We are excited to announce the longlist for the Whitley Awards 2017.
A total of 169 applications were received this year, from 74 countries. There were a high number of very impressive proposals, so we are looking forward to finding the next Whitley Award winners among them!
The top 15 contenders for the Whitley Awards are as follows:
- Purnima Devi Barman: The Greater Adjutant Stork Living in Harmony with the People of Assam, India
- Sanjay Gubbi: Working Together for Tigers: Science and Community Involvement in the Male Mahadeshwara Hills, India
- Indira Dayang Lacerna-Widmann: Conserving the Philippine Cockatoo in Puerto Princesa, Philippines
- Akbar Ario Digdo: Community Protection of Sulawesi’s Coral Jewels, Indonesia
- Jyotendra Jyu Thakuri: Saving the Critically Endangered Bengal Florican in the Nepal Terai
- Abudllahi Hussein Ali: Rangeland Restoration for Hirola, The World’s Most Endangered Antelope, Kenya
- Dominique Bikaba: Burhinyi Community Forest: Ensuring Gorilla Habitat Connectivity, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo
- Ximena Velez-Liendo: Conservation Through Coexistence: Andean bears and People in Bolivia
- Jaruwan Kaewmahan Enright: A Novel Community Approach to Mangrove Restoration in Thailand
- Pilar Alexander Blanco Marquez: Securing the Co-existence of People and Harpy Eagles in Venezuela
- Mauricio Alvarez Mora: ‘No Regression’ Initiative: Campaigning for the Future of Costa Rica’s National Parks
- Ian Little: Working with Farmers to Conserve Threatened Escarpment Grasslands and their Biodiversity, South Africa
- Samya Basu: Living with Elephants: Mitigating Conflict in Mayurjharna Elephant Reserve, India
- Natasa Crnkovic: Campaigning against hydropower development in the River Sana, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Elenise Angelotti Bastos Sipinski: Safeguarding the Endemic Red-tailed Amazon Parrot and its Atlantic Forest Habitat, Brazil
The long-listed applicants are currently undergoing rigorous review, Q&A and reference checks.
The shortlisted winners will be invited to a face to face interview by the Whitley Awards Judging Panel in May and the final 7 Whitley Award winners will be announced during our inspiring annual Ceremony on the 18th May at the Royal Geographical Society.