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2015 TUSK Award Winners with the Duke of Cambridge, Garth Owen Smith, Emmanuel de Merode, Edward Ndiritu
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Land Rover joins HRH The Duke of Cambridge to Celebrate Emerging Leaders in Conservation

25 November 2015

Last night, at a glittering awards ceremony at iconic British Hotel Claridges, London, Land Rover joined wildlife conservation charity Tusk and its Royal Patron The Duke of Cambridge in honouring the best of up‑and‑coming conservationists in Africa.

  • Land Rover joins Tusk and its Royal Patron the Duke of Cambridge to recognise excellence in conservation in Africa
  • Dr Emmanuel de Merode from the Democratic Republic of Congo presented with 2015 Tusk Conservation Award at prestigious London awards ceremony
  • The award, sponsored by Land Rover, celebrates rising stars in conservation in the increasingly challenging field of wildlife conservation
  • 2015 Tusk Conservation Awards ceremony is the latest example of continued support from Land Rover, whose vehicles' all‑terrain capability, durability and reliability make it the perfect choice for conservation work all over the world

Coventry, UK, 25th November 2015 ‑ Last night, at a glittering awards ceremony at iconic British Hotel Claridges, London, Land Rover joined wildlife conservation charity Tusk and its Royal Patron The Duke of Cambridge in honouring the best of up‑and‑coming conservationists in Africa. 

The Tusk Conservation Awards saw supporters join the Duke of Cambridge to celebrate the achievements of those fighting for the survival of Africa's iconic species and their life‑enhancing work with three unique awards, the Tusk Award for Conservation in Africa, the Prince William Award for Conservation in Africa and the Tusk Wildlife Ranger Award.

The Tusk 2015 Award for Conservation was presented by the Duke to Dr Emmanuel de Merode,in recognition of his remarkable achievements protecting Virunga's exceptional biodiversity throughout 25 years of civil war and life‑threatening situations.  Amongst many achievements, he has brokered agreements with rebel leaders, enabling his rangers to return to their homes and work. Emmanuel has also established long‑term development programmes to secure the future economic viability of Virunga for its people. 

Launched in 2013, the Tusk Conservation Awards aim to highlight inspiring conservation work currently being undertaken to a global audience, by recognising the achievements of individuals who are helping to protect Africa's natural heritage. Dr Emmanuel de Merode was applauded for the significant impact he has already made as an up‑and‑coming conservationist and awarded a grant of £15,000 to further develop his work.

Emmanuel de Merode accepted the 2015 Tusk Award for Conservation in Africa at a Ceremony at Claridge's in London. He humbly insisted that he would receive the award on behalf of the many individuals working tirelessly alongside him in Virunga National Park.

Mark Cameron, Jaguar Land Rover Global Experiential Marketing Director said, "We are honoured to join the Duke of Cambridge and Tusk in giving these remarkable emerging conservationists the recognition they deserve and financial support to continue and develop the incredible work they are already doing in Africa."

The Prince William Award for Conservation in Africa was awarded to Garth Owen‑Smith.  The award recognises an extraordinary life dedicated to pioneering community conservation in Namibia.

For the first time, last night's awards saw the new Tusk Wildlife Ranger Award presented by The Duke. The award, created to recognise the dedication and bravery of rangers working to protect Africa's increasingly endangered wildlife, was awarded to Edward Ndiritu. Ndiritu was acknowledged for his outstanding commitment to Anti‑Poaching Units for the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and the Northern Rangelands Trust in northern Kenya.

Closing the ceremony the Prince said, "People often ask me why I am so passionate about this cause.  It is because of the human impact.  The planet and our natural resources are not something we can afford to squander."

Land Rover's collaboration with Tusk started over 15 years ago, when they first supported the Lewa Marathon in Kenya.  The Trust has also been supported with Land Rover vehicles, which are in constant use supporting the Trust's work across Africa.

The Duke of Cambridge became Royal Patron of Tusk in December 2005 and has actively supported the charity's work on many occasions.  Last night, The Duke attended a reception prior to the awards to meet Tusk personnel and supporters, before presenting the awards on stage.

ENDS

Further information

For further information and images log onto www.media.landrover.com or contact: 

Lydia Haley
Senior Press Officer
Land Rover PR
Tel: +44 2476564147   
Mobile: +44 7730 923507
Email:  lhaley1@jaguarlandrover.com 

Notes to Editors

Land Rover

Since 1948 Land Rover has been manufacturing authentic 4x4s that represent true 'breadth of capability' across the model range. Defender, Discovery, Discovery Sport, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover and Range Rover Evoque each define the world's 4x4 sectors with 80% of this model range exported to over 170 countries.

Tusk Conservation Awards

Open to nominations from across the continent of Africa, the Tusk Conservation Awards comprise two unique awards:

  • The Prince William Award for Conservation in Africa, sponsored by Investec Asset Management 

Garth Owen‑Smith, the winner of the 2015 Prince William Award was recognised by the independent judging panel of experts for the legacy he has created through the concept of community conservation. His policies are embedded at National level, giving communities a legal right, which is impressive enough in Namibia, but his model has been used in Kenya and Mozambique. Garth is a legendary figure in African conservation. In addition to the trophy commissioned by Tiffany & Co, Owen‑Smith receives a grant of £30,000 towards his conservation work.

  • The Tusk Award for Conservation in Africa, sponsored by Land Rover 

Dr Emmanuel de Merode was awarded the 2015 Tusk Award for Conservation in recognition of his remarkable achievements protecting Virunga's exceptional biodiversity throughout 25 years of civil war and life‑threatening situations.  Amongst many achievements, he has brokered agreements with rebel leaders, enabling his rangers to return to their homes and work. Emmanuel has also established long‑term development programmes to secure the future economic viability of Virunga for its people.

The Tusk Award recognises his achievements and his leadership and includes a grant of £15,000.

The two other finalists who travelled to London for the awards ceremony were Dr Mary Molokwu from Liberia and Mr Cosmas Mumba from Zambia who will also receive grants for their respective projects. 

Tusk

Tusk has been working since 1990 to build a sustainable future for the African continent and its wildlife. Since its formation in 1990 Tusk with its affiliate, Tusk USA, has raised £25m for a wide range of projects across Africa, which not only work to protect wildlife, particularly endangered species, but also help to alleviate poverty through sustainable development and education amongst rural communities who live alongside wildlife. 

HRH The Duke of Cambridge became Royal Patron of Tusk in December 2005 and he has actively supported the charity's work both privately and publicly on many occasions. In June 2010, The Duke visited the work of Tusk in Botswana with his brother Prince Harry during their first joint overseas tour. It has been both the Prince's and the charity's long‑term ambition to create an awards programme to celebrate outstanding achievement in African conservation. The inaugural event at The Royal Society in September 2013, attended by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, became the focus of the TV documentary, "Prince William's Passion: New Father, New Hope" broadcast by ITV and CNN around the world. 

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