Mark Hawthorne   Contact details 021 781 0463 076 671 5586   I have been a hike leader for Cumhike Hiking Club for over 14 years, conducting bird watching trips, day trails, including night hikes (Fire-fly trails) and sunset walks and up to 5-day hiking trails, which include, the Strandloper trail (Wild Coast) ,the Whale trail, the Fish River Canyon (Namibia), the Wilderness canoe & hiking trail, Peninsula trail, the Boland trail, Limietberg, the Cape of Good Hope trail, the Postberg trail (West Coast National Park) and hikes in the Gifberg. The Outeniqua & Fish River Canyon are amongst my favourite hiking trails. A nature conservationist by profession, having worked in this field for close on 27 years, I have spent nearly 25 years working on the Table Mountain chain and nearly 3 years with Cape Nature Conservation, mainly at Jonkershoek, Stellenbosch. As an environmental educationist, I enjoy sharing my knowledge of our country’s cultural and natural heritage, simultaneously acting as an ambassador for our country and spreading the word of nature conservation. I am a member of the Mountain Club of South Africa, the Cape Bird Club and a registered Tourist Guide – nature and culture. In short, I am an outdoor enthusiast. As a committee member since 2003, I hold the portfolio for Education and Training, which I enjoy. I received the top award in the Professional Individual or Group category at the 2003 Cape Times/ Caltex Environmental Awards ceremony, for Environmental Education, particularly amongst the youth, which was a highlight in my career. I have enjoyed taking part in hiking challenges, such as the Boland 90, the Greyton (completed 5 challenges) and the Paarl Challenge. With regards to the Boland 90 Hiking Challenge, I received the Veteran of 10 Challenges Award. Mark