BP Conservation A Bronze award of $7,500 was awarded to a project that will study the birdlife of Southeastern Cuba - including the world's smallest bird, the Bee Hummingbird Zoom In

BP Conservation Programme marks 15th anniversary

23-06-2005

The BP Conservation Programme (BPCP) marks 15 years of environmental achievement tonight as they award $600,000 to 28 teams of aspiring conservationists at a ceremony held at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian.

Over the past five years, BPCP’s award winners have described approximately 25 species new to science, rediscovered three bird species thought extinct, and have influenced the environmental awareness of countless local communities.

This year’s winning teams will work on biodiversity issues in 23 different countries. Projects range widely in scope from the conservation of the Tricholoma matsutake mushroom in China, to reducing the threats to nesting leatherback turtles in Gabon.

$75,000 is being awarded to three projects: on Marsh Deer that find refuge on floating islands in Argentina; the critically endangered Philippine Crocodile; and a Kenyan community that depends on the sustainable harvesting of forest products.

"We are seeing these high-potential individuals progress in their careers with the ability to work with communities and to use knowledge on the ground for better decision making and governance. This is something the world needs now to help slow the rapid loss of our precious natural resources." —Marianne Dunn, Manager, BP Conservation Programme

The 2005 bird projects are:

• Saving the Blue-billed Curassow: implementing urgent conservation actions - Colombia, Follow-up, $35,000
• Project Pawi: Recovery of the Trinidad Piping-Guan - Trinindad, Gold, $14,500
• Conservation of the Syrian Serin in Lebanon - Lebanon, Gold, $9,500
• Conservation of an Island Endemic; Calayan Rail - Philippines, Silver, $12,500
• Project Yabelo: Status of the Ethiopian Bush-crow and White-tailed Swallow - Ethiopia, Bronze, $7,500
• Southeastern Cuba: a unique bird habitat - Cuba, Bronze, $7,500
• Red Siskin Research and Conservation Programme - Guyana, Bronze, $7,500
• Assessment of seabird bycatch in Peruvian artisanal fisheries - Peru, Bronze, $7,500

Future plans for the Programme, which will be more closely integrated into BP’s overall $500 million, five-year community investment commitment, will also be announced at the ceremony.