LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — (Marketwired) — 11/25/14 — The Duke of Cambridge attended the 2014 Tusk Conservation Awards at Claridge–s in London this evening. As patron of Tusk, Prince William presented awards to two leading conservationists for their outstanding work in Africa.
The prestigious Prince William Award for Conservation in Africa, sponsored by Investec Asset Management, was given to Richard Bonham in recognition of his lifetime contribution to wildlife and the Maasai community in Kenya.
The Tusk Award for emerging leaders in conservation – an award sponsored by Land Rover – was presented to Herizo Andrianandrasana, from Madagascar.
Closing the ceremony, the Duke said, “The work of this year–s finalists serves to illustrate some of our greatest conservation challenges: dramatic loss of lion; poaching of elephant and rhino; deforestation; and the critical need for community involvement.”
He also took the opportunity to announce a new award for 2015, “which will recognize the extraordinary bravery and commitment of Wildlife Rangers. These are the men and women at the frontline of the battle – and it is a battle – to save some of the world–s most iconic species.”
Continuing a theme that he has voiced in the past, he stressed, “These people cannot face the bullets and the threats alone. It is up to governments and intra-national bodies to unite behind them, and to play a meaningful part in ensuring that their efforts on the ground are fruitful.”
The gala evening was attended by a host of high profile guests including Charley Boorman, Rory Bremner, David Gower, Katherine Jenkins and Andrew Levitas, Deborah Meaden, Camilla Kerslake, and Simon King. The awards ceremony was hosted by the broadcaster, Kate Silverton, who is herself a Patron of the Charity.
More about the awards
Richard Bonham, the winner of the 2014 Prince William Award was recognized by the independent judging panel of experts for his steadfast and lifetime commitment to the promotion of wildlife conservation in Kenya and mitigation of human wildlife conflict. In addition to the trophy commissioned by Tiffany & Co, Bonham receives a grant of GBP 30,000 towards his conservation work.
Charlie Mayhew MBE, CEO of Tusk, said, “Richard is one of Africa–s true unsung heroes of conservation. His greatest challenge has been, and remains, to sustain the vast ecosystem of Amboseli and Tsavo in Kenya through a holistic approach – addressing the major threats to the Maasai community and their way of life, the fragile wilderness, and its wildlife. He is the person who changed perceptions in the tourist industry and showed how eco-tourism could meld wildlife conservation with community development in Kenya.”
Herizo Andrianandrasana, the winner of the 2014 Tusk Award, was born and raised in Madagascar. Having witnessed first-hand the huge environmental challenges facing his country, his response has been to pioneer the empowerment of local communities to conserve the natural environments they depend on, leading programmes across seven globally important conservation areas, with a combined surface area of 3,500 km2. The Tusk Award and grant of GBP 15,000 recognise his achievements and his leadership of a generation of Africans looking to make a sustainable difference to environmental preservation.
The two other finalists who travelled to London for the awards ceremony were Dr Amy Dickman of the Ruaha Carnivore Project for her ground-breaking work conserving lions and working with the Barabaig tribe in Tanzania, and Kenyan community conservationist, David Kuria, who founded The Kijabe Environment Volunteers, to protect the one of Kenya–s most important forests and water catchment areas. Dickman and Kuria will both receive grants for their projects.
Investec Asset Management–s CEO, Hendrik du Toit, added, “Given our commitment to the continent and its people, we identify with Tusk–s mission. It is a privilege to be associated with Tusk, which has been working for over two decades towards building a sustainable future for Africa–s natural heritage.”
Notes to Editors
Contacts:
TUSK
Mary-Jane Attwood
Mob: +44 7990 558926
Investec Asset Management
Emma Margetts
+44 207 597 1844 or Mob: 07584 683 490