Parveen Shaikh Wins Whitley Award 2026 on Saving the Indian Skimmer.

An International Award of Grassroots Conservation.

Parveen Shaikh is a winner of the Whitley Award 2026. This is sometimes referred to as the Green Oscars.

It acknowledges excellent efforts in the conservation of wildlife. Shaikh was awarded this honour because he was protecting the endangered Indian skimmer using a community based model.

Her writing brings out the strength of local involvement in biodiversity conservation.

What Is the Whitelay Award?

It is awarded by a UK conservation charity called the Whitley Award. It celebrates those who spearhead successful conservation initiatives on the ground.

The award concentrates on:

• Sustainable conservation
• Community involvement
• Long-term impact

By winning this award, Shaikh is recognized as one of the world leaders in conservation.

The Indian Skimmer: A Special River Bird.

Indian skimmer is a rare bird that is found in the Indian subcontinent. It is characterized by its bright orange bill and special feeding style.

The bird:

• Flies on water.
• Scrapes the bottom to take fish.
• Sandbar and river nest.

The population of skimmers in India is more than 90 percent of the world . There are approximately 3,000 birds.

The Indian Skimmer is threatened by the following.

The species is threatened by a number of threats.

Main challenges include:

• River changes: habitat loss.
• Fluctuating water levels
• Human activity like fishing and sand mining.
• Pollution

All these render the bird very sensitive.

Skimmer Guardians Initiative.

Shaikh initiated the Bombay Natural History Society Guardians of the Skimmer program.

The project is concerned with:

• Involving local communities
• Protecting nesting sites
• Monitoring bird populations

The local people are trained to be guardians. They conserve nests and create awareness.

Chambal Region Impact.

The project has been very successful in the Chambal River.

Key achievements:

• Population increased from 400 (2017) to nearly 1,000 (2025)
• There was an increase in nest survival rates.
• Local