May 2026 Awards and Accolades
Congratulations to this month's award recipients on the recognition of your achievements!
Paola Sangolquí
Paola Sangolquí, a 2026 PhD graduate who worked in the Conservation Innovation Lab with Leah Gerber, has been awarded the 2026 Whitley Award, one of the world’s most respected honors for grassroots conservation leadership, for her work protecting the critically endangered Galápagos petrel and its nesting habitats.
Known internationally as the “Green Oscars,” the Whitley Awards recognize conservation leaders driving impactful, community-based solutions to some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Sangolquí was honored by the UK-based Whitley Fund for Nature for her efforts to safeguard the Galápagos petrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia), a seabird found only in the Galápagos Islands whose population has declined dramatically due to invasive species, habitat loss, and environmental change.
As marine conservation coordinator for Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco, Sangolquí leads initiatives that protect nesting sites on private lands—an area that has historically received less conservation attention than the Galápagos National Park. Working closely with local farmers, landowners, scientists, environmental authorities, and youth, her team is building a collaborative conservation model that balances ecological protection with community engagement.
The Galápagos petrel once numbered approximately 27,000 breeding pairs in the 1970s, but invasive predators and habitat disturbance caused the population to plummet to fewer than 3,500 breeding pairs within a decade. Today, the species remains critically endangered. Through habitat restoration, invasive species management, research, and public outreach, Sangolquí and her collaborators are working to secure a future for this iconic seabird.
A native of the Galápagos Islands, Sangolquí has dedicated her career to protecting the unique biodiversity of her home. Her conservation efforts emphasize the interconnectedness of marine and terrestrial ecosystems and the vital role local communities play in sustaining them. The Whitley Award will provide support to expand conservation work across key nesting areas and strengthen partnerships with landowners and community stakeholders.
Sangolquí defended her dissertation, titled "Assessing the Relative Supply and Demand of Ecosystem Services in the Galapagos Marine Reserve: Integrating Community Perceptions, Expert Valuation, and Institutional Pathways," this March.