formerly Best Conservation Practice Award

Since 1998 GNF is awarding the "Living Lakes Best Conservation Practice Award" to persons who made a remarkable contribution to nature conservation and environmental protection. With this GNF wants to honour the extraordinary achievements of these people. The laureates are proposed by the Living Lakes Delegates and are elected by the Board of GNF. This award should not only point out the acknowledgement of these outstanding successes, but also call attention for the possibility to use them as models and best practice examples for other projects. 

In memory of Gerhard Thielcke, the cofounder and long standing president as well as honorary president of the Global Nature Fund, the Living Lakes "Best Practice Conservation Award" was re-named as "Gerhard Thielcke-Conservation Award". During the 12th Living Lakes Conference, the first after the sudden death of Gerhard Thielcke in July 2007, his wife Helga Thielcke personally handed over the awards to the winners.

Awarded Persons and Organisations:

2008, Italy, Trasimeno Lake

• Piero Bruni, founder of Associazione Lago di Bolsena
• Alcide Calderoni, research at Lake Orta in Piemont
• Guido Prola, author of many publications in environmental education
• Comitato delle Colline Moreniche, successful contribution against the destruction of Lake Garda’s historical shoreline
• Mario Pedini, a former Member of Parliament and Minister, protection of Lago di Garda (posthumous)

2006, China, Lake Poyang

• The "Blue Sky" Environmental Protection Society of Jiangxi Normal University
• Mr. Jiuyi YE (Famer, Hexi Village, Wuchen Town of Yongxiu County, Jiangxi Province)
• Rural Energy Office of Jiangxi Province
• The Management Office of the National Nature Reserve of the Poyang Lake, Jiangxi Province
• The Management Office of the National Nature Reserve of the Honghu Lake, Hubei Province

2005, Philippines, Taal Lake

• Federation of River Basil Council in the Laguna de Bay Region

2004, Canada, Columbia River Wetlands

Barry Whiting and Bob Campsall receive Global Nature Fund's Living Lakes Best Conservation Practice Award  for their defense of the Columbia River watershed and wetlands. Barry Whiting is a retired Kootenay National Park painter and founder of Friends of the Columbia Wetlands. Bob Campsall has spent the past 10 years opposing a mega ski resort proposed for nearby Jumbo Creek, prime wilderness habitat for grizzly bears and other species (Photo: Larry Halverson).

2003, Great Britain, The  Broads

• George Batchelor
• Barry Brooks
• Dr. Martin George
• Richard Southwood

1998, South Africa, Lake St. Lucia