Conservation award judging takes place today

Wednesday 03 June 2015

Conservationists are being judged today as part of this year’s Insurance Corporation Conservation Awards.

A team of judges will visit a number of different sites and initiatives around the island and islanders will also have the opportunity to vote for their favourite project in a special online poll.

Celebrating 25 years since the competition was launched in the Channel Islands, the awards have raised the profile of many projects across the islands from schools to environmental groups, businesses and private landowners.

All the projects will be judged by local environmentalists and the winners of the Best Conservation Project will receive £2,000 and the runner-up £1,000. The competition is open to entries from individuals, families, schools, conservation and environmental groups or organisations, businesses, landscaping firms, States departments and parishes. Projects can be large or small, finished or unfinished, with emphasis being placed on nature conservation.

All short-listed entries will be placed on the Insurance Corporation’s website from Monday 15 June through to Friday 19 June where islanders will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite in the ‘Peter Walpole People’s Choice Award’. The entry with the most votes will receive £500 to put towards their project.

There is also a special ‘Manpower Award’ for 2015 to celebrate the 25^th year of the awards.

"Insurance Corporation in Guernsey and Jersey will provide the winners of the Manpower Award with their assistance, as a team, over the course of one day, to further enhance and support the project," said Glyn Smith managing director of Insurance Corporation.

Societe Jersiaise’s Marine Biology Section took the top prize last year after entering to help promote the educational work they were doing and in the hope of securing further funding for the project.

The winners will be announced and prizes will be awarded at a special presentation on 24 June 2015.