Burgers Zoo

Arnhem,NL [Burgers Zoo] Arnhem, 15 December 2022 – Today the Future For Nature Foundation announces eight nominees selected from a pool of over 218 applicants from more than 100 countries for the Future For Nature Awards of 2023. In the past, the internationally renowned nature conservation prize was presented by icons such as Sir David Attenborough, Dr. Jane Goodall DBE as Guest of Honour. In April 2023, the Future For Nature Awards will

be granted for the sixteenth time to three final winners. Eight young, talented nature conservationists are in the race to become one of the three Future For Nature Awards winners of 2023; gaining international recognition and 50.000 euro prize money per person. The nominees work all over the world to protect animal and plant species. • Alifa Haque (Bangeladeshi) is leading research-based conservation actions to protect sharks and rays in Bangladesh. She has been collaborating with local fishers and traders to fill the dearth of knowledge on these species as well as empowering local stakeholders.

Alona Prylutska (Ukrainian) taking the lead to rescue micro bats. She is a Co-Founder of the Bat Rehabilitation Center – the only such center in Ukraine. She launches advocacy campaigns explaining to people how to cope with bats and bat colonies. After war started, they constructed self-release cages for the bats on rehabilitation, so they could fly back to nature when they were ready. • Iman Ebrahimi (Iranian) is protecting waterbirds in Iran. He applies psychology to increase public awareness of waterbirds in a way that would lead to improved conservation. He established an NGO and named it AvayeBoom Bird Conservation Society.

• Kumar Paudel (Nepalese) is protecting Pangolin and other species threatened by illegal wildlife trade in Nepal. He is a Co-Founder of the Greenhood Nepal and the Nepal Conservation Research Fellowship that are established to support young people with opportunities to participate in species conservation. • Martina Panisi (Italian) protects less typically charismatic species such as giant snails in São Tomé, central Africa. She is running conservation projects that deal with ecological problems by actively engaging local communities.

Pieter Van Wyk (South African) focuses on conserving plants and habitats in Richtersveld region in South Africa. He established the Richtersveld Desert Botanical Gardens, a living gene bank, for rare species facing extinction. He saved several habitats from mining destruction as well farming. • Sheherazade (Indonesian) protects endemic wildlife of Sulawesi specifically flying foxes. She is a Co-Founder of an NGO called PROGRES to empower local communities to protect threatened yet overlooked wildlife.

• Tomás Rivas Fuenzalida (Chilean) protects South America’s raptors. He established the Ñankulafkén Foundation, with the aim of projecting conservation efforts towards Rufous-tailed hawks and other threatened raptors in the long term and on a larger scale. Tomás developed agroecology techniques focused on protecting poultry from the attacks of these raptors, to reduce the conflict with humans and contribute to the raptor conservation. “Our International Selection Committee of expert nature conservationists now has the difficult task of selecting the three winners, who will each be granted the Future For Nature Awards in April 2023” – Rascha Nuijten, Director of the Future For Nature Foundation

National and International Celebrities Support the Work of Future For Nature The Future For Nature Awards will be presented for the sixteenth consecutive time in 2023 in Royal Burgers' Zoo in Arnhem, one of the main sponsors since the foundation was founded. In the past, the internationally recognized nature conservation award was presented by icons such as Sir David Attenborough, Dr. Jane Goodall DBE, Dr. Frans de Waal and Frans Lanting. During the tenth edition, His Royal Highness King Willem-Alexander was the Guest of Honour. More information about the candidates and the work of the foundation can be found on futurefornature.org.