consist of a scroll with the name and insignia of the Institute in gold, bearing the highlighted text: “Distinguished Forestry Award“, the name of the award winner and the signature of the President of the Institute.
Criteria
The award will be made for pioneering and consistently outstanding achievement in a forestry-related field in southern Africa. In order to be judged as outstanding, the achievement should meet the following requirements:
- Measure up to international standards
- Reveal innovative thinking
- Be of great benefit to the forestry community
- Enhance the status of the forestry profession
Number of awards
An award will not necessarily be made every year, but more than one award may be made in any one year.
Eligibility
The award is open to any person
Nominations
Nominations will be considered once a year and must be put forward and motivated by the branches of the Institute. Nominations must be accompanied by a proper written motivation and submitted to the Council before the due date (March 15) each year.
Selection
The Council will consider the submissions at its own discretion. In making its decision, the Council will apply very high standards and thus aim at making each award the highest distinction that can be conferred by the Institute. The voting for each award will be by secret ballot and if 25% of the Council members vote against it, the award will not be made. All discussions concerning the award will be in camera.
Presentation
The award will be presented either at the Annual General Meeting of the Institute or at a special general meeting convened for the purpose, or at any other appropriate gathering.
3. The Dedicated Service Award of the Southern African Institute of Forestry
Purpose
The purpose of this award is to give recognition to members of the Institute for continuous and dedicated service to the SAIF over many years.
Award
The award will consist of a certificate with the name and insignia of the Institute , bearing the highlighted text: “Dedicated Service Award“, the name of the award winner and the signature of the President of the Institute.
Criteria
Award will be made for excellent and dedicated service in one or more of the office-bearing positions within the Institute over a period of not less than five years. In order to be judged as outstanding, the achievement should meet the following requirements:
- Five or more years of service as an office-bearer
- Above average dedication and integrity as an office-bearer
- Promotion of the interest and status of the Institute
Number of awards
An award will not necessarily be made every year, but more than one award may be made in any one year.
Eligibility
The award is open only to Institute members.
Nominations
Nominations will be considered once a year and must be put forward and motivated via branches of the Institute. Nominations must be accompanied by a proper written motivation and submitted to the Council before the due date (March 15) each year.
Selection
The Council will consider the submissions at its own discretion. In making its decision, the Council will apply very high standards. The voting for each award will be by secret ballot and if 25% of the Council members vote against it, the award will not be made. All discussions concerning the award will be in camera.
Presentation
The award will be presented either at the Annual General Meeting of the Institute, or at a special general meeting convened for the purpose, or at any other appropriate gathering.
4. The Continuous Service Excellence Award to the Forestry Industry
Purpose
The purpose of the award is to give recognition to individuals at all levels through the forestry industry in southern Africa for excellence in their field of expertise and to reward efforts towards continuous improvement.
Award
The award will consist of a certificate with the name and insignia of the Institute, bearing the highlighted text: “Excellence Award: Certificate of Recognition“, the name of the award winner, the field of excellence acknowledged and the signature of the Chairman of the local branch of the Institute.
Criteria
Awards will be made for continuous excellence achieved in forestry practice. In order to be judged as outstanding, the achievement should include:
- High impact in terms of Rands saved or earned
- Application of sound principles
- Sustainability of the improvement
- Innovation and application possibilities
- Dedication to and energy applied in the implementation of the change or project
Number of awards
An award will not necessarily be made every year, but a maximum of three awards may be made in any one year within the Institute.
Eligibility
The award is open to any person actively engaged in the forestry industry.
Nominations
Nominations will be considered by a Branch once a year and must be put forward and motivated by individual members through their Branch. Nominations must be accompanied by a proper written motivation and submitted to the Branch committee before the due date. Submissions should include 30 words on the achievements under each of the five criteria listed above. A list of five peers shold be included.
Selection
The Branch committee will consider the submissions at its own discretion. In making its decision, the committee will apply high standards and pay due attention to the peer assessments required. The voting for each award will be by secret ballot and if 25% of the committee members vote against it, the award will not be made. All discussions concerning the award will be in camera.
Presentation
The award will be presented either at the Branch Annual General Meeting, or at a special general meeting convened for the purpose, or at any other appropriate gathering. The award winner will be asked to deliver a 10-minute talk on his field of expertise.
5. The Merit Award of the Southern African Institute of Forestry
Purpose
The purpose of the award is to give recognition to the work of young and deserving students within or outside the field of forestry in order to promote the forestry profession in southern Africa and its visibility and interests to a wider and important target audience.
Award
The award will consist of a certificate with the name and insignia of the Institute, bearing the highlighted text: “Merit Award“, the name of the award winner, the field of the local branch of the Institute. A sponsored book or a small cash prize may be presented to the candidate. The award of an Institute bursary to a very deserving student may also be considered.
Criteria
Awards will be made for outstanding final-year graduate projects, post-graduate projects or theses somehow related to the field of forestry. In order to be judged as outstanding, the achievement should meet with the following requirements:
- Be of high academic standard
- Bear a relation to the field of forestry
- Be innovative and of sound methodology
- Results should have been made available to the scientific community and other stakeholders
Eligibility
The award is open to any student or part-time student registered at a recognised University, Technikon or other tertiary educational institution in South Africa.
Nominations
Nominations will be considered by a Branch once a year and must be initiated and motivated by the individual Branch members or academics through the local Branch. Nominations must be accompanied by a proper written motivation and submitted to the Branch committee before the due date. Submissions should include project descriptions and results and should be supported by the relevant academic promoter.
Selection
Two Branch committee members and the relevant academic promoter will evaluate each submission at their own discretion. In making its decision, the two-man committee will apply high standards and take due cognisance of the academic assessment. All discussions concerning the award will be in camera.
Presentation
The award will be presented either at a Branch Annual General Meeting or at a special awards ceremony by the relevant academic institution or any other appropriate gathering.
5. Scientific Writing Award
Purpose
The Scientific Writing Award aims to give recognition to the work of young and deserving students or researchers, within the field of forestry. Through this award we want to promote forestry as a profession through visibility to a wider scientific and international target audience. The award will consist of an electronic certificate with the name and insignia of the Institute, bearing the highlighted text: “Scientific Writing Award“, the name of the recipient, date awarded and the signature of the President of the Institute..
Criteria
Candidates must have an article published or accepted in Southern Forests: a Journal of Forest Science within the last calendar year. The topic of the article must be from a postgraduate degree of the candidate and must have been submitted within two years of completion of the degree. The article should:
- Be of high academic and scientific standard (including writing, sound methodology etc.)
- Bear a relation to the field of forestry
- Be innovative (novel research)
Nominations
Nominations will be considered by the Editorial Board of the journal once a year and can be initiated and motivated by individuals, academics, or a member of the Editorial Board. A written motivation should include project description, outcome, novelty of research, reasons for nomination, support letter from academic promoter(s), as well as proof of registration from University indicating study years. Nominations can be submitted to the national secretary (saif@mweb.co.za) for attention the Editor-in-Chief by 15 December.
The Editor-in-Chief and appointed panel will evaluate each submission at their own discretion. In making its decision, the panel will apply high standards and take due cognisance of the academic assessment. All discussions concerning the award will be in camera. Candidates will be informed of the outcome by 28 February.
Presentation
The award will be presented either at the Annual General Meeting of the South African Institute of Forestry (SAIF), at a special general meeting convened for the purpose, or at any other appropriate gathering. If the recipient cannot be present, special arrangements will be made to present or deliver the award.