WildCRU's Erika Cuellar has been awarded the Rolex Global Award for Enterprise, 2012

Erika Cuellar is one of the five pioneering men and women who have been announced as the 2012 winners of the Rolex Awards for Enterprise.

Chosen from more than 3,500 applicants from 154 countries by an independent Jury of international experts, the Rolex Laureates are honoured for their groundbreaking projects in Australia, Bolivia, Kenya, Russia and the United States.

Erika's richly deserved prize is awarded for her training project of indigenous people in Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina to conserve the biodiversity of one of South America's last truly wild environments, the Gran Chaco.

More than 400 distinguished figures from around the world will gather to honour the new Laureates at a ceremony in New Delhi, India, on 27 November. The 2012 Laureates join the 115 individuals from 42 countries whose spirit of enterprise and concern for the environment and mankind have earned support and recognition from Rolex Awards in the last 36 years in areas including science and health, applied technology, exploration and discovery, the environment, and preservation of cultural heritage."This year, the Jury was struck at how each of these remarkable individuals is empowering people in their communities to take control and preserve the natural world and the lives of those around them,"those around them," said Rebecca Irvin, head of Rolex philanthropy. "In most cases, they are harnessing new technology to promote public advocacy and change for the better. We at Rolex welcome these five Laureates into the global network of visionaries that has grown since the Awards were founded in 1976."

For more information on the Rolex Awards for Enterprise, visit rolexawards.com