Future For Nature supports young, talented and ambitious conservationists committed to protecting species of wild animals and plants. The awardees were announced on 19th February 2019, they will receive the award on 3rd May 2019 at Royal Burgers’ Zoo, Netherlands.

WINNER: Divya Karnad (Conservation of Sharks – India)
Divya helped set up the Turtle Action Group and founded Inseason Fish. The Turtle Action Group is a self-governed India wide network of NGO’s, which Divya trained in conservation research. Alongside her PhD, Divya founded InSeason Fish as an initiative to tackle the challenge of sharks as fisheries bycatch. She successfully reduces the unwanted bycatch of endangered sharks along the Coromandel coast of India.

WINNER: Olivier Nsengimana (Conservation of Grey Crowned Cranes – Rwanda)
In 2014, Olivier designed a project idea to save the endangered Grey Crowned Cranes in Rwanda and combat the illegal trade. A year later, Olivier founded the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association (RWCA), allowing him to continue his work on the Grey Crowned Cranes, but also expand to research and conservation projects connected to other endangered or threatened species. He protects the crowned crane birds in Rwanda by fighting illegal trade, facilitating reintroduction programmes and engaging the local population to understand the importance of crowned crane birds.

WINNER: Fernanda Abra (Reducing the impact of roads and traffic on Brazilian biodiversity – Brazil)
In 2014, Fernanda founded ViaFAUNA, a consulting company that is specialized in wildlife management along roads, railroads and at airports. Through ViaFAUNA, she coordinates more than 30 road ecology projects, including nine strategic plans to mitigate mammal roadkill along highways throughout Brazil. Her target species are Brazilian threatened canids, felids, xenarthrans and ungulates. She successfully reduces traffic accidents between animals and vehicles.

Last Update: 21-Feb-2019