Fred Packard Award for Outstanding service to Protected Areas
The Fred Packard Award honours individuals or groups to recognise outstanding service to protected and conserved areas.
The Fred Packard Award recognises outstanding service to protected areas by both individuals and organisations. This prestigious award includes a certificate of recognition, and under certain circumstances, a cash prize. Since 2003, cash prizes have been awarded to the families of rangers who lost their lives in the course of duty.
Nominations Now Closed
Stay tuned for the announcement of the 2025 Fred Packard Award winners at IUCN WCC 2025.
Criteria for selection
Nominees should demonstrate:
Exceptional personal or organisational dedication to protected area conservation, far exceeding normal expectations.
Acts of individual valour.
Demonstrated impact of their contributions beyond their own agency or country.
Contributions that influence sectors beyond protected areas.
How to Nominate
To nominate a candidate, please download and complete the nomination form and submit it—along with a high-resolution photo of the nominee—to wcpa [at] iucn.org by July 6, 2025. Nominations will be accepted in English, French, or Spanish. An award ceremony will be held at the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi in October 2025.
Formulaire de candidature en français
Formulario de candidatura en español
Nominations are open to both IUCN WCPA members and non-members; however, preference will be given to members in good standing. Note that self-nominations are not allowed.
How does the Award work?
- Nominations are requested by WCPA Chair prior to key global and regional IUCN and or WCPA meetings.
- Nominations are invited from WCPA Members and others involved with protected areas.
- The nomination must address the criteria and must include a draft citation of no more than 250 words.
- The WCPA Chair will appoint a Selection Committee, in collaboration with the IUCN Secretariat, comprising representatives from IUCN WCPA, the IUCN Secretariat, and/or other conservation agencies.
- All Selection Committee members and Jury members will act independently and withdraw from the process if there is any real or perceived conflict of interest.
Outstanding service to Protected Areas
Named after Fred Packard, who served as Secretary to the WCPA in the 1970s, the award was originally created to recognise “valour” and has continued to honour the memory of rangers and others who have made the ultimate sacrifice for nature.