The National Biodiversity Awards Ceremony was conceived by the Biodiversity Project Coordinator, Mrs. Joan Norville, as a culminating activity of the Biodiversity Public Awareness Campaign. This campaign commenced on August 11th 2004 with a launching at the Governor-general’s mansion, Morne Fortune.

Community Development officers and agencies involved in environmental management were recruited to select community groups, businesses, and schools deserving of recognition of their efforts at biodiversity conservation based on given criteria.

The main objectives of the awards ceremony were as follows:

• To recognize the efforts of deserving community groups, schools and businesses at biodiversity conservation
• To help communities, schools and businesses to appreciate the importance of biodiversity to their livelihoods and businesses
• To encourage communities, businesses and schools to continue with their biodiversity conservation programmes.

The Awards Ceremony was held at the Indies Conference Centre on Saturday, August 27th , 2005, under the patronage of the Governor-general, Dame Pearlette Louisy. The event was sponsored by the Bank of St. Lucia. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is pleased that the hosting of this event is in agreement with one of the strategic goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity which is to engage the private sector in biodiversity conservation. The winning private sector companies, Windward and Leeward Brewery Ltd and Sandals Resorts International, were very grateful and pleased to receive their awards. As a result of this ceremony, a Sandals employee, Mr. Eustace Vitalis, was nominated to attend an International Biodiversity and Business Seminar, the 3rd-5th November 2005 in Sao Paulo, Brazil sponsored by the Secretariat of the Convention in collaboration with other international agencies. The Ministry of Agriculture is also very pleased that he was selected out of twenty one nominations to be one of ten experts selected to deliberate at the seminar. Mr. Vitalis will be the only Caribbean expert at this event. The Secretariat of the Convention hopes to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. The Ministry hopes that this event will be a regular activity on its calendar. The Bank of St. Lucia has promised continued sponsorship.

-Awardees
Bio-Business AwardBio-Community AwardSchool AwardsPhotos of Bio Award Ceremony

Awards were also given to the Media for their support for Biodiversity Management. These included the
Government Information Service
Daher Broadcasting Service
Helen Television System
Radio St. Lucia
Voice Publishing Company
Mirror Publishing Company
Star Publishing Companyand these