The J. Paul Getty Award for Conservation Leadership has been awarded annually since 2006 in recognition of outstanding leadership in global conservation. The award aims to acknowledge individuals making "pioneering and substantial" contributions to conservation as well as foster the development of future leaders in conservation. The $200,000 cash award goes to fund graduate fellowships for students in conservation-related fields. These fellowships are established at the institution of higher learning of the awardee's choice and named in honor of the award recipient and J. Paul Getty

J. Paul Getty

Jean Paul Getty was an American industrialist. He founded the Getty Oil Company, and in 1957 Fortune magazine named him the richest living American, whilst the 1966 Guinness Book of Records named him as the world's richest private citizen, worth an estimated $1,200 million. At his death, he was...

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Currently, the award is administered by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on behalf of the Getty family. Conservation organizations worldwide submit nomninations to WWF and winners are selected by an impartial panel of judges from the conservation community. The Getty Award recognizes achievement in three annually rotating categories: political leadership in conservation (2006), leadership in conservation science (2007), and community leadership in conservation (2008). The 2009 Getty Award will mark begin the second rotation by again recognizing outstanding achievement in political conservation leadership.

History

The prize was first instituted by philanthropist and businessman J. Paul Getty

J. Paul Getty

Jean Paul Getty was an American industrialist. He founded the Getty Oil Company, and in 1957 Fortune magazine named him the richest living American, whilst the 1966 Guinness Book of Records named him as the world's richest private citizen, worth an estimated $1,200 million. At his death, he was...

 in 1974 as the J. Paul Getty Wildlife Conservation Prize. Initially, the prize had the broad aim to recognize "outstanding contributions to international conservation" but was renamed in 2004 to reflect a restructuring of the award to "give it greater focus and strengthen its impact on conservation."^[1] The newly established J. Paul Getty Award for Conservation Leadership was awarded for the first time in 2006.

In 1983 the Wildlife Conservation Prize was presented to the awardees by President Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan

Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....

at a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden

White House Rose Garden

The White House Rose Garden is a garden bordering the Oval Office and the West Wing of the White House. The garden is approximately 125 feet long and 60 feet wide...

. According to then-president of WWF in the United States, Russell E. Train

Russell E. Train

Russell Errol Train was the second Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency , from September 1973 to January 1977, and the Founder Chairman Emeritus of World Wildlife Fund . As head of the EPA under U.S...

, Reagan referred to the Getty Award as the "Nobel Prize

Nobel Prize

The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...

 for conservation."

J. Paul Getty Award for Conservation Leadership recipients (2008-2006)^[1]

Year		Name	Country	Category	Basis of award
2008		Roger Samba	Madagascar Madagascar The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...	Community Leadership in Conservation	Organized the world's first community-managed no-take zone for octopus More
2007		Dr. K. Ullas Karanth	India	Leadership in Conservation Science	Developed sohpisticated and accurate methods for monitoring wild animal populations and in recognition of his many other contributions to conservation More
2006		His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck Jigme Singye Wangchuck Jigme Singye Wangchuck is the former King of Bhutan. He was the fourth Dragon King of Bhutan from 1972 until his abdication in favour of his eldest son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, in 2006... , King of Bhutan	Bhutan	Political Leadership in Conservation	Brought about government policies that have substantially benefitted conservation and increased environmental sustainability in Bhutan More

