Philip Balderamos wins top conservation award

He has been involved with conservation in Belize for over a quarter century and on Saturday the efforts of Philip Balderamos were recognized when he was presented with the James A. Waight Award by the Belize Audubon Society. When he took the podium to accept the award, Balderamos dedicated it to Father Leonard Dieckman, Homer Leslie and Jean Shaw. An avid birder, Balderamos has served on the Audubon board and is currently the national coordinator for the U.N.D.P. Small Grants Program. Via telephone today, a grateful Balderamos told us the tribute has encouraged him to devote even more time and energy to promoting bird conservation and awareness, especially in young people and rural communities. According to Balderamos, his love for the environment was honed by teachers like Jim and Lydia Waight, Meg Craig, Dora Weir and Ford Young. The Waight award is Audubon’s highest honour and past winners include the late Julian Cho, newly appointed Senator Pulcheria Teul, the Cockscomb’s Ernesto Saqui, Eloy Cuevas of Monkey River and the 2007 recipient, Lionel “Chocolate” Heredia of Caye Caulker.