Malaysia Nature Society

Established in 1940, the Malayan Nature Society is a non-profit-making NGO that promotes nature appreciation and conservation. Its activities cover field trips, courses, outdoor expeditions, education, media campaigns and exhibitions with the aim of developing an appreciation for Malaysia's natural heritage. There are branches in nine Malaysian states. The proposed network of conservation areas incorporated in the Third Malaysia Plan (1976-1980) was a direct result of a paper submitted by the Malayan Nature Society.

Peter Matthiessen

Mr. Matthiessen is a naturalist and author who has used his art to document disappearing life forms and traditional ways of life. Matthiessen's "Wildlife in America" was the first book to document the environmental decline of the USA. His expeditions have taken him to Alaska, Canada, Asia, Oceania, South America, Africa and New Guinea. In Indian Country", Matthiessen exposes the injustices still being suffered by the native peoples of America; "The Spirit of Crazy Horse" documents the US government's renewed assault on American Indians that began in the 1970s. In both fiction and non-fiction, he has been nominated for the National Book Award, which was won by "The Snow Leopard" in 1978.

Norman James Melrose

Since 1956 Mr. Melrose has been associated with the Doma Intensive Conservation Area Committee, a voluntary sub-committee of the Natural Resources Board elected to ensure that farming in the area is carried out in a conservation-conscious way. For 23 years he was in charge of operations carried out by the local mine to establish vegetation on the mine dumps which were being eroded by the wind and water to the detriment of neighbouring farms. Experimental and practical planting of different plant species resulted in all the slimes dams being vegetated in a self-regenerating manner, local couch grass, Port Jackson Willows, Acacia, Cyanophilla and Takoma being the mainstays. The mine dumps are now difficult to differentiate from the surrounding bush.

Claude Michel

Mr. Michel graduated in the UK and taught biology for over five years before working at the Mauritius Institute for some 20 years, finishing as Director. After early retirement he worked at the Mauritius Institute of Education as a curriculum developer and lecturer in science, biology and environment. Over the past 20 years he has been writing a weekly contribution for a local newspaper ("L'Express") on scientific topics, including plant and animal life, as well as the environment. Written in a light tone, the articles aim at interesting nonscientific readers in the topics covered. These articles have played a major role towards promoting environmental awareness in Mauritius.

Ahmad Abu Musa

Dr. Abu Musa is the president of the Ba'ath Pioneer Organisation. The organisation aims to promote environmental consciousness among young people. Activities include seminars, symposiums, children's seminars, and tree planting projects in camps and schools. "Green Carpet" competitions, exhibitions for plants and flowers, and theatre are also used to convey the message of sustainable development

Seub Nakhasathien

The late Mr Nakhasathien worked as a forest researcher at the Wildlife Sanctuary in Thailand from 1975 to 1979. In 1983, as Chief of the Wildlife Rescue Project he worked unrelentingly to rescue drowning wildlife while also fighting against illegal poachers. In 1987 he campaigned against the construction of the Nam Choan, a 580 megawatt dam planned for the Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary. In 1989, as chief of a Wildlife Sanctuary, he succeeded in saving 6,000 square kilometres of land from exploitation. Nakhasathen took his own life on September 1 1990 following the shooting and death of two of his rangers by poachers and renewed frustrations encountered in his struggle to protect the environment.

Nyamuniwa Nyamunda

Mr. Nyamunda is a farmer who practices conservation. Around his rural village areas he has begun to reclaim gullies, turning degraded land into highly- productive areas. He grows vegetables and has established orchards and fish ponds on the reclaimed land. In 1983 Nyamunda established his own woodlot to compensate for the number of trees being cut down during deforestation. His knowledge in conservation and farming has led him to develop agriculture and conservation training programmes for the school children in the surrounding area.

Vereniging Ode, Organisatie Voor

The Organisatie voor Duurzame Energie (Organisation for Renewable Energy) is a Dutch NGO specialising in promoting renewable energy applications. The organisation was founded in 1979 and now has 1000 members and 35 associated local organisations. The organisation informs the public on developments in wind-energy and solar energy, with the objective of mobilising public and local groups to support the use of renewable energy resources. It has specialised in promoting and coordinating farmers, companies and groups of small consumers to use wind turbines and solar systems.

Adama Ouedraogo

Mr. Ouedraogo is from north west Burkina Faso, an area prone to soil erosion. In 1969, Ouedraoge, created Les Groupements de Naarn, an organisation dedicated to conservation and tree planting. To date, over 4,000 harvestable trees have been planted alongside a holding for rabbits, pheasants, chickens and ducks. The organic waste produced by these animals is used as compost in a nursery that produced over 5,000 local and exotic plants in 1985. In 1986 he built a cold storage on a reservoir that provides a suitable breeding environment for fish.

Sir Geoffrey Palmer

Sir Geoffrey Palmer has been Prime Minister and Minister for the Environment of New Zealand. He was instrumental in successfully combating driftnet fishing, a practice that led to the death of endangered species such as whales, dolphins, seabirds and turtles. His efforts resulted in the Convention for the Prohibition of Fishing with Long Driftnets in the South Pacific. Palmer was the driving force behind the New Zealand Ozone Layer Protection Act, and he also established the New Zealand policies to mitigate global climate change. His leadership made New Zealand one of the first countries in the world to introduce comprehensive resource management legislation.