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News: Indian conservationists, Barkha Subba and Parveen Shaikh have won the prestigious 2026 Whitley Awards.
About 2026 Whitley Awards
- The Whitley Award is awarded to those achieving exceptional success in grassroots, community-led protection of threatened species and habitats.
- It is also known as the ‘Green Oscars’.
- It provides winners with funding, profile, and international support to scale up community-led projects.
- Established in: It was established in 1993.
- Frequency: It is conferred annually.
- Conferred by: It is conferred by the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN), a fundraising and grant-giving nature conservation charity.
- Selection Process: Each year, winners are selected through a competitive global search, with applications reviewed by an expert judging panel.
- Prizes: Recipients receive 50,000 Pounds in project funding over one year, along with valuable recognition and training opportunities.
- About Whitley Awards 2026:
- This year’s Whitley Awards honour six grassroots conservationists from South Asia, South America, and Africa protecting a range of wildlife and habitats.
- Winners from India: The award includes two Indians among the six winners.
- Scientist Parveen Shaikh has been awarded for her efforts to protect the endangered Indian skimmer along India’s rivers
- The other winner from India is Barkha Subba, who is leading the first grassroots movement to protect the Himalayan salamander and its fragile wetland habitat in the Darjeeling Himalaya, West Bengal.
- The other winners are Issah Seidu from Ghana, Marina Kameni from Cameroon, Moreangels Mbiza from Zimbabwe and Paola Sangolquí from Ecuador.