J. Paul Getty Wildlife Conservation Prize recipients (2003-1974)

Year		Name	Organization	Country	Basis of award
2003		Dmitry Lisitsyn	Sakhalin Environmental Watch	Russia	Worked to hold oil companies responsible for their effects on the environment of Sakhalin Sakhalin Sakhalin or Saghalien, is a large island in the North Pacific, lying between 45°50' and 54°24' N.It is part of Russia, and is Russia's largest island, and is administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast...  Island
		Haji Masdjuni		East Kalimantan, Indonesia	Achievements in sea turtle protection
		Francisco Solis Germani	Coastal Range Coalition	Chile	Played a significant role in the rerouting of Chile's Southern Coastal highway
		Lester Seri	Conservation Melanesia	Papua New Guinea	Aided the native Maisin people to reduce the negative impacts of unsustainable farming techniques
		Yang Xin	Greenriver Environmental Protection Association	Tibet, China	Worked with Chinese government to protect the Tibetan antelope and the Yangtze River at its source
2002		Antonio Reina		Mozambique	Contributed to the conservation of Mozambique's coastal region, including the expansion of the Bazaruto Archipelago Bazaruto Archipelago The Bazaruto Archipelago is a group of six islands in Mozambique, near the mainland city of Vilankulo. It comprises the islands of Bazaruto, Benguerra, Magaruque, Banque, Santa Carolina and Shell....  National Park
2001			Charles Darwin Foundation Charles Darwin Foundation The Charles Darwin Foundation was founded in 1959, under the auspices of UNESCO and the World Conservation Union. The Foundation is dedicated to the conservation of the Galapagos Islands ecosystems. The Charles Darwin Research Station serves as headquarters for The Foundation, and is used to...	Ecuador	In recognition of more than 40 years of conservation work in the Galápagos Islands Galápagos Islands The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...  and for its response to the Jessica oil spill occurring this year
2000		Julia Carabias Lillo		Mexico	Contributed greatly to the protection of Mexico's biodiversity and to the development of an international model of resource management that harmonizes environmental concerns with those of people
1999				Trinational NGO Alliance for the Gulf of Honduras	Contributed to the protection and conservation of coastal and marine resources of the Gulf of Honduras
		Pan Wenshi Pan Wenshi Pan Wenshi is China's premier panda biologist. He serves as the Director of the Giant Panda and Wildlife Conservation Research Center at Peking University...		China	Broke ground in panda conservation with a career that has advanced understanding of the giant panda and laid a foundation for new conservation programs
1998		M. Jean-Bosco Kpanou		Central Republic of Africa	Habituated lowland gorillas in the Dzanga-Ndoki National Park
1997			Forest Stewardship Council Forest Stewardship Council The Forest Stewardship Council is an international not-for-profit, multi-stakeholder organization established in 1993 to promote responsible management of the world’s forests. Its main tools for achieving this are standard setting, independent certification and labeling of forest products...	Oaxaca, Mexico	For promoting environmentally sound forest management by harnessing the power of the marketplace
1996			Fundação Pro-TAMAR	Salvador, Brazil	For turtle conservation
			Pawikan Conservation Project and Taman-Taman Sabah (Sabah Parks)	Quezon City, Philippines and Sabah, Malaysia (respectively)	For safeguarding a vital nesting area for sea turtles
1995			The Parc National des Volcans (Volcanoes National Park Volcanoes National Park For the park in Hawaii, see Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.Volcanoes National Park lies in northwestern Rwanda and borders Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. The national park is known as a haven for the mountain gorilla... )	Rwanda	For park staff's dedication and heroism in protecting mountain gorillas during civil war
1994			Sherubtse College Sherubtse College Sherubtse College was the first accredited college in Bhutan, founded in 1966. As of 2003 it became part of the newly created Royal University of Bhutan system that comprises all public post-secondary schools in Bhutan....	Bhutan	For developing an innovative environmental studies program
			COMUNIDEC	Ecuador	For fostering a grass roots conservation movement in Ecuador
1992/ 1993			West Bengal Forest Protection Committees	India	For their innovative community-based approach to sustainable management of the region's forests
			CODDEFFAGOLF	Honduras	For raising awareness of threats to marine and coastal resources and promoting stricter environmental law enforcement
1991			Fundacion Peruana para la Conservacion de la Naturaleza	Peru	For conservation achievements in Manú National Park Manú National Park Manú National Park is a biosphere reserve located in Madre de Dios and Paucartambo, Cusco. Before becoming an area protected by the Peruvian government, the Manú National Park was conserved thanks to its inaccessibility. The park remains fairly inaccessible by road to this day. In 1977, UNESCO...  and Biosphere Reserve
			Ghandruk Forest Management Committee, Annapurna Conservation Area Project	Nepal	For its involvement of local residents in the protection of their natural resources
