Goldman Environmental Prize Blog

Over the past several weeks, The New York Times and National Geographic Magazine dedicated pages and pages of lengthy articles to the global poaching crisis. While those articles focus mostly on the African elephant and the ‘blood ivory’ trade, poaching of endangered species is on the rise worldwide. With poaching levels at their highest in decades,…

Goldman Prize staff members Lani Alo and Jenny Park had the opportunity to attend Seeds of Resilience: Women Protecting Their Right to Land and Food, an event hosted by Women’s Earth Alliance. The event was held at the David Brower Center in Berkeley, a model of sustainability and home to the Richard and Rhoda Goldman…

Congratulation to 2007 Goldman Prize recipient Orri Vigfusson on receiving the American Museum of Fly Fishing’s 2012 Heritage Award. The annual award honors ‘individuals and organizations whose commitment to the sport of fly fishing and natural resource conservation sets standards to which we all should aspire.’ Vigfusson will be honored at a celebratory dinner on October…

As summer winds down we are spotlighting Prize recipients who know the importance of teaching children about environmental protection. This short video clip features Prize winners interacting with children in their communities through educational and outreach workshops. This back to school season, be sure to talk to your children about protecting the Earth.

As you get ready for your Labor Day weekend vacation (or stay-cation), remember the enormous impact that your travel dollars can have on the local communities you visit. Ecotourism is a growing industry that has big potential for travelers who want to see the world and do a little good at the same time. 2012…

1994 Goldman Prize winner Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come celebrated a victory this month as the Cree Grand Council and the government of Quebec signed a historic agreement that will create a power-sharing governing council and provide millions in funding to the Cree nation. The municipality of James Bay will be replaced by a 22-member…

We’re extending our celebration of International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples for the whole month of August—and reintroducing some of the indigenous leaders among the Goldman Prize winners. Men and women, young and old, the diverse group of winners represent indigenous communities from all corners of the world. What unites them is an unwavering…

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson joined Hilton Kelley and other community leaders for a groundbreaking ceremony in honor of a new healthcare clinic that will provide affordable care to the low-income West Side community of Port Arthur, Texas. Port Arthur is home to numerous oil and gas refineries and is constantly exposed to toxic emissions. The EPA…

A Goldman Prize staff member recently traveled to Rwanda, where she spent a few days observing mountain gorillas with Eugene Rutagarama. Rutagarama won the 2001 Goldman Prize for leading the effort to protect the critically endangered mountain gorillas in the aftermath of violent conflicts in the region. The GEP staff member stayed at the Sabyinyo Silverback…

Discovery Channel’s Shark Week kicked off on Sunday and millions of viewers are expected to tune in to watch sharks at their most ferocious. As powerful as they are, however, sharks are critically endangered, in large part because of shark finning – the practice of cutting off fins from live sharks and tossing them back…