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Kate Stokes Memorial Award  | | | | | Kate in August 2005 | | |  |
On Sunday 19 February 2006, Kate Stokes died tragically while on an excursion with her partner to the Picos de Europa mountain range in northern Spain, caught out by a severe weather storm. Kate worked as Programme Officer for the Programme and from 2002 to 2006, she was instrumental in developing the programme and helping thousands of young conservationists gain experience in practical conservation.In Kate's memory, Kate's family, colleagues and friends have established the Kate Stokes Memorial Trust. Through this fund, an additional $5,000 grant will be awarded on an annual basis to an exceptional Follow-up or Leadership team supported by the Conservation Leadership Programme. All continutation award winners are considered, there is no need to apply. There is particular emphasis on teams that show especially strong passion, enthusiasm and a long-term commitment to conservation. Awards Granted 2009: The 2009 Kate Stokes Memorial Award has been granted to a team of conservationists working in the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary in the Western Ghats of India to develop a small enterprise that will train local youth groups and provide them with opportunities to earn a living through ecotourism activities. With additional support through the Kate Stokes Memorial Award, the team will address the issue of tourism where local youth groups can play a key role. Due to limited resources, tourism remains unchecked in the BWS. There are only three full-time rangers managing the protected area that is roughly 130 km2. The rangers are in need of additional support to handle the massive number of tourists and pilgrims that flock the area every year. The CLP team sees this as a great opportunity to involve local youth and provide them with income generating opportunities. To support the rangers in the BWS and to promote conservation of this important area, the CLP team will train local youth groups in fauna and flora identification and provide them with skills to support rangers to manage tourism in the area, act as tour guides, and produce materials for sale to tourists. A small kiosk will be set-up at the entrance to the Sanctuary and will serve as an information centre and shop that will be managed by the youth groups. Young people are the drivers of change and if trained and supported, they can certainly ensure that the pressures on the BWS are minimised. Read more about this project... 2008: Habitat Conservation of Globally threatened Spot-billed Pelicans in Sri Lanka 2007: Assessing the Current Status and Distribution of Imperial Eagle and Lesser Kestrel in Azerbaijan 2006: Green Corridor Leadership: Biodiversity Conservation with Social Involvement in the Atlantic Forest of Argentina Further Information
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