The Whitley Awards, organised by the UK charity Whitley Fund for Nature, were held last night, celebrating grassroots conservationists and their work to protect imperiled species and ecosystems. Each of the winners were awarded at least £50,000 to scale up their projects. These conservationists have saved charismatic songbirds, rehabilitated the reputations of persecuted animals, and helped to protect unique ecosystems from destruction. They have done so by enfranchising communities and pioneering locally-led solutions.
One such winner was Purnima Devi Barman, a wildlife biologist from India who has dedicated much of her life to protecting the greater adjutant stork. Barman set up a ‘hargilla army’ of mostly women in 2007 to change attitudes towards the birds and incorporate them into local lore through fabrics. The stork sisters protect nests and advocate for the birds and their habitats, and hargilla numbers have since quadrupled locally to more than 1,800.
Another winner, Kuenzang Dorji from Bhutan, has developed a suite of solutions to keep golden langurs away from dangerous infrastructure and farmers. His ideas include toy tigers that roar when monkeys approach and installing animal repellent near power stations to keep langurs from being electrocuted. These ideas have helped to protect 80% of farmers’ crops, freeing women and children from standing guard over the land.
The final winner was Leroy Ignacio from Guyana, who is working to save the red siskin, a small finch discovered in the country in 2000. Guyana is currently navigating unprecedented change after a massive offshore oil discovery transformed it from one of the poorest countries in South America to the world’s fastest-growing economy. Ignacio’s work to protect the red siskin is vital to preserving the country’s biodiversity in the midst of rapid development.
Each of the winners proves that one person can make a significant difference when it comes to conservation. Through their locally-led solutions and empowering of communities, these conservationists have been able to protect imperiled species and ecosystems and change attitudes towards them
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