Work to dedicate a statue to Gus Ben David, the renowned Vineyard naturalist who died last year, is underway in Oak Bluffs.

The select board voted last week to approve a statue of an osprey created by Barney Zeitz to be placed at Sunset Lake honoring the naturalist.

Mr. Ben David was the former director of Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary and known around the world for his scientific knowledge. He was born in Oak Bluffs in 1943 and died last July at the age of 81.

Osprey statue will honor Mr. Ben David's work to revive the Vineyard's osprey population.

Barney Zeitz

Osprey statue will honor Mr. Ben David's work to revive the Vineyard's osprey population.

Barney Zeitz

Anne Whiting, a friend of Mr. Ben David who is helping create a foundation in his name, told the select board she wanted to have the statue in his hometown.

“Ben was an Oak Bluffs kid. That’s where he was born and raised,” she said.

She added that the location would make the statue easily accessible for the public and Mr. Ben David’s surviving family.

The group is currently raising money to purchase the statue, which will be placed on a concrete base and include a plaque that details Mr. Ben David’s legacy.

Ms. Whiting said that they chose an osprey statue to honor the work Mr. Ben David did to revive the osprey population on the Vineyard by creating nesting sites all over the Island. In 1971, there was one nesting pair of osprey on the Island. By 2017, there were 90.

“We wanted to create something that honored his osprey mission,” she said.

Mr. Zeitz created the statue in 2012. He was inspired after making one of an owl, and wanted to honor a bird that symbolizes the Island.

“When I finished [the owl], I said the Island bird is the osprey. I’ll do the Island bird,” he said.

The statue, which is one of three, is made from welding and hand-forged metals.

“It’s a lot of work hand-forging,” he said. “When you repeat it, you’re doing it completely from scratch again.”

Mr. Zeitz is also designing the plaque, which will include an image of Mr. Ben David and Chameli, the golden eagle he raised from birth.

“The most important thing you can do in life is make someone feel good about themselves,” reads a quote from Mr. Ben David on the plaque design. “And there is one universal religion. It is called kindness.”

Ms. Whiting has been working with Tony Lima, the chair of the parks commission, to plan the installation at a future date to be determined.

“The statue is near and dear to my heart,” Ms. Whiting said. “Gus was one of my closest friends on the planet.”