Bessie Rischbieth Conservation Award

 Nominations for 2009 are now open!

In honour of Bessie Rischbieth, a pioneer of the conservation movement in WA, this award is awarded annually to an individual volunteer who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to the Western Australian environment. The recipient will have been activley involved in the conservation movement as a volunteer for a numberof years, have campaigned on an issue, or a number of issues and have displayed qualities of courage, integrity, perserverence and commitment.

Areas for evaluation

The recipient will have upheld one or more of the following principles of conservation:

• - The protection of the environment through creative campaigning and advocacy
• - The sustainable use of natural resources (e.g. waste minimisation, recycling)
• - The protection of communities from harmful pollution or inappropriate development
• - Community education about the environment and sustainability
• - Empowering and organising individuals and groups to protect the environment

Specific additional areas for evaluation 

• - Length of volunteer environmental activism
• - Level (degree) of involvement
• - Grassroots interaction
• - Effectiveness in environmental awareness raising and networking
• - Sustaining involvement until conlusion of campaign (s)

The award is specifically intended for a person who has had the courage to challenge Government and non-government decision makers.

Click here to download a nomination form (type-in word doc) or (pdf) 

Past recipients:
2008 Professor Philip Jennings 
2007 Graeme Rundle
2006 Bob Goodale
2005 Dennis Beros
2004 Dr Harry Cohen
2003 Andrew Thomson
2003 Graham Chittleborough
2003 Rachel Siewert
2002 Dot Hesse
2001 Joan Payne
2000 Rod Whittle
1999 Peter Robertson
1998 Alex Syme
1997 Naomi Segal
1996 Barbara Churchward
1995 Shyama Peebles
1994 Len Howard