WWT Director recognised for contribution to conservation science
WWT Director of Conservation, Dr Debbie Pain, has been given the ZSL Marsh Award for Conservation Biology.
The award is made annually by the Zoological Society of London for contributions of fundamental science and its application to the conservation of animal species and habitats.
Members of the judging panel were unanimous in their decision to give the award to Dr Pain.
Upon receiving the award, Dr Pain said:
“I am delighted to receive this award which is a reflection on the many skilled and dedicated people that I’ve had the privilege to work and collaborate with”
Under Dr Pain’s direction, achievements of WWT’s conservation programmes staff have included:
- Undertaking a detailed research study of the rediscovered Madagascar pochard, arguably the rarest bird in the world and using the results to help develop a recovery plan.
- Initiating conservation breeding programmes for the Madagascar pochard and the spoon-billed sandpiper, and an innovative ‘head-starting’ project for spoon-billed sandpiper which has increased productivity in the wild.
- Playing a key role in the reintroduction of the common crane to the west of England.
- Uniting conservationists across northern Europe to address plummeting numbers of sea duck species, including long-tailed duck and velvet scoter which were added to the IUCN Red List last year.
- Making the first attempts to identify hotspots where Bewick’s swans are being shot, after analysis of x-ray data found continued high levels of shooting despite protection throughout their range.
- Finding that lead poisoning continues to be a significant cause of death for wildfowl in the UK and played a central role in addressing the issue.
- Tracking the breeding behaviour of white-fronted geese in Greenland, using accelerometers that measure movement in three directions, to determine why they return with so few young.
- Discovering new populations of tadpole shrimp and developed survey methods.
Before WWT, Dr Pain spent 16 years at the RSPB, where she led the international research team that worked with BirdLife partner organisations around the world. One of their achievements, working with the Bombay Natural History Society , was to help confirm that the veterinary drug diclofenac was the cause of the sudden decline in Asian Gyps vultures in India, and to identify and advocate the use of a suitable alternative drug. This resulted in a nationwide ban on the veterinary use of diclofenac and a better prospect for the future of vultures.
She has worked on a diverse range of topics from the implications of climate change for the Important Bird Area network in Africa to environmental toxicology and the impacts of the Common Agricultural Policy on birds across Europe.
She has more than 100 scientific publications and has co-written and edited three books.
