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Nigerian nominated for Whitley Funds for Nature awards

By Anietie Akpan, Calabar
27 April 2015   |   5:10 am
Among the lucky winners is a Nigerian, Inaoyom Imong from Cross River state who was nominated for his work to protect Cross River gorillas in the Mbe Mountains. Other winners are Arnaud Desbiez (Brazil; giant armadillos); Rosamira Guillen (Colombia; cotton-top tamarins); Panut Hadisiswoyo (Sumatra;orang-utans); Jayson Ibañez (Philippines; Philippine eagles); Ananda Kumar (India; Asian elephants) and Pramod Patil (India; Great Indian Bustard).

NO fewer than seven wildlife conservationists from a field of 174 applicants from all over the world have been shortlisted for the prestigious international Whitley Funds for Nature (WFN) awards and a chance to share in project funding worth £245,000.

Among the lucky winners is a Nigerian, Inaoyom Imong from Cross River state who was nominated for his work to protect Cross River gorillas in the Mbe Mountains. Other winners are Arnaud Desbiez (Brazil; giant armadillos); Rosamira Guillen (Colombia; cotton-top tamarins); Panut Hadisiswoyo (Sumatra;orang-utans); Jayson Ibañez (Philippines; Philippine eagles); Ananda Kumar (India; Asian elephants) and Pramod Patil (India; Great Indian Bustard).

A press release signed by Susannah Penn for Firebird Public Relations, and made available to The Guardian in Calabar, said, “Dr Dino Martins from Kenya will also be awarded a special Gold Award for his work on the relationship between pollinators and the use of harmful agricultural pesticides, which has led to new legislation to protect bees as well as more sustainable and productive farming practices that benefit both people and pollinators in East Africa”.

According to her, the Whitley Awards are prestigious international prizes, which honour exceptional individuals who, through their outstanding conservation work in developing countries, are redefining the way people engage with the natural world in the 21st century.

She said: “The charity’s patron The Princess Royal will announce the final results at a special evening ceremony hosted by television presenter Kate Humble and attended by Sir David Attenborough on Wednesday 29 April at the Royal Geographical Society in London.

“The Princess Royal will also present an additional prize, the Whitley Gold Award worth up to £50,000 in project funding, to Dr Dino Martins, whose work on the relationship between pollinators and the use of harmful agricultural pesticides has led to new legislation to protect bees as well as more sustainable and productive farming practices that benefit both people and pollinators in East Africa”.

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