Finalists of 2018 Tusk Award for Conservation in Africa announced

Three conservationists from Kenya, Malawi and Uganda have been shortlisted for the 2018 Tusk Award for Conservation in Africa.

Tusk has been working since 1990 to build a sustainable future for the African continent and its wildlife. HRH The Duke of Cambridge became Royal Patron of Tusk Trust in December 2005 and he has actively supported the charity’s work both privately and publicly on many occasions.

Writing about the awards, Prince William, Royal Patron of Tusk, said: “These Awards are an important initiative with which I am proud to have been involved since its inception. It is wonderful to see how the awards continue to identify the unsung heroes of conservation working across the African continent. The finalists’ selfless commitment, determination and bravery is truly inspiring.”

The recipient of The Tusk Award for Conservation in Africa, sponsored by Land Rover, is for an individual who is judged to be an emerging leader in conservation and in recognition of their outstanding success shown in their chosen field. This award comes with a Tusk grant of £20,000.

The three conservationists shortlisted for the prestigious Tusk Award to be presented at a ceremony in London in November are:

Photo credit: Sarah Marshall

Dickson Kaelo
Creator of countless life-enhancing community conservation initiatives, Dickson’s ability to unite Kenya’s landowners and communities in a shared mission to protect both wildlife and habitat is widely recognized as an uplifting success.  Dickson’s efforts and his ground-breaking work in the Maasai Mara, including the formation of four new conservancies, and his inspirational leadership amongst East Africa’s rising conservationists, have demonstrated the immense value of Kenya’s wildlife to communities.

Photo credit: Sarah Marshall

Force Ngwira
Force’s story is one of remarkable change, from participation in deforestation and overfishing to environmental activist.  Now, as Malawi’s Country Director of (UK- registered charity) RIPPLE Africa, Force and his team have been responsible for planting eight million trees and, in partnership with local fisherman and their communities, the charity’s ‘Fish for Tomorrow’ project has worked to restock and manage a 300 kilometre stretch of Lake Malawi.

Photo credit: Sarah Marshall

Vincent Opyene
Even as a young boy growing up in Uganda, Vincent knew he would dedicate his life to preserving wildlife.  Combining a career in law with his passion for wildlife, Vincent is perhaps unique in his work fighting the illegal wildlife trade, both on the frontline and behind the scenes.  Experience on patrol in Uganda’s national parks and as a state prosecutor led to his understanding of the need for society and government to work more closely together to fight wildlife crime. Since establishing the Natural Resource Conservation Network, its wide-ranging powers have resulted in the arrest of many international wildlife criminals and the investigation of corruption at the highest level.

 

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