30 years of the Conservation Leadership Programme

In 1985, BirdLife International – then called the International Council for Bird Preservation (ICBP) – founded the 'Conservation Expedition Award' for UK university students to study birds overseas.

In 2007, 100% of CLP project team leaders were nationals of developing countries.

In 1998 an annual international training course was established for award winners focusing on biological field survey techniques.

In 2003 the international training course was expanded to include project planning, conservation education, communications and media relations.

94% of respondents in a survey about CLP Proposal Writing Workshops said that they used the methods learned in the training to write other proposals.

The same 50 survey respondents reported that they cumulatively raised more than $2.8 million dollars using the skills and knowledge gained from the CLP training course to write successful proposals

In 2006 BPCP Internships are introduced giving individuals an opportunity to gain hands-on experience working with an international conservation organization.

In 2007 the Kate Stokes Memorial Award is established in the memory of Kate Stokes, who worked for the programme from 2002 – 2006. This award is given to one exceptional team each year.

In Northeast Luzon, the Philippines (2003) a CLP project protecting Philippine Crocodiles helped establish local foundation/NGO Mabuwaya foundation and worked with 'local species guardians' to carry out conservation activities.

A 2005 project for the conservation of Kikuyu Escarpment Forest led to seven forest blocks targeted by the project now having registered active Community Forest Associations. These are engaged in various conservation initiatives that are geared to conservation of the forest and sustainable utilization of natural resources.

4000ha of the Androy Region of Southern Madagascar is now under active management by the local community, with ecotourism established in the area visits by several BBC crews to film local wildlife. An association of guides provide visitors with a range of services from portering, cooking and guiding wildlife and cultural walks.

RootsUp: a social network specifically for CLP alumni, was launched in June 2011.

In September 2011, the BirdLife Secretariat approved the IBA status of three territories in Uzbekistan based on a 2008 CLP project.

In early August 2009 a new 3,000 hectare nature reserve was established in Guangxi province, China, to conserve the world’s rarest primate, the critically endangered Cao-vit gibbon, and its habitat. The reserve contains all known suitable habitat for Cao-vit gibbon in China and will link up with a reserve which was established in Vietnam in 2006 (in partnership with FFI)

In 2004 a CLP project with reef fish in Brazil led to the creation of a 350 km2 multiple-use Marine Protected Area, Cassurubá Reserve.

In 2011 a new Ramsar protected wetlands site was established at Lake Kuyucuk in Turkey by a three-time CLP award winning team.

A project conserving the Critically Endangered Darevsky’s Viper in Lake Arpi National Park, in Armenia (2011) discovered seven of the eight known populations of Darevesky’s viper and successfully lobbied for the expansion of Lake Arpi National Park so that all areas of viper habitat were included

30 years of the Conservation Leadership Programme

What have we achieved so far?

Nearly 700 projects, interns and scholarships awarded in 112 countries around the world

First alumni networking grant offered in August 2012.