Best for conservation of wildlife and habitats
A group or initiative working for the conservation of wildlife and/or their local habitat, such as a national park or wildlife sanctuary.2012
Winner: Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve, Chile
Since 2000 the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve has conserved over 100,000 hectares of Patagonian temperate rainforest. The owners have changed the way in which they, and the local community, secure a living form this large piece of Patagonian forest, moving from logging to conservation and sustainable tourism. The judges were impressed by the scale of the transformation at Huilo Huilo.
Read more about our 2012 winners in the official Awards newspaper.
Previous winners
2011
Winner: Lilongwe Wildlife Centre, Malawi
"Lilongwe Wildlife Centre is a wildlife rescue, conservation and education centre in the heart of Malawi's capital city. Fending off developers, the centre has reclaimed and revived 90 hectares of urban wilderness to provide sanctuary for rescued, orphaned and injured wild animals, and promotes conservation to locals and tourists alike. It now takes over 20,000 visitors per year, showing its value as a centre for both the people and wildlife of Malawi."
Highly commended:
Africat Okonjima, Namibia
Great Ocean Ecolodge, Australia
2010
Winner: ZEALANDIA: The Karori Sanctuary Experience, New Zealand
With a 500 year vision, Zealandia immediately stood out as an ambitious conservation initiative which engages with tourism to secure local support. But when you're trying to return an area to a time before humans - over 80 million years ago - it is this vision that is required! This unique conservation project is already a safe haven for some of New Zealand's most endangered native species. The ecological restoration of this urban wildlife sanctuary is well underway and through the removal of invasive species has enabled the successful reintroduction of species.
Highly commended:
Steppes Discovery, UK www.steppesdiscovery.co.uk
2009
Winner: Great Plains Conservation, South Africa
For incorporating a range of innovative projects across five African countries. Their work in the Maasai Mara is particularly impressive, facilitating the creation of an 80,000 acre conservancy, and guaranteeing regular payment to the local communities for the use of their land for tourism purposes – regardless of the number of guests. On an unequivocal basis, they provide protected revenue for the indigenous peoples of the Mara, reducing the negative social and economic impacts of tourism.
Highly commended:
Chimpanzee Sanctuary & Wildlife Conservation Trust (CSWCT), Uganda
Way Out Experiences, Malaysia, Indonesia & Borneo
2008
Winner: Gamewatchers Safaris & Porini Camps, Kenya
For demonstrating that a high revenue, low impact tourism development approach can benefit the local Maasai, enabling them through developing conservancies and tourism in partnership with safari companies to create employment and community income and to conserve their land for wildlife.
Highly commended:
Turtle Conservation Project, Sri Lanka
Peak District Environmental Quality Mark, UK
Caiman Ecological Refuge, Brazil
Sponsored by Rainbow Tours
Pioneers of responsible travel, Rainbow Tours’ beginnings were forged in the optimism and energy that followed the election of Nelson Mandela. Their early vision was to ensure customers had an extraordinary holiday and at the same time their trip would contribute to the reconstruction of South Africa and the whole region. A ground breaking Madagascar programme soon followed, and driven by the belief that caring about the environment goes hand-in-hand with sustainable community development, Rainbow’s expertise now covers Southern and East Africa, the Indian Ocean and Latin America from Mexico to Antarctica. Des Walsh, Rainbow’s General Manager, leads from the front with his passion for real, authentic travel that also makes a positive contribution to the communities and habitats our customers visit.
This year's winners
