The International Ranger Federation (IRF) and IUCN'sWorld Commissionon Protected Areas (WCPA) call for nominations for theprestigiousYOUNG CONSERVATIONIST AWARDThe award aims to recognize and raise awareness of theoutstandingcontributions made to the management of protectedareas, andleadership shown, by young conservationists. It alsoseeks toencourage young professionals and help them developnetworks byinviting winners to join WCPA.Nominations/applications are invited for/from: youngpeople working inconservation and actively managing protected areas.This includes allpeople working in protected areas, such as (but notlimited to)rangers, interpreters, people working with localcommunities, policymakers, scientists, and, includes people working forgovernmentagencies, the private sector, non-governmentorganizations, localcommunities, etc.Nominations/applications must be submitted for/by:* young field practitioners (under the age of 35)* for any outstanding contribution (single incident orsustained/ongoing commitment) towards protected areamanagement (froma local to a global scale)The young professional's work must show:1. Extreme dedication to protected areas2. Capacity to deal with adversity3. Working over and above the normal call of duty.The Young Conservationist Award Review Panel willjudge the degree towhich the candidate demonstrates:* Passion, dedication and commitment* Degree of innovation (thinking outside of the box)* Self sacrifice (time, costs, physical, bravery, etc)* Scale/extent/magnitude/impact of contribution (areaand duration).Submissions :* an updated CV (maximum two pages)* letters from referees (maximum of three)* a short submission (maximum of 450 words) on thenominee'scontribution, with special reference on how thiscontributionbenefited/s and improved/s protected area management.Benefits for the awardee:* IRF/WCPA Young Conservationist Award Certificate * Membership in WCPA, the world's premier network ofprotectedarea experts* Publicity on WCPA and IRF websitesApplications should be sent preferably via e-mail to:Sarah GindreProgramme on Protected AreasThe World Conservation Union (IUCN)Rue Mauverney 28Gland, CH-1196, SwitzerlandPhone: + 41 (22) 999-0161Fax: + 41 (22) 999 0025E-mail: sarah.gindre@iucn.orgDeadline for submissions : 2 June, 2006For more information on theInternational Ranger Federation (www.int-ranger.net)World Commission on Protected Areas(www.iucn.org/wcpa)