The Whitley Awards are made annually by the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) to recognise and celebrate effective national and regional conservation leaders across the globe. The awards are worth £35,000 (2016) and are now amongst the most high profile of conservation prizes - they have been called the "Green Oscars". The awards particularly seek to recognise contributions to wildlife conservation made from outside the developed world, and to bring to international attention the work of deserving individuals committed to precipitating long-lasting conservation benefits on the ground. The awards involve a process of reference, application and interview. The Whitley Awards Ceremony, hosted by the patron of WFN, The Princess Royal, is held annually at the Royal Geographical Society, usually in the Spring.
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The Whitley Awards were established in 1994 by Edward Whitley, when a single award of £15,000 was made.
Whitley Gold Award
Each year a previous Whitley Award winner is selected to receive the Whitley Gold Award in recognition of their outstanding contribution to conservation. The Gold Award winners are international advocates for biodiversity with the passion and ambition to spread conservation messages to a wider audience. The Award is worth up to £50,000 in project funding over one year.
The Whitley-Segré Conservation Fund
The Whitley-Segré Conservation Fund (WSCF) provides further funding to previous Whitley Award winners to take their projects to the next level, respond to changing needs and bring about lasting change for endangered species and their habitats across the developing world. This award is a maximum of £150,000 over 3 years.