Our heroes
Here we profile some of IUCN's conservation heroes - people from Brazil to Pakistan, Laos to the Democratic Republic of Congo - all with unique stories to tell.
The Turtle Lady
Dr Fehmida Firdous – Pakistan
The efforts of Dr Fehmida Firdous, known as the ‘Turtle Lady of Pakistan’ to save marine turtles has earned accolade from the country’s President and international media attention. …
03 May 2011 | News story
Never lose heart
Maryam Bibi - Pakistan
For almost two decades Maryam Bibi has battled against prejudice and intolerance to improve the lives of women and children in some of the world’s poorest areas. …
28 Apr 2011 | News story
Sneezing in the rain
Ngwe Lwin - Myanmar
It may be more common these days to hear doom and gloom stories of biodiversity loss and environmental degradation, but exciting discoveries of new species do happen and give heart to conservationists the world over. …
11 Apr 2011 | News story
Winning hearts and minds
Lalao Aigrette - Madagascar
For decades, biologists have campaigned for marine reserves, struggling with the mistrust or disapproval of fishermen. Lalao Aigrette, a dedicated Malagasy conservationist, is taking on this challenge amongst remote fishing communities in some of the most biodiverse regions of Madagascar. And she’s seeing some impressive results. …
11 Apr 2011 | News story
The power of partnership
Nigel Dudley and Sue Stolton 2011 – United Kingdom
Nobody knows better the benefits that national parks and other protected areas bring to people and nature than Sue Stolton and Nigel Dudley, and no one has worked harder to bring this knowledge to bear in saving the world’s natural wealth. …
11 Apr 2011 | News story
Saving Singapore’s green space
Dr Ho Hua Chew - Singapore
In Singapore, where space is tight, nature conservation faces some difficult odds. And no one is more familiar with the challenges than Dr Ho Hua Chew of IUCN Member organization the Singapore Nature Society who has fought for years for official recognition of the island state’s wildlife. …
11 Apr 2011 | News story
Trapped in the Amazon!
Renata Leite Pitman - Brazil
“Ten years ago, moved by curiosity, I planned a three-month expedition to the south east of Peru to learn more about an elusive species, and maybe trap and radio collar it. Ten years later, I feel it was the animal that trapped me!,” says Renata Leite Pitman. …
04 Apr 2011 | News story
A blessing in disguise
Tahir Qureshi – Pakistan
“In 1984, when I was a Divisional Forest Officer, I was kidnapped in the thick forest of Dadu, in southern Pakistan. The armed gang kept me in captivity for two nights but it seemed like a thousand years. My confidence was shattered and my career took a turn for what I thought at the time was the worst. After this, I decided to work on coastal conservation. This change, which involved restoring mangroves, was actually a blessing in disguise. It gave me a platform to chart completely unexplored territory in Pakistan.” …
04 Apr 2011 | News story
Conservation for peace
Prudence Mazambi and Pascal Murhula Balezi, the Democratic Republic of Congo
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, despite the area’s instability and prevalent violence, two young conservationists fight to protect the environment through comics, theatre performances, radio programmes and reforestation initiatives. …
04 Apr 2011 | News story
The man who saves turtles
Dr Nicolas Pilcher - Malaysia
Nick saves sea turtles. In a nutshell that’s what he does. But he has to look far beyond their nesting grounds to make it work. …
04 Apr 2011 | News story
