Jonathan Scott Picks a Winner

TV presenter and naturalist Jonathan Scott is a wildlife expert, photographer and author with a passionate concern for conservation and the environment, and Pollyanna was delighted that he could join her to draw the winning ticket in her annual summer prize draw.
Jonathan is best known for the wildlife series he has presented for the BBC including the popular Big Cat Diary, as well as Elephant Diaries, Dawn to Dusk, and Africa Watch, and his documentaries for Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, and Paramount TV
The lucky winner, Ms Scruton of Sheffield has won a painting of a robin.

Pollyanna met Jonathan back in 1986 (left), when she was invited to stay with him on her first ever safari into Africa – which took her to the Masai Mara. Many people don’t know that Jonathan started out as a wildlife artist, and they bonded over their shared love of big cats and the importance of being able to observe their subjects in the wild.

Jonathan moved from the UK to Africa in the 1970’s. He says of the move “The one thing I could do was draw. When I ¬came to live in the Kenya they said: “We can’t pay you any money.” But I said, “So long as I can take people on game drives, I’m happy,” and I began selling my pen-and-ink drawings. But, at some point, it dawned on me that this is a photographer’s paradise. By then, I had earned enough money for my car and could afford better cameras and lenses.” So Jonathan moved into photography and documentary making while Pollyanna of course continued to pursue her passion for painting!

On that first meeting they would never have imagined that 30 years later Jonathan would be drawing the winning ticket in the Pollyanna Pickering Foundation’s annual prize draw!
Between the sales of prize draw tickets, donations and a percentage of sales from Pollyanna’s Winter exhibition the Foundation has raised £3000.00 to build a new rehabilitation exercise aviary and hospital units at the Raptor Trust in Norfolk. See page 14 for an update on this project.