The Life+IBERLINCE project awards the prizes for the Conservation of the Iberian Lynx 2016 in Murcia

The Iberlince Awards recognize the work of collectives, institutions and individuals who have contributed to the preservation and conservation of the lynx

The Life+IBERLINCE project 'Recovery of the historical distribution of the Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus) in Spain and Portugal' will deliver today the Iberlince Awards, which each year recognizes collectives, institutions and individuals whose contribution to preservation And conservation of the Iberian lynx has been remarkable.

In this edition have been distinguished with the Prizes Iberlince the Plataforma Citizen Yecla, land of lynxes, in Murcia; The Association of Schools of Mértola, in Portugal; The Commonwealth of Waters and Services of Llerena, in Extremadura; The Castilian cattleman Manchego José María Gil de Santivañes de la Mora; And the co-owner of the property El Adio in the municipality of Vilches (Jaén), in Andalusia.

Each of the winners has been proposed by one of the Life+IBERLINCE project partners. Thus, at the proposal of the region of Murcia has been awarded the distinction to the Conservation of the Iberian Lynx to the Yecla Civic Platform, land of lynx, from which the partners have highlighted their defense to the implementation of the objectives of recovery Of the Iberian lynx in Yecla, making the municipality a reference of naturalistic and environmental interest of the first magnitude.

For its part, the Institute for Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF) has proposed for the award the Group of Schools of Mértola, one of the main actors, according to the partners, in the implementation of initiatives to raise awareness and awareness of The school community of the county of Mértola in conservation issues in collaboration with the Natural Park of the Vale do Guadiana.

At the proposal of the Board of Extremadura has been granted the distinction to the Commonwealth of Llerena Services Waters of which have highlighted the institutional support of the municipalities that make up this commonwealth, their collaboration in information activities and the support of many of the Members of this community in actions to defragmentation of habitats in their populations, allowing the placement of signs and landmarks that warn of the importance of moderating the speed in the sections of special danger for the Iberian lynx.

The Community Board of Castilla-La Mancha has awarded the prize to the cattleman José María Gil de Santivañes de la Mora, who did not hesitate to make his farm available to the project, celebrating with enthusiasm the achievements made since its inception. The farm entered the history of the recovery of the lynx in the region as the first place in decades in which the reproduction of the species could be confirmed in the spring of 2016, when project technicians succeeded in making the first observation of the Female 'Keres' with their four puppies.

And the fifth Iberlince 2016 Prize for the Conservation of the Iberian Lynx proposed by the Andalusian region has fallen to the livestock María Jesús Gualda Bueno, co-owner of the estate El Adetto in the municipality of Vilches (Jaén), from which the partners have Valued their support and their active collaboration with the protection of the species already since 2009. De Gualda have also emphasized that it was one of the first owners of farms that adhered to the initiative to remove the Iberian lynx from endangered species of extinction.