The National Trust in conjunction with the Governor’s Office are calling for nominations for the biennial Governor’s Conservation Awards.   Finalists and distinguished guests will be invited to the awards ceremony on Tuesday, November 8th at Government House .

The Governor’s Conservation Awards seek to recognise conservation leaders in five

categories: Conservationist of the Year, Corporate Conservation, Tourism Industry Conservation, Heritage Preservation and the Lois Blumenthal Youth Conservation Award.

Ideal candidates for the Conservationist of the Year category will have implemented or significantly contributed to a conservation project aimed at protecting biodiversity, wildlife, endangered species or places of environmental significance.  Dr. Katrina Jurn won this prestigious title in 2014 as leader of the “Save the Ironwood Forest” campaign, “Protect South Sound” community group and co-founder of the environmental advocacy group Sustainable Cayman.

The Corporate Conservation Award recognises organisations that have made major strides to reduce their environmental impact and carbon footprint. Divetech Cayman Islands received the Corporate Conservation Award notably for being a “Green Globe” internationally certified business that focuses on solar power, renewable energy, recycling and water conservation.

The Tourism Industry Conservation Award is geared towards organisations or individuals who offer environmentally-friendly visitor services and offer easy access to outdoor nature activities.  Compass Point Dive Resort was the 2014 recipient in this category for providing nature-based outdoor activities along with ongoing education initiatives which highlight the importance of protecting the reefs in the Cayman Islands.

The Heritage Preservation Award recognises organisations or individuals who demonstrate a commitment to the preservation of built, written or cultural elements of Cayman’s history.  Swanky Kitchen Band was the 2014 recipient of the Heritage Preservation Award for its commitment to preserve traditional kitchen dance music for future generations.

The Lois Blumenthal Youth Conservationist Award was added in 2014 to recognise a young person between the ages of 15 and 25 for conservation work with native species.  Marine biology student Cody Panton was the recipient of the first award in this category in 2014 for his volunteer work with marine life.

Her Excellency the Governor said; ‘I am pleased once again to host this prestigious awards programme. These awards help us to focus on protecting and conserving the environment and heritage of the Cayman Islands by recognizing those who are making an exceptional contribution.  The work of the National Trust is vital to ensuring that our precious surroundings are preserved for future generations and I particularly welcome the work the National Trust is doing with young people to inform and encourage them to protect our natural and historical assets.’

“It was encouraging to see such a great number of individuals and businesses who are doing their part to preserve Cayman’s environment and history in the 2014 awards, Trust Director Christina Pineda said “Given the growth of environmentally-minded companies and organisations over the past two years, we expect the competition to be that much fiercer this year.  We are looking forward to this year’s nominees being recognised by HE Governor Kilpatrick for their commendable efforts.”

For online nomination forms please visit www.nationaltrust.org.ky or email [email protected] . The deadline for nominations is Friday, 21st October 2016.