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Island Resources Awards McFarlane Award to Rueben Thompson of St. Martin.
In the award presentation, Bruce Potter, Island Resources Foundation president said,
“I am pleased to present this award for Rueben J. Thompson, as the 2009 recipient of the Euan P. McFarlane Award for Outstanding Environmental Leadership in the Insular Caribbean. I bring warmest congratulations to Mr. Thompson from the Island Resources Foundation (IRF), which has, since 1987, overseen the management of this Award which was initially endowed by Caribbean philanthropist and conservationist, the late Laurance S. Rockefeller (see attached statement which provides additional information on the McFarlane Award).
“Mr. Thompson’s name was placed in nomination by Natalia Collier, president of Environmental Protection in the Caribbean. The nomination was also supported by Paul Hoetjes of the Department of Environment and Nature in Curacao.
“As you will note in the history of previous McFarlane Awards that accompanies this award, recipients represent a broad cross-section of Caribbean environmental leaders dating back to the first award which was made in 1988 to Yves Renard of Vieux Fort, St. Lucia (who went on to become president of CCA, among many other environmental accomplishments); in the intervening years, similar recognition has been given to environmental leaders from Barbados, Antigua, Dominica, Trinidad, St. Croix, Guadeloupe, St. Kitts, Nevis, Jamaica, British Virgin Islands and St. Vincent. The 2009 Award is the 18th bestowed and is the first to be presented to an individual from the Netherlands Antilles.
“I am also pleased to remind you and the members at the AGM that the McFarlance Award includes a US$1,000 unrestricted grant to the recipient, usually presented at the Annual General Meeting of the Caribbean Conservation Association, the 41st of which is being held today at the Barbados National Trust Headquarters Barbados. My colleagues at IRF and those long associated with the McFarlane Award join me in conveying to Rueben Thompson our congratulations. This is a well-deserved tribute in recognition of your active and committed leadership on behalf of the cultural, historical, and ecological heritage of St. Maarten.”
In accepting the award, Mr. Thompson wrote to Judith Towle, the manager of the Foundation’s McFarlane award program:
I would … like to thank the Island Resources Foundation for selecting me as the 2009 recipient of the Euan P. McFarlane Award for Outstanding Environmental Leadership in the Insular Caribbean.
The last few years have seen a rising awareness on St. Maarten within the community as well as with visitors with regards to environmental protection and conservation efforts. Residents, newspaper editorials, journalists, radio personalities and visitors decry the rapid rate of development and the environmental consequences thereof. Citizens as well as at least some decision makers are starting to realize the importance of protecting St. Maarten’s natural heritage and implementing sustainable development practices.The Foundations which I am involved with on island; Environmental Protection In the Caribbean (EPIC), St. Maarten Pride Foundation and the Emilio Wilson Estate Foundation are honored that the IRF has chosen someone from St. Maarten as this year’s recipient and believe that the international Caribbean recognition will play an important role in our efforts to raise awareness and protect St. Maarten’s and by extension thereof, the Caribbean’s Natural heritage.
Bruce Potter
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