Conservationists mourn death of Roy Cowgill
Conservationist and former teacher, Roy Cowgill, will be missed by many.
THE sudden death of local environmental activist, Roy Cowgill, has shocked conservationists. Roy died on 6 January after a short illness.
Roy Cowgill was a teacher for many years at Durban High School and inspired generations of young learners. He was not only a well-qualified biologist, but someone with an encyclopedic knowledge of birds, trees, plants and all kinds of fauna. He worked closely with Steve Davis to present courses on identification and calls of birds and bird behaviour.
Speaking about Roy, Crispin Hemson, leader of the Friends of Pigeon Valley, said: “Roy’s contribution was remarkable. He was a constant source of knowledge and understanding of natural environments. He played a key role in mobilising and supporting those who work for the advancement of conservation. At Pigeon Valley he would often guide me in identifying a sound I had heard, or a plant that I was unsure of.”
Lesley Frescura, chairperson of Birdlife Port Natal, said Roy would be greatly missed by many. “Roy was the Honorary President of BirdLife Port Natal. He joined the club at the age of 16 and had, through the years, served in every role on the committee of the club except that of Treasurer.”
Together with Tim Wood, Roy founded the BirdLife KZN Forum in the 1990s. This Forum meets twice a year, the first day taken up with presentations on conservation in the province.
“Roy organised the entire day and managed to persuade many different people to come and speak. He also represented KZN on the Board of BirdLife South Africa and was elected to that position by the Forum. He served as chair of the newly established BirdLife KZN Trust,” said Lesley.
Apart from the formal role that Roy took, he and Steve Davis published books on birds and birding, ran courses for BirdLife Port Natal as well as other clubs in the region, and were popular guest speakers at many other clubs and societies with an interest in conservation.
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