Conservation Leadership Programme announces 2012 award winners

The Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) has announced the list of 2012 award winners, with a total of US$ 490,500 in funding awarded to 28 projects around the world.

This year’s winning projects range from ecological research (such as monitoring marmoset population trends in Brazil) to community conservation initiatives that aim to improve attitudes towards key species and increase people’s capacity to protect their local environment.

The two top grants – each worth US$ 50,000 – were awarded to projects in Cuba and Colombia. The first aims to promote the conservation of Cuba’s plant life, while in Colombia the new CLP team will be working to protect important habitat for critically endangered birds.

Training for the 2012 award winners will commence at the end of June with a workshop held at a remote ecological research station in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies.

The workshop (which will be attended by one representative from each team) will cover topics such as project planning, behavioural change through education and outreach, climate change, media training and fundraising.

Over the coming weeks, Fauna & Flora International will be sharing further news from the CLP teams as their work progresses.

Training tomorrow’s conservation leaders

Since its inception in 1985, the CLP (a partnership between Fauna & Flora International, BirdLife International, Conservation International and the Wildlife Conservation Society) has supported almost 560 projects worldwide.

As well as bringing about successful conservation, a priority for the CLP is to help develop future conservation leaders. Each team member joins a network that helps alumni implement conservation projects and carry out research in challenging and isolated environments.

Alumni members also receive access to additional grants, specialised training courses and mentoring from CLP conservation experts.