Future For Nature Award for three mammal conservationists including Tiasa Adhya from India

Three inspiring natural leaders in nature conservation were selected to be the winners of the Future For Nature Award 2022. Tiasa Adhya (India), Gabriel Massocato (Brazil) and Rebecca Cliffe (Costa Rica/UK) have been selected out of more than 250 candidates from all over the world. They will receive this prestigious nature conservation prize and 50,000 euros each for their amazing conservation work.

The Netherlands-based Future For Nature Foundation (FFN) supports young, talented, and ambitious nature conservationists committed to protecting species of wild animals and plants.  

Indian conservationist Tiasa Adhya, 35, is committed to safeguarding the fishing cat and its wetland habitat. With The Fishing Cat Project, she connects locals, researchers and the government to create a strong network and help secure not only the future of the fishing cat but also that of the human beings dependent on this ecosystem.

Gabriel Massocato, 34, is a Brazilian biologist going to great lengths to protect a species that was slipping away into oblivion — the giant armadillo. He is fighting fires and training others to create a safe natural environment and prevent the species from going extinct. He aims for the giant armadillo to become an ambassador for biodiversity.

British biologist Rebecca Cliffe, 31, is passionate about protecting sloths and their tropical forest habitat in Costa Rica. She moved across the world to learn more about the elusive lives of these slow, charismatic creatures. Her Sloth Conservation Foundation reforests nature, rescues wildlife and reconnects people with the environment.

This year the fishing cat, giant armadillo and sloth bear have won the FFN award. Never before were three mammals selected. All of these are representatives of freshwater ecosystems — Asian floodplains and deltas, Pantanal and tropical rainforests of South America. The clear global support for freshwater ecosystems is doubtlessly visible.

On May 13, Razan Al Mubarak, the newly elected president of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Frans Timmermans, vice president of the European Commission, are the guests of honour. They will grace the stage alongside the new winners of the FFN Award. In the past, this internationally recognized nature conservation prize has been presented by Sir David Attenborough, Dame Jane Goodall, Dr Frans de Waal and Doutzen Kroes. During the tenth edition, His Royal Highness King Willem-Alexander was the Guest of Honour.