The deadline for nominations for the Euan P. McFarlane Environmental Leadership Award, established to acknowledge individuals age 30 and younger who have displayed both exemplary and sustained leadership on behalf of the environment in the insular Caribbean, is Nov. 15.
For over three decades, the award has consistently recognized and honored individuals in the insular Caribbean who demonstrate exceptional environmental leadership, according to the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands.
The Euan P. McFarlane Award was endowed by the late Laurance S. Rockefeller and was administered by Island Resources Foundation from 1987-2014. The award is now managed by the CFVI as a part of its philanthropic portfolio of support for youth, learning, families, and the environment.
Since 1987, 30 individuals from 19 Caribbean islands have been recipients of the award, the CFVI said in a news release. Their efforts have been an inspiration for their home islands and served as models for the Caribbean region, it said.
When the award was first established in 1987, its emphasis was on honoring younger environmental leaders. In intervening years, this priority was amended to broaden the universe of potential nominees. In 2020, however, the award returned to its origins as an annual recognition of an outstanding environmental leader 30 years of age or younger. The award provides encouragement and recognition to emerging young leaders and focuses attention on the innovative achievements of a new generation of Caribbean trailblazers, according to the CFVI.
Who is Eligible?
Any resident of a Caribbean island who is 30 years of age or younger (as of Dec. 31, 2021) is eligible for nomination, although priority consideration will be given to residents of the smaller Eastern Caribbean islands. Any interested individual or organization familiar with the nominee may submit a nomination. Self-nominations will not be accepted.
Award Criteria
Nominations will be reviewed by an advisory committee of individuals familiar with the award and its history, the Caribbean region, and environmental initiatives in the region. The award will be based on an assessment of how well the nominee meets the following criteria. All nominations must address criterion #4 and at least two of the other three criteria.
- Nominee’s role in increasing public awareness about environmental issues.
- Nominee’s role in developing, promoting, or assisting innovative programs or policies that conserve or protect key elements of the Caribbean’s natural or built environment.
- Nominee’s accomplishments in strengthening public or private sector institutions and organizations concerned with conservation, preservation, or resource management issues.
- Nominee’s potential for future environmental leadership in the insular Caribbean.