1990		Dr. Emil Salim Emil Salim Professor Dr Emil Salim, is an economist and former Minister of Indonesia. Born of Minangkabau parents, both from the village of Koto Gedang in West Sumatra...		Indonesia	Led incorporation of environmental assessments into Indonesian law as the Minister of State for Population and the Environment
1989		Professor Miguel Alvarez del Toro Miguel Alvarez del Toro Miguel Carlos Francisco Alvarez del Toro was a Mexican Biologist who worked in the state of Chiapas as head of the Institute of Natural History. He married Clementina Pérez.He was the first Mexican conservationist....		Chiapas Chiapas Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las... , Mexico	Helped establish 11 reserves, fought to preserve Mexico's wildlife, and authored books and technical publications on Chiapas Chiapas Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
1988		Dr. Perez Olindo		Kenya	Made significant conrtibutions to preserving Kenya's natural resources and played a leading role in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) African Elephant Working Group
1987		Dr. Hemanta Mishra		Nepal	Broke ground with his biotic studies on Mt. Everest and in recognition of his development of Nepal's park systems, work on implementing Operation Tiger Operation Tiger Operation Tiger, a 1994 military operation in the War in Bosnia and HerzegovinaOperation Tiger may also refer to:* Operation Tiger , the successful German assault on the French Fortified Sector of the Sarre during the Battle of France in 1940...
1986		Sir Peter Scott Peter Scott Sir Peter Markham Scott, CH, CBE, DSC and Bar, MID, FRS, FZS, was a British ornithologist, conservationist, painter, naval officer and sportsman....		Great Britain	Cofounded WWF in 1961 and made life-long contributions to saving endangered wildlife
1985		Henri and Jean de Heaulme		Madagascar	Worked to preserve Madagascar's unique and endangered wildlife
1984		Dr. Jane Goodall Jane Goodall Dame Jane Morris Goodall, DBE , is a British primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace. Considered to be the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, Goodall is best known for her 45-year study of social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National...		Tanzania	Pioneered research on wild chimpanzees and increased public awareness of conservation efforts
1983		Alvaro Ugalde and Mario Andres Boza		Costa Rica	Helped build Costa Rica's national park system
1981		Dr. Maria Tereza Jorge Pádua and Dr. Paulo Nogueira Neto		Brazil	Played roles in advancing Brazilian environmental legislation, establishing national parks, and supporting a network of ecological research stations
1980		Dr. Harold J. Coolidge Harold Jefferson Coolidge, Jr. Harold Jefferson Coolidge, Jr. was an American zoologist and a founding director of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as well as of the World Wildlife Fund ....		United States	Founded the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and in recognition of his career at the National Council
1979		Dr. Boonsong Lekagul Boonsong Lekagul Dr Boonsong Lekagul was a Thai medical doctor, biologist, ornithologist and conservationist.He was born at Songkhla in southern Thailand and received a medical degree from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok in 1933. In 1935 he established Thailand’s first polyclinic in Bangkok...		Thailand	Rediscovered the kouprey Kouprey A kouprey , is a wild, forest-dwelling ox found mainly in northern Cambodia, but also believed to exist in southern Laos, western Vietnam, and eastern Thailand. It was discovered in 1937.Koupreys are very large ungulates, and can approach similar sizes to the wild Asian water buffalo...  and in recognition of his 30-year commitment to nature education and national parks
1976		Major Ian Grimwood		United Kingdom	Rescued the last three Arabian Oryx Arabian Oryx The Arabian Oryx or White Oryx is a medium sized antelope with a distinct shoulder hump, long straight horns, and a tufted tail. It is a bovid, and the smallest member of Oryx genus, native to desert and steppe areas of the Arabian peninsula...  and worked to protect the wildlife and natural areas of Africa, Asia, and South America
1975		Dr. Salim Ali Salim Ali Sálim Moizuddin Abdul Ali was an Indian ornithologist and naturalist. Known as the "birdman of India", Salim Ali was among the first Indians to conduct systematic bird surveys across India and his bird books helped develop ornithology...		India	Studied and worked to conserve Asian birds
1974		Dr. Felipe Benavides		Peru	Worked to save the vicuña Vicuña The vicuña or vicugna is one of two wild South American camelids, along with the guanaco, which live in the high alpine areas of the Andes. It is a relative of the llama, and is now believed to share a wild ancestor with domesticated alpacas, which are raised for their fibre...  and other endangered Latin American wildlife

Dr. K. Ullas Karanth (2007)

Dr. Karanth has done pioneering work on tiger and other carnivore conservation across India, particularly in the Nagarhole wildlife sanctuary. He is also seen as the motivating spirit behind the creation of three protected areas in the Western Ghats

Western Ghats

The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...

 forest of Southeastern India. The money will go towards funding graduate research at the National Center for Biological Sciences in Bangalore

Bangalore

Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...

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