Kenton R. Miller Award for Innovation In Protected Area Sustainability
For the first time ever, the prestigious Kenton R. Miller Award will recognize individuals who have innovated a new mechanism, policy, tool or field practice to promote the wilderness. The award honors WILD’s longtime friend and colleague Dr. Kenton Miller, a world recognized leader in park and protected areas management.
The World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) requested WILD’s partnership on this year’s award in order to highlight achievements in international wilderness conservation. The 2009 award will be presented at WILD9, the 9th World Wilderness Congress in Merida Mexico, 6-13 November.
Nominees for the 2009 award will be reviewed on their innovations for the sustainability of wilderness areas. Innovations will have been tested in “real world” conditions and of international value. Such innovations will help ensure the long-term survival of established or proposed Wilderness Areas (as defined by IUCN Protected Area Guidelines, categories 1a and 1b) in the face of such global challenges as: change in climate, fragmentation of ecosystems by roads or other infrastructure, encroaching human settlements, harmful land use practices, misguided economic and social policies, or poorly designed and located development projects, among others. Read the full call for nominations in English or Spanish.
Detailed criteria and the required nomination form are available at the IUCN/WCPA website. The closing date for nominations is 1 June 2009. Nominations may be sent in English, Spanish or French. Spanish and French nominations must be submitted by 15 May 2009 to allow for translation.
About Kenton R. Miller
Dr. Miller’s list of accomplishments and esteemed positions within the conservation world are nearly un-matched. As an officer of the United National Food and Agriculture Organization, he headed FAO’s Latin American Programme on Wildland Management. He authored the first text on park planning for the Spanish-speaking world, developed and taught graduate programs in parks and wildland management at CATIE (Costa Rica) and the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources, and played a significant role in the design and implementation of three World Park Congresses (1982, 1992 & 2003).
Dr. Miller also played a significant role in the development of the Global Convention for the Conservation of Biological Diversity (CBD) and held the position of Director General of the IUCN from 1983-1988. He also recently finished his third term as Chair of the WCPA. He is a mentor to many conservation leaders around the world, and is recognized particularly for his energetic promotion of innovation and learning in the field of parks and protected areas.
