Top award for Durrell's man on a mission in Africa

Tuesday 02 December 2014

A Durrell conservationist working in Africa has been royally rewarded for his efforts to give endangered species and local people a more sustainable future.

Prince William presented Herizo Andrianandrasana with the Tusk Trust Award for Conservation in Africa at Claridges in London.

Herizo who is Durrell’s Head of Landscape Conservation in Madagascar has been instrumental in getting local people into conservation management and monitoring and runs the largest programme of village-based monitoring on the Island across five conservation sites.

He was one of just three shortlisted for the prestigious award by an expert panel and picked up £15,000 to boost the conservation charity’s community conservation programmes.

Herizo said: “I am happy to win the 2014 Tusk Conservation Award. Thank you very much to HRH Prince William, to Tusk Trust members, to the sponsors and to Durrell. My achievements represent the work of the whole team in Madagascar who remain very enthusiastic and passionate despite the tough conditions in the field. I am proud to be able to show to the international conservation community how skilled and important local people are to save wildlife in Madagascar. I know that they can play a major role in implementing sustainable management of natural resources especially here in Africa.”

Prince William is Patron of the Tusk Trust. It's annual awards reward inspirational conservation work in Africa, ranging from the protection of endangered species and threatened habitat to the promotion of environmental education and the development of community driven conservation.

Durrell's Head of Conservation Science Dr Richard Young said: “Herizo is a very special member of the Durrell team and thoroughly deserves this recognition. He believes strongly in integrating local people into the conservation of Madagascar’s natural habitats and threatened species, and works tirelessly towards this goal. And despite the challenges of working in one of the world’s poorest countries, Hery and his colleagues are achieving great results. Through our community conservation programmes, they are saving forests and wetlands but also improving the wellbeing of local communities, whom depend heavily on these natural resources.”