Patrick Agaba has been announced as the winner of the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation’s Conservation Champion Award 2019.
The award, launched in 2017 to commemorate DSWF’s founder David Shepherd, aims to commend unsung global heroes of conservation. Patrick was one of five shortlisted candidates nominated for the award, and after an exciting few weeks of online voting, he was announced winner at the annual David Shepherd Wildlife Ball at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Friday 15th November.
Patrick is the Projects Manager at Uganda Conservation Foundation, a role he has excelled at for the last fourteen years. His dedication, hard work, integrity and loyalty have proved instrumental in the Recovery of Murchison Falls Programme and other projects for UCF. He has a long list of accomplishments including ensuring relationships between UWA and communities are strong, helping to reduce elephant crop raiding and supporting UWA ranger training with the US and UK military, and UNODC training teams.
Founded by renown wildlife artist and conservationist, David Shepherd FRSA CBE, the DSWF has supported conservation in Uganda through UCF for over 15 years. The Recovery of Murchison Falls programme has seen UWA successfully support a dramatic rise in wildlife numbers and so tourism.
Patrick will receive £1000 prize, which Patrick has said is a wonderful surprise and will be used to pay for his children’s school fees.
Edison Nuwamanya, UWA’s Chief Park Warden of Murchison Falls describes Patrick as ‘one of the most honourable and hardworking people you’ll ever meet’. He is also one of the main reasons why so many programmes have been so successful. On behalf of all of us in Murchison Falls, we are delighted he won.’
