Nominated by Dr. Gayle Knapp

For millennia, humans have had the benefit of observing the night skies. It has been only in the last century that technological advances and population growth has led to light pollution that impedes our access to views of the night sky.

As a star gazer, I truly appreciate the efforts of the International Dark-Sky Association (ID-SA). They provide a mechanism for ensuring that we preserve areas from light pollution so that we, people can view the immense beauty of the visible universe [https://www.darksky.org/]. This organization provides help and suggests if you want to get involved (even just in your own home or neighborhood). https://www.darksky.org/get-involved/. 

As a Utahn I am immensely proud of the efforts of our National, State, and County Parks and communities to preserve our view of the night sky. We have, with 15 areas, the largest concentration of ID-SA-certified locations [https://www.visitutah.com/things-to-do/stargazing].  Kudos to the inspiring actions of local citizens AND the Utah State Parks rangers/employees who are dedicated to the Utah State Park’s Dark Skies initiative [https://stateparks.utah.gov/resources/utah-state-parks-dark-sky-initiative/].

The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy (QCC), conceived by the Right Honourable Frank Field MP, was launched at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta, in 2015. The QCC is a unique network of forest conservation initiatives, which involves all 54 countries of the Commonwealth.

For more than five decades, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales has been a champion for the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. With the Terra Carta or Sustainable Markets Initiative, His Royal Highness is gathering a global ‘coalition of the willing’ who share the vision around the need to accelerate global progress towards a sustainable future. The Sustainable Markets Initiative was launched by His Royal Highness at The World Economic Forum 2020 Annual Meeting in Davos together with a 10-point action plan to kickstart bold and imaginative action across the next decade.

Sir David Attenborough narrates this eight-part series that explores the unique wonders of the natural world. Produced in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund, "Out Planet" uses a combination of stunning photography and technology to present Earth's remaining wilderness areas and their animal inhabitants. The project took four years to complete, with more than 600 crew members filming in 50 countries across the world to showcase the diversity that exists among habitats, from the remote Arctic wilderness to the jungles of South America.

The Earthshot Prize is the most prestigious global environment prize in history, designed to incentivise change and help repair our planet over the next ten years.

The Prize aims to turn the current pessimism surrounding environmental issues into optimism, by highlighting the ability of human ingenuity to bring about change, and inspiring collective action.

The Farmlink Project is a non-profit organization founded by college students alleviating food insecurity and reducing food waste by connecting farms with a surplus of fresh, nutritious produce to communities in need.  The organization includes a group of university students committed to alleviating the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic. When college campuses closed in March 2020 in response to COVID-19, many of these students found themselves back at home with the urge to help those struggling in the pandemic. The Farmlink Project was born in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and they have plans to become a long-term and sustainable organization in the fight against food insecurity and food waste.

In 1961, African Wildlife Leadership Foundation, Inc., later African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), was established to focus on Africa’s unique conservation needs.  AWF's programs and conservation strategies are designed to protect the wildlife and wild lands of Africa and ensure a more sustainable future for Africa's people.

Panthera is the only organization in the world that is devoted exclusively to the conservation of the world’s 40 wild cat species and their ecosystems.Utilizing the expertise of the world’s premier cat biologists, Panthera develops and implements global strategies for the most imperiled large cats: tigers, lions, jaguars, snow leopards, cheetahs, pumas, and leopards. Representing the most comprehensive effort of its kind, Panthera partners with local and international NGOs, scientific institutions, local communities, governments around the globe, and citizens who want to help ensure a future for wild cats.

EEC is an organization that provides direct environmental education, focusing on the conservation of environment along with comprehensive yet entertaining information through camping.  Founded on the principles of and passion for environmental conservation and sustainability, EEC Thailand (Environmental Education Centre Thailand) is a leading social enterprise dedicated to environmental education through structured activities centred around classroom and nature.