Call for applications for the Conservation Leadership Programme

The Conservation Leadership Programme aims to contribute to long-term conservation in priority areas by encouraging and engaging potential leaders in biodiversity conservation and providing opportunities for individuals to gain practical skills and experience (see also p. 328). This partnership initiative, including BirdLife International, Conservation International, Fauna & Flora International, the Wildlife Conservation Society and BP, has been helping young conservationists across the world to achieve their goals for more than 18 years. The Programme currently works toward its aims by offering awards, training and advisory services.

The Conservation Leadership Programme is offering the following Conservation Awards to applicants from Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Egypt, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Russia, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey and Venezuela:

Future Conservationist Awards: Approximately 20 awards of up to USD 12,500 each.

Conservation Follow-up Awards: Approximately 5 awards of up to USD 25,000 each (available only to previous award winners, from any country.)

Conservation Leadership Awards: 2 awards of USD 50,000 each (available only to previous award winners, from any country.)

The application deadline is 6 November 2008 for all applications, and awards will be announced in March 2009.

All teams submitting an application will receive feedback on their proposal. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact a member of the programme staff well before the application deadline for advice or input on the proposal. Staff members can help teams determine if their project fits within specified criteria, offer advice on methods and project activities, and put teams in touch with local partner offices or other experts who can provide additional advice.

Visit the Conservation Leadership Programme website (http://www.ConservationLeadershipProgramme.org) for detailed eligibility criteria, guidelines and an application form, or e-mail [email protected]

Call for applications for The Whitley Awards 2009

Do you know an ambitious local leader who deserves recognition? The Whitley Fund for Nature is a UK registered charity offering a range of awards to outstanding nature conservation leaders around the world.

We aim to:

• • Source and fund the world's most dynamic conservation leaders, focusing on local leaders who are nationals of the countries where they are working.

• • Support work rooted in good science that also emphasizes the benefits of habitats to local communities. We place a high value on projects that have achieved groundswell support, and the leaders we support have often helped set up a local NGO but are now ready to scale up their work.

• • Fund pragmatic projects that have a long-lasting impact on the ground.

• • Help winners to raise their profile, network, and educate others and work together to heighten public awareness of the serious problems facing ecosystems worldwide.

The Whitley Fund for Nature celebrates and funds effective conservation leaders through Whitley Awards of up to GBP 30,000. The Awards are the result of a competitive process and, of the Whitley Award Winners selected each year, one recipient also goes on to win the Gold Award, worth an additional GBP 30,000 over a second year. The awards are presented at the Whitley Awards Ceremony, hosted by our patron HRH The Princess Royal, at the Royal Geographical Society in London.

If you are a dynamic conservationist who would like to gain publicity and funding for your project, working outside the developed world, we invite you to apply to us for The Whitley Awards 2009. The deadline for the next Whitley Awards is 31 October 2008. Potential applicants should read more about eligibility requirements at http://www.whitleyaward.org. The 2009 application form can also be downloaded from the website.

Please note that the Whitley Fund for Nature does not fund undergraduate projects, expeditions, MScs, or pure-research PhD work. If you have any questions regarding the Whitley Awards, email [email protected]