Throughout his long and distinguished career, which spanned over sixty years, Eric Hosking OBE, Hon FRPS, FBIPP, was widely acknowledged as one of the worlds most eminent natural history photographers. His work was admired, published and exhibited in countries around the continents of the world. For many years he travelled the length and breadth of the United Kingdom presenting lectures, illustrated with slides of his most impressive pictures. The superb quality of his images, his meticulous care for his subjects and his boundless enthusiasm inspired three generations of young naturalists and photographers to follow in his footsteps. There can be no doubt that his photographs have made a significant contribution to our wider understanding and concern for the living world.

Eric's interests, however were not confined simply to natural history photography; they ranged across a wide spectrum of matters ornithological. He was a perceptive and sensitive observer of birdlife and the thousands of hours spent patiently waiting in his hides produced many interesting and valuable observations, which were meticulously recorded in his notebooks. He was always keenly interested in painters and bird art. Some of his most treasured possessions were paintings, which he had gathered together and enjoyed for many years. He was an avid collector of books and his shelves were a treasure trove of ornithological volumes, many items of considerable historical interest in their own right.

The aim of the Eric Hosking Trust is to sponsor ornithological research through the media of writing, photography, painting or illustration. Bursaries of up to £750 will be awarded to suitable candidates once a year. The Trust has been awarded charitable status and a board of Trustees, consisting of Professor Richard Chandler, Dr Jim Flegg, Robert Gillmor, David Hosking, Robin Hosking, Edward Keeble, Derek Moore, Paul Williams and Martin Withers has been established. The Trust was launched at a major retrospective exhibition of Eric Hosking's vintage prints at The Wildlife Art Gallery in Lavenham, Suffolk, on April 24th 1993. In addition, a volume of Eric' black and white photographs with a text specially written by Dr Jim Flegg, was published by HarperCollins in autumn of 1993.

Since 1994 the following awards have been made and the Trust sponsors the

• British Birds Young Photographer of the year award.
• Gerard Gorman - Birds and Political change in Eastern Europe
• Pat Mcpherson - Short stories about birds for young people
• Frances Wright - Nonsuch Nature Walk leaflet
• Jade Gibson - Loru Environment Education Centre Leaflet
• Lake District National Park - Paint day for children
• Mark Bolton - Ageing of Storm Petrels
• Miss Farkasovska - Daphe Morava River Floodplain
• Nigel Hughes - Painting of Endangered Cracidae
• BNA Blake Shield - Millennium award
• Stephen Browne - Turtle Dove Project
• Trace Williams - Bali Starling Research
• 2000 Mark Bolton – Remote monitoring of endangered petrels in the Azores
• 2000 Juan Brown – Manx Shearwater Workshop, Madeira
• 2001 Sue Worrall – Breeding Sand Martins in Lancashire
• 2002 Stephen Votier – Warblers of the Western Palearctic
• 2003 Colin Antwis – Finger Point Paintings
• 2003 David Chandler – RSPB Phoenix Young Birders
• 2004 Greg Conway – Wintering Warblers
• 2004 Stoycho Stoychev – Eastern Imperial Eagles
• 2005 Emma Stone – African Wild Dogs Conservation
• 2005 Niall Riddell – South America Flamingo project
• 2006 Anne Goodenough – Fungal Identification Research
• 2006 Anna Barashkova – Pallas Cat a way to Survive
• 2007 Omar Fadhel – Photographic recording of Iraq Key Biodiversity Areas,
• 2007 Sujas Prasad Phuyal – Bats & Caves from Nepal

For more information or bursary application forms please contact:

David Hosking,
Pages Green House,
Wetheringsett, Stowmarket,
Suffolk, IP14 5QA.
Telephone 01728 860 789,
Fax 01728 860 222,
E-mail david@flpa-images.co.uk