Garraway-Phillips CBF BEACH Award · Individual
Dr. Dorka Cobián Rojas
Cuba
Biodiversity Excellence Award for Caribbean Heroes
CBF BEACH Awards
Celebrating the people and organizations leading biodiversity conservation and sustainable development across the Caribbean.
About the awards
The CBF BEACH Awards recognize individuals and organizations making remarkable contributions to conservation and sustainable development in the Caribbean. Each round honors one individual and one organization for their leadership, innovation and impact.
Awarded every two years since 2023 and linked to the International Day for Biological Diversity, the awards amplify stories that inspire environmental pride, regional collaboration and action to protect the Caribbean’s natural heritage.
- First awarded
- 2023
- Held
- Every two years
- Each round
- One individual, one organization
Latest awardees
2025 awardees
Mackensen CBF BEACH Award · Organizational
Fondation pour la Protection de la Biodiversité Marine (FoProBiM)
Haïti
2023 awardees
Individual Award
Dr. Judith Gobin
An internationally recognized marine scientist with over 40 years of experience, Dr. Gobin has made significant contributions to the knowledge of marine biodiversity in Trinidad and Tobago and throughout the Caribbean. As the first female Professor in Life Sciences at the St. Augustine Campus, UWI, she has been a trailblazer in marine sciences and in global discussions on ocean conservation.
Organizational Award
Vérification des récifs en République dominicaine
Established in 2004 and led by Dr. Rubén Torres, Reef Check Dominican Republic tackles the coral reef crisis with practical solutions and global awareness. Working with local partners, it pioneers tourism products and services that make conservation economically sustainable, a boon to coral reef restoration in the country.
Named for two founding board members
Each award carries the name of a founding member of the CBF Board whose legacy shaped conservation in the region.
Garraway-Phillips Award · Individual
Eleanor Garraway-Phillips
Known as the “Caribbean Ambassador,” she shaped conservation policy and strategy in The Bahamas, playing a key role in the Bahamas Master Plan for Protected Areas and the Bahamas Protected Areas Fund. As the CBF’s first Vice Chair and Treasurer, she helped advance the Caribbean Challenge Initiative.
Mackensen Award · Organizational
Dr. Jens Mackensen
Former Chair of the CBF Board, Dr. Mackensen directs the Latin America and Caribbean portfolio for the Department of Natural Resources at KfW Development Bank in Frankfurt, overseeing forest protection, sustainable forestry and agriculture, and the protection of climate, coasts and biodiversity.
Qu'est-ce qui fait un héros de la conservation ?
Nominees must be actively working in the Caribbean with a proven track record of projects or initiatives. Judges look for:
- ImpactMeasurable results for biodiversity conservation or sustainable development in the region.
- InnovationA creative or new approach to conservation or sustainable development.
- DirectionA leader in their field, committed to work that advances the CBF’s mission and vision.
- CollaborationWork carried out with other organizations or stakeholders across the Caribbean.
- DurabilitéA long term commitment to conservation or sustainable development in the region.
How awardees are chosen
- 1
Admissibilité
The CBF Secretariat screens every nomination against the eligibility criteria.
- 2
présélection
A panel drawn from the CBF Board, partners and experts in biodiversity, sustainable development and climate change selects one individual and one organization.
- 3
Notification
The CBF Secretariat notifies the awardees, who are celebrated at the awards ceremony.
The next round
Nominations for the next CBF BEACH Awards will be announced on this page and in our news.
Read CBF news