Conservation awards for 2014

This video is called Blue-throated Macaws in the Barba Azul Nature Reserve, Bolivia.

By Martin Fowlie, Wed, 09/04/2014 – 09:37

The Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) has announced this year’s conservation team awards. Twenty six grants have been awarded in 16 different countries worth a total of $450,000.

This year’s projects form another extremely diverse group ranging from conservation of Slender-snouted Crocodile in Gabon, to surveying and assessing three Red Listed tree species in the Western Ghats of India. This year, for the first time, the CLP will be supporting a project from Antigua and Barbuda.

“These awards have identified 110 young conservation leaders from developing countries early in their careers. They join a global network of more than 2,500 conservationists in the CLP alumni. These people are committed to conservation and improving the state of nature globally”, said Kiragu Mwangi, BirdLife’s CLP Programme Manager.

Bird species that will be the focus of some of this year’s projects include the Critically Endangered Blue-throated Macaw, Sociable Lapwing, Black-breasted Puffleg and Siberian Crane. A further two projects will focus on the Serra do Urubu Important Bird and Biodiversity Area in north-eastern Brazil and the Inter-Andean Slopes and Chocó Endemic Bird Areas in Colombia.

In addition to funding all participating team members will get the chance to access a wealth of conservation expertise and receive training from within the CLP Partnership.

All award-winning team members will become part of the CLP alumni network that supports approximately 2,500 conservation leaders. The Alumni Network provides ongoing professional development to our emerging leaders and positions them to multiply their impact in the conservation sector.

“Through this programme, we invest in ongoing professional development and mentoring to further build skills and knowledge”, said Kiragu.

Alumni members also receive access to additional grants, mentoring from CLP staff and training. A representative from each award-winning team will also take part in CLP’s two-week Conservation Leadership & Management Training Workshop in June 2014 at a remote ecological research station in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies.

Four of the 2014 award winning teams will be mentored by BirdLife Partners – Asociacion Armonia (Bolivia), SAVE Brasil (Brazil), Aves y Conservación (Ecuador) and Nigerian Conservation Foundation.

The CLP has supported over 554 projects since the programme’s start in 1985.

The CLP is a unique partnership between BirdLife International, Conservation International, Fauna & Flora International and Wildlife Conservation Society. The mission of the CLP is to advance biodiversity conservation globally by building the leadership capabilities of early-career conservation professionals working in places with limited capacity to address high-priority conservation issues.

Full Project List

Future Conservationist Awards (up to $15,000)

Assessing Extinction Risk of Kenya’s Exploited Coral Reef Fish

Conservation Assessment of Ibadan Malimbe in South-Western Nigeria

Combining Research and Local Community Involvement to Save Lemur in Madagascar

Conservation Beyond Breeding Grounds: Tracking Sociable Lapwing in Eritrea

Conservation of Slender-Snouted Crocodile in the Lake Region of Gabon

Toward Sustainable Logging in São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe

Conserving Endangered Silvery-Brown Tamarin in Highly Degraded Forests, Colombia

Monitoring Harlequin Frogs in Sierra Nevada, Colombia

Conservation Status Assessment of Salamanders in Santander, Colombia

Unravelling the Occupancy Patterns of Guiana Dolphin in Southeastern Brazil

River Dolphin Population Assessment in Yarinacocha Lagoon, Peru

Promoting Local Participation in Habitat Conservation of Black-breasted Puffleg, Ecuador

Status Surveys of Focal Species in the Magdalena Medio, Colombia

Baird´s Tapir Conservation in Nombre De Dios National Park, Honduras

Conserving West Indian Whistling Duck on Antigua and Barbuda’s Offshore-Islands

Preventing Extinction of the Critically Endangered Blue-Throated Macaw, Bolivia

Tackling Invasive Alien Species in the Western Ghats Hotspot, India

Conservation of Otter Habitat Through Stakeholder Participation, India

Survey and Assessment of Threatened Trees in Western Ghats, India

Effect of Landscape Change on Mammals in Eastern Ghats, India

Protecting Horseshoe Bats of Romania

Follow-up Awards ($25,000)

Promoting Conservation of Threatened Birds in Western Colombia

Promoting Conservation Through Ecotourism and Education in Serra Do Urubu Important Bird Area, Brazil

Conserving Siberian Cranes in China Through Sustainable Water Management

Conserving Livelihoods and Semnopithecus Ajax: Resolving Conflicts Around Khajiar-Kalatop Sanctuary-Chamba

Leadership Awards ($50,000)

Dugongs for Life: Engaging Malagasy Communities in Marine Ecosystem Stewardship