In the fourteenth edition of the Carlos Ponce del Prado Conservation Award and under the motto «You leave your mark», the great contribution of three women and two men, who work for our nature, was highlighted in the categories Distinguished Park Ranger, Outstanding Park Ranger, Outstanding Young Conservationist, Conservator and Environmental Personality.
During the award ceremony on Monday, November 28, the Vice Minister of Strategic Development of Natural Resources of the Ministry of the Environment, Yamina Silva Vidal, highlighted that for 14 years the efforts of park rangers, women and youth have been recognized, since they are the ones who make it possible for the planet’s resources to be conserved: «We need to strengthen the work of park rangers and alliances with native indigenous communities, also with educators for the training of children in environmental issues. The future of the planet is in our hands,» she added.
The winners of this 2022 edition were Nicole Mitidieri Rivera, recognized as Outstanding Young Conservationist; Javier Velásquez Varela, winner of the Artificer of Conservation category; Richard Chase Smith as Environmental Personality”; and Jesús Keme Rojas and Erika Vásquez Torres as Distinguished Park Ranger and Outstanding Park Ranger, respectively.
Jesús Keme Rojas, park ranger of the Manu National Park, could not be present at the ceremony but his 22 years of work committed to the conservation of the natural and cultural heritage of this protected natural area and of the communities that inhabit it and its surroundings were recognized. surroundings.
For her part, Erika Vásquez Torres, at the age of 25, is an important leader of the Matsés National Reserve, whose work has had a positive impact on the women and indigenous peoples of this reserve where she was first a volunteer, then a practitioner and now a park ranger.
In addition, the Peruvian Association for the Conservation of Nature (APECO), the Association for Amazon Conservation (ACCA) and Conservamos por Naturaleza, from the Peruvian Society for Environmental Law (SPDA), awarded seven scholarships to young researchers who lead projects for climate change mitigation and sustainable development in various regions of Peru.
The Carlos Ponce Award, inspired by the legacy of engineer Carlos Ponce del Prado and his dedication to the conservation of natural areas and their biodiversity, in its fourteenth edition was able to once again bring together different people who dedicate their lives to caring for our ecosystems in all regions of Peru.
Sobre Carlos Ponce
Carlos Federico Ponce del Prado was one of the most well-known and beloved characters in the recent history of nature conservation. During his life, Ponce was a member of innumerable institutions to which he always contributed his word of encouragement and encouragement as well as his knowledge and great diplomatic skills. In 1983 he was the founder of the Peruvian Foundation for the Conservation of Nature (ProNaturaleza) of which he was the second President and repeatedly Vice President. In 1986 he was invited by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to work in Washington, DC as Director of the Peru Program. His stay in that city coincided with the internal division of TNC International that led to the creation of Conservation International (CI), for which he began to work since 1987, initially in Washington and later in Lima, as regional vice president for the Andean countries. tropical. He retired from CI in 2006. Since then he has taken on a consultancy for the Wildlife Conservation Society.
The Carlos Ponce del Prado Award was created in 2009 with the purpose of honoring his legacy. It is promoted by Profonanpe, Conservation International, Andes Amazon Fund, WCS, the Ministry of the Environment and Sernanp.
Learn more about the award at www.premiocarlosponce.pe
