Bombay Natural History Society
Conservationists honoured with Sálim Ali Awards for Nature Conservation
BNHS recognizes the work of green stalwarts from global to local level
Mumbai: 18 March:
Conservation of nature is of paramount importance for the survival of mankind. At the same time it is also important to recognize and honour the tireless work that is being done by thousands of individuals and groups in this segment, away from limelight. BNHS Sálim Ali Awards for Nature Conservation precisely try to do this by felicitating pioneering hands-on work in wildlife research, conservation and nature education. The Awards for 2014 were handed out across three categories at an energetic and well attended ceremony today evening, on the lawns of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (Museum) in south Mumbai.
Honouring global and local efforts
BNHS Sálim Ali Awards for Nature Conservation were instituted in 1996 and since then 10 conservationists and local groups have been awarded across the three categories of International, National and Community Conservation. The recipients of Awards for 2014 were:
- Sálim Ali International Award for Nature Conservation: Prof Ian Newton, United Kingdom
- Sálim Ali National Award for Nature Conservation: Dr Asir Jawahar Thomas Johnsingh, Bengaluru, India
- Sandy Beach Youth Group: Lakshadweep, India
The idea behind giving awards in three categories is to recognize conservation work done at the global, national and local levels. Felicitating and highlighting conservation action from different sections of the society will encourage others to carry out similar work to protect India’s rich biodiversity and explore sustainable options.
Achievements
Prof Ian Newton is a world renowned ornithologist and communicator who has studied a wide range of avian species including finches and sparrowhawks. One of his greatest research projects was on Eurasian Sparrowhawk, spanning 27 years, including its population and nesting study in southern Scotland. He has received many awards including Union Medal of the British Ornithological Union (1988), Gold Medal of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (1991), Fellow of the Royal Society (1993), Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1994), Elliot Cowes Award of the American Ornithologists' Union (1995) and Order of the British Empire (1999).
Prof Newton has handled several important posts including Head of Avian Biology Section, Monks Wood Research Station (1989-2000); Chairman of the Board of The Peregrine Fund; Chairman of the Council of The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; visiting professor of Ornithology at University of Oxford; President of the British Ornithologists’ Union and President of the British Ecological Society (1994-95). Prior to retirement, he was the Senior Ornithologist at UK’s Natural Environment Research Council. Currently, he is the Chairman of Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction (SAVE).
Dr A J T Johnsingh is best known for his field research on large mammals. As a vertebrate ecologist he has covered species such as Asiatic Elephant, Asiatic Lion, Tiger, Goral, Himalayan Ibex, Nilgiri Tahr, Sloth Bear, Grizzled Giant Squirrel, Nilgiri Langur and Asiatic Wild Dog (Dhole). His other major work includes conservation of Golden and Blue-finned Mahseer and of Western Ghats. He has trained nearly 300 wildlife managers and dozens of masters’ and doctoral students. He has worked with organizations such as Smithsonian Institute, USA; BNHS-India and Wildlife Institute of India, from where he retired as the Dean-Faculty of Wildlife Sciences.
He has published over 70 scientific papers and over 80 popular articles. Currently, he is advisor to Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India; eminent wildlife biologist for Nature Conservation Foundation and honorary scientific advisor to WWF-India. He has been conferred upon several awards such as Padma Shree, Government of India; Distinguished Service Award for Government by Society for Conservation Biology (2004); Carl Zeiss Wildlife Conservation Award (2004) for Lifetime Service to Indian Wildlife and Sanctuary-ABN AMRO Lifetime Service Award (2005).
Sandy Beach Youth Group from Lakshadweep successfully converted local business into a sustainable livelihood and community-based conservation model. A group of 20-25 youngsters have been running a coffee shop on the beach, which slowly got converted into a hub for nature education. Inspired by BNHS’ conservation work on the islands, they started conducting presentations, film screenings and competitions for clients, to strengthen and re-establish their age old ethos of nature conservation.
They are involved in protecting sea turtle eggs and helping the young ones to re-enter the sea after hatching. They also undertake beach and lagoon clean-up activities to remove the trash left behind by careless visitors. Their new glass bottom boat takes nature tourists into the sea for seeing marine life. The next frontier for these enthusiastic youngsters is to expand their conservation activities to the nearby Pitti Island - designated as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) - and Suheli Island.--- Atul Sathe, Manager-Communications, BNHS-India
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