2025 Nature Conservation Award Finalists
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Awarded to an organisation for successfully protecting, rehabilitating or mitigating damage to the Earth's biodiversity, eco-systems and/or Earth’s natural resources.
Beyond Expectation Environmental Project (BEEP)
BEEP is a grassroots conservation initiative reconnecting marginalized South African youth with nature through healing excursions, ecological education, and climate action. Founded in 2005 by Lindela Mjenxane, BEEP addresses environmental injustice by restoring youth access to places like Table Mountain and the Cape Flats wetlands. Its programs blend indigenous knowledge and sustainability, transforming participants into environmental stewards. Over 35,000 young people have joined, with 500 trained as leaders and 60 placed in conservation roles. Current goals include retrofitting homes, establishing food gardens, and training new facilitators. Through nature-based healing, soil regeneration, and biodiversity workshops, BEEP fosters teamwork, dignity, and responsibility. More than conservation, BEEP is about justice—repairing the broken bond between people and planet, and modeling inclusive, community-led solutions for a sustainable future.
Lapalala Wilderness School
In one of South Africa’s most biodiverse yet underserved regions, Lapalala Wilderness School nurtures conservation values while addressing rural challenges. From a solar-powered eco-campus, it offers environmental education, food gardens, beekeeping, teacher training, digital learning, and learning camps. The community faces poor school infrastructure, limited technology, and long distances to clinics. Yet through dignity, dialogue, and practical support, LWS uplifts youth and strengthens families. It reconnects people with nature, instils lifelong stewardship, and shows how conservation and care can flourish together. During times of need, LWS provides food parcels, ensuring resilience and dignity. The school believes community involvement is vital—not only as a humanitarian commitment but also to advance conservation in ways that are socially and environmentally sustainable, while contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals.
SANCCOB: Frontline Defence for the Critically Endangered African Penguin
The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds, known as SANCCOB, is on the frontline of protecting the endangered African Penguin and other vulnerable seabirds. Without urgent action, the African Penguin could vanish by 2035. Since 1968, SANCCOB has rescued and rehabilitated more than 108,000 seabirds—around 2,500 each year—showing a long-term commitment to marine life. Their Chick Bolstering Programme, part of South Africa’s Biodiversity Management Plan, has hand-reared and released nearly 12,000 penguin chicks since 2006. Through the Seabird Ranger Programme, they safeguard five key colonies, partnering with authorities to monitor, protect, and restore critical habitats. More than saving seabirds, SANCCOB is restoring balance, rebuilding connections with nature, and proving that hope and action together can change the tide for future generations.