BNHS announces Sálim Ali Awards for 2019
BNHS is set to organize Salim Award for Nature Conservation on 22nd November at Lonavala, Maharashtra
Mumbai, November 12: The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has announced the Sálim Ali Awards for Nature Conservation for 2019 on his birth anniversary. The awards recognize pioneering work in the fields of wildlife research, conservation, and nature education at the global, national, and local levels. They will be presented at the International Conference on Wetlands and Migratory Waterbirds of the Asian Flyways in Lonavla, Maharashtra on November 22, 2019. The BNHS instituted the awards in 1996 in memory of Dr Sálim Ali, the legendary birdman of India, who took ornithology in India to new heights.
About the Awardees:
Sálim Ali International Award for Nature Conservation, 2019 – Alexander Louis Peal
Alexander Peal has been working to protect and preserve the biodiversity of Liberia for decades. A former goalie of the Liberian national soccer team, Peal has used his public image as a soccer star to the advantage of the conservation movement. He helped to create Sapo National Park, Liberia’s first, and founded the country’s first environmental NGO – Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia – in 1986. The Award recognizes his unstinted efforts to sustain the conservation movement in Liberia.
Sálim Ali National Award for Nature Conservation, 2019 – Madhav Gadgil
An Indian ecologist, writer, and founder of the Centre for Ecological Sciences Prof. Madhav Gadgil has played an active role in national policy making. He chaired the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, also known as the Gadgil Commission. He has conducted extensive research in the areas of population biology, conservation biology, human ecology, and ecological history. The Award recognizes Prof. Gadgil’s stalwart contribution to the preservation of India’s ecology and biodiversity.
Sálim Ali Community Award for Nature Conservation, 2019 – Tsuseki and Limthure
Mr Tsuseki and Mr Limthure are the founders of the Bhutan Glory Eco Club in the remote areas of Nagaland. This eco club has conducted reforestation drives on community lands, and is now exploring sustainable livelihoods in horticulture and animal husbandry to reduce dependence on traditional shifting cultivation. The duo not only brought a stop to hunting activities in the area, but have also successfully transformed community sentiments towards conservation and steered the youth in their tribe towards sustainable alternatives.