Shortly after Diane passed in 2022, I was contacted by her friends at the African Leadership University’s School of Wildlife Conservation where she had been “Conservationist in Residence”.
She made such an impact there, that they suggested we create two awards that embodied and celebrated Diane’s impact on conservation.
The Unsung Hero in Conservation Award reflects her focus on the conservation need and outcome and not on personal gain or search for recognition and glory.
The Conservation MBA Scholarship for an African Woman recognises her concern that African women are underrepresented in conservation, and her steadfast effort to support, nurture and encourage their participation and growth in the sector.
It was therefore a great honour for PWF and ALU to present these awards at their Business of Conservation Conference in Nairobi last week.
Congratulations to Urbain Ngobobo and Elvis Kisimir as the respective winners of the 2024 and 2025 Diane Skinner Unsung Hero Award. I thoroughly recommend taking some time this weekend to watch their videos to see the extraordinary impact they are making in the Congo and Northern Tanzania.
And congratulations to our own talented Ruth Kabwe, the inaugural winner of the MBA Scholarship, as she treads the path to become one of tomorrow’s African conservation leaders.
With best wishes
Nicholas Dyer
Chief Executive – Painted Wolf Foundation
Director – Painted Dog Fund
Congratulations Urbain Ngobobo
Winner of the 2024 Diane Skinner Award for the Unsung Hero in Conservation
Urbain has been protecting gorillas in the DRC for 25 years. Starting from just a single tent in the forest, Urbain spearheaded and inspired the local community to establish the Nkuba Conservation Area which is home to over 2,000 Grauers’ Gorillas and Eastern Chimpanzees. Urbain’s amazing story gives you hope, not just for the gorillas, but for conservation as a whole.
Congratulations Elvis Kisimir
Winner of the 2025 Diane Skinner Award for the Unsung Hero in Conservation
Elvis Kisimir is a Maasai at the forefront of one of East Africa’s most effective community-led conservation movements. During his sixteen years in conservation, Elvis has helped to build Warriors for Wildlife and the Living Walls projects into widespread, multi-species co-existence programmes. Elvis’s story shows how coexistence is possible, and humans and wildlife can thrive together.
Congratulations Ruth Kabwe
Winner of the inaugural Diane Skinner Conservation MBA Scholarship for an African Woman
Ruth has a BSc in Ecology from the Copperbelt University and a Diploma in International Wildlife Conservation from Oxford University.
Ruth is an ideal candidate for a conservation MBA. It will complement her strong scientific background and tough field experience to give her the management skills to become a conservation leader of tomorrow.
As PWF’s Project Manager, Ruth is the interface with our grantees, playing a critical role in administering our grants and measuring their impact on the painted wolves.
The Diane Skinner Conservation Awards
Diane Skinner was a respected African conservation leader and co-founder of PWF, who sadly passed away in 2022 at only 41 years old.
She leaves a stellar legacy of work conserving painted wolves, chimpanzees, elephants, rhinos and pangolins, amongst others. She worked selflessly, without ego or a need for recognition.
Diane believed strongly in African-led conservation and that the future of the continent’s wildlife lies in empowering African conservation leaders, especially women.
The annual Diane Skinner Conservation Awards, jointly sponsored by PWF and the African Leadership University’s School of Wildlife Conservation, honour her vision by supporting African conservationists working where it matters most.
