Wise choice for Tahmoor’s competition

SIMEC Mining coal operation celebrates latest regional support

The Tahmoor Coking Coal and Feathered Friends Bird Sanctuary owl-naming competition proved to be a real hoot and a perfect way to celebrate the local mine’s latest donation to the new bird conservation facility.

More than 220 entries were received to name the Sanctuary’s latest addition, a beautiful female masked owl, with Hamish Lamplough from Bargo and his family coming up with the winning name of Oracle. Mum Leeann said the name was chosen because Oracle means wise and insightful.

We are extremely happy and proud to be able to support the Feathered Friends Bird Sanctuary to move into the Wollondilly region next to our operation

Tahmoor Coking Coal Executive General Manager Peter Vale

“We saw the flyer for the competition and thought it would be a good thing to do as a family because we are all animal and bird lovers,” Leeann said.

“We came up with the name Oracle because owls are considered to be wise birds and often portrayed like this in movies.”

Feathered Friends Operations Director Ravi Wasan thanked The SIMEC Mining Tahmoor Coking Coal operation for its $71,000 donation that will go towards the construction of two bird enclosures for threatened and endangered birds, including the owl conservation breeding program.

“We are so excited to be moving into the Bargo region to focus on bird conservation and community education, as the region has an abundance of wildlife and, sadly, a lot classified as endangered or threatened,” Ravi said.

“Our organisation heavily relies on external financial support to continue our conservation efforts, as we are not government-funded.

“This move would not be possible without the support of sponsors like SIMEC Mining, and we look forward to the excitement this new facility will bring to the region.”

Tahmoor Coking Coal Executive General Manager Peter Vale congratulated the Lamplough family and said that, as a member of the Wollondilly community for more than 40 years, the mine was proud of its continued support for local initiatives.

“We are extremely happy and proud to be able to support the Feathered Friends Bird Sanctuary to move into the Wollondilly region next to our operations,” Peter said.

“The owl-naming competition was the ideal way to celebrate the Feathered Friends new home and we thank everyone that entered.

“We’re a proud member of the local community, this grant and the competition is just another way we can support important causes in our local region.”

Main Picture: Leeann and Hamish Lamplough with the newly-named Oracle the masked owl.

This move would not be possible without the support of sponsors like SIMEC Mining, and we look forward to the excitement this new facility will bring to the region

Feathered Friends Operations Director Ravi Wasan