Rosalinda Palomo Ramos

Gamaliel Castañeda Gaytán

Congratulations to our friends and colleagues Gamaliel Castañeda Gaytán and Rosalinda Palomo-Ramos on being this year’s winners of the Sabin Family Prize in turtle conservation! Read more about their amazing work and what motivates them to save turtles and tortoises in Mexico.

The Andrew Sabin Family Foundation, Global Wildlife Conservation, the Turtle Conservancy and the Primate Specialist Group are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2018 Sabin Conservation Prizes: Gerardo Garcia, winner of the 2018 Sabin Amphibian Conservation Prize for his work at Chester Zoo in the U.K.; Rosalinda Palomo Ramos and Gamaliel Castañeda Gaytán, joint winners of the 2018 Sabin Turtle Conservation Prize for their work in Mexico; and Andrés Link, winner of the 2018 Sabin Primate Prize for his conservation endeavors in Colombia. The four will be honored at an awards luncheon Tuesday, June 12, at the Bowery Hotel in New York City.

“Conservation of endangered species depends upon people with the passion and dedication to protect them,” said Don Church, Global Wildlife Conservation’s president and director of conservation. “The Sabin Conservation Prizes are an opportunity to recognize these guardians of our wildlife and wildlands on a global stage. Gerardo, Rosalinda, Gamaliel and Andrés embody the spirit of why these awards were created.”

Rosalinda Palomo Ramos and Gamaliel Castañeda Gaytán are spearheading the study and conservation of some of northern Mexico’s most emblematic turtles. Palomo Ramos has spent years deciphering the decline of the Bolsón tortoises, and in understanding their relationship with ranchers in the Mapimi Biosphere Reserve. She is completing her doctoral thesis on the conservation biology of the Bolson Tortoise, and is committed to the long-term survival of this imperiled species. Castañeda Gaytán has studied the Coahuila Box Turtle and other reptiles of the Chihuahuan Desert biome, including the Bolson Tortoise. In his position as a lecturer of herpetology at the University of Durango at Gómez Palacio, he has amplified the importance and significance of reptile biodiversity conservation, cultivating the next conservation leaders in the field.

The 2018 Sabin Conservation Prizes and the awards ceremony are made possible thanks to the Andrew Sabin Family Foundation. Sabin has donated more than $20 million to wildlife conservation efforts over the past 40 years, supporting high-impact conservation through targeted projects around the world. He has participated in conservation projects preserving more than 250,000 acres of critical habitat and protecting more than 80 species.

“These annual awards are an opportunity to shine the spotlight on conservation champions around the world,” said businessman and environmentalist Andy Sabin. “Many are working on species that receive very little attention in the mainstream media. By recognizing these champions, we hope to elevate the importance of their work and how we all benefit from their tireless efforts to preserve the fabric of life on our planet.”

These awards mark the 11th annual Sabin Amphibian Conservation Prize, the 5th annual Sabin Turtle Conservation Prize and the 5th annual Sabin Primate Conservation Prize. The winners each receive a cash award and a trip to the awards ceremony in New York.