The continued monitoring of reptile and amphibian populations in Spain and the identification of critically endangered species, as well as the training of leaders to act on their conservation in Latin America, Africa and Asia, have been awarded the XVIII BBVA Foundation Awards for the Conservation of The Biodiversity.
The award in the category of Actions in Biodiversity Conservation in Spain has been awarded to the Spanish Herpetological Association for “its rigorous and continuous scientific monitoring of the populations of reptiles and amphibians, two groups with serious conservation problems derived from the destruction of the habitat, pollution and climate change,” according to the jury minutes, whose decision was announced this Thursday. It also highlights “its ability to involve society through its volunteer programs and the knowledge achieved through citizen science.”
The EDGE of Existence program of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) has won the World Biodiversity Conservation Award for “identifying and undertaking concrete conservation actions, within a scientific framework, on those evolutionarily more unique species that bear a greater risk of extinction.”
Its actions cover 157 species in 47 countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia. The jury also highlighted that "its involvement in the training of young local researchers has provided the opportunity to generate a stable network of conservationists throughout the planet."
And the award for the Dissemination of Knowledge and Awareness in Biodiversity Conservation in Spain goes to Miguel Ángel Ruiz Parra, a journalist specialized in the environment of the newspaper 'La Verdad' for “his work for more than three decades informing and raising awareness about the wealth nature of the southeast of the peninsula and about its main threats, such as those that affect the Mar Menor.
