News

WildCRU’s Adjany Costa awarded the Order of Civil Merit of the first Degree by the President of the Republic of Angola João Lourenço

It is with admiration and pride that we at WildCRU witness Adjany Costa, WildCRU graduate student, receiving awards and accolades celebrating her dedication and achievements in the work that she undertakes conserving precious water and biodiversity hotspots in Angola. Adjany, with the Luchaze community in the Eastern Angolan highlands, is working to conserve the miombo woodland, which in turn protects the source lakes and rivers that are critically important for sustaining water flow to the rest of the Okavango watershed. The Okavango River Basin is the largest freshwater wetland in southern Africa, it provides water to a million people and creates a haven for wildlife, including the world’s largest population of elephants amongst an abundance of other iconic species.

Adjany joined us at WildCRU this year as a 2019 National Geographic Explorer, to undertake a DPhil under the supervision of David Macdonald. In September she was awarded a UN Young Champion of the Earth Prize for Africa for her efforts in conserving the world’s last wild places.

Last week, on the 7^th November, awarded by the President of the Republic of Angola João Lourenço, Adjany won the Order of Civil Merit of the first Degree (Gold Medal), a decoration bestowed upon individuals for remarkable acts that deserve special recognition from Angolan society.