page_title: Seacology
section_title: Seacology Prize
hierarchical_section_title: Seacology / Activities / Seacology Prize
caption_attribution_description: English: Rabary Desiré of Madagascar receives his Seacology Prize at the David Brower Center in Berkeley, CA in front of the board members
context_page_description: Seacology is a nonprofit 501 charitable organization headquartered in Berkeley, California, that works to preserve island ecosystems and cultures around the world. Founded in 1991, it began with the work of ethnobotanist Paul Alan Cox, who researched tropical plants and their medicinal value in the village of Falealupo in Samoa during the mid-1980s. When the villagers were pressured into selling logging rights to their rainforest in 1988 to build a new school, Cox and his wife offered to help secure funds for the new school in return for an agreement with the villagers to protect their forest. With the help of his friends and family, Cox secured the funds within six months, later earning him and the village chief, Fuiono Senio, the Goldman Environmental Prize for their efforts. Word spread throughout the islands, and with increasing demand for similar projects, Cox, along with Bill Marré and Ken Murdock, decided to form Seacology and expand their work internationally. For the first few years, the organization operated on a volunteer basis. Duane Silverstein became the first employee in 1999, and headquarters were relocated to Berkeley, not far from his residence.
context_section_description: Created by founder Cox in 1992 and underwritten by Ken Murdock in honor of his mother, the Seacology Prize is awarded each year to an indigenous islander based on achievements in island conservation and cultural preservation.  Many of the award recipients are people who risk their lives and wellbeing to preserve their culture and environment but receive little or no public recognition for their work.  The prize includes a reward of $10,000.
  In 2010, it was awarded to Rabary Desiré from Matsobe-Sud in Madagascar for his forest conservation efforts in Belaoka Marovato in northeastern Madagascar.  Rabary, an ecotour and research guide, had created his own forest reserve, called Antanetiambo (meaning "on the high hill"), and planned to use his prize money to fund reforestation efforts, develop tourist facilities, and expand the reserve.  Another winner of the Seacology Prize was the Icelandic filmmaker and former reporter for RÚV Ómar Ragnarsson, who won the award in 2008 for his efforts in preserving the highlands of Iceland. In 2017, the prize was awarded to Filipino environmentalist and philanthropist Gina Lopez for her brave battle against multi-million mining corporations in the Philippines, which led to a massive public discourse and perception against mining in island ecosystems.
caption: Rabary Desiré of Madagascar was awarded the Seacology Prize in 2010.
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