Vernon is an architect, and a recipient of various prestigious awards such as the N.I.A.E. Merit Award in New York in 1991. He is also an acclaimed author. The Search for the Rarest Bird in the World achieved ‘best seller” status and was translated into several other languages. His novel A Tree for the Birds was nominated for three different prizes, amongst which the Dayton International Prize for Literature in the USA. Aside from his many achievements, Vernon also serves on the Advisory Board of the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology and is an International Fellow of the Explorers Club, New York. He remains an inquiring birdwatcher!