INTERNATIONAL GREEN PEN AWARD WINNER - 2009
Haroldo F Castro - Brazil

Haroldo Castro is an award-winning video director and producer, an environmental journalist, a photographer and a communications strategist. Since 2004, he writes a monthly column about travel and conservation in the Brazilian magazine PLANETA. In 2007, he was invited to write a travel blog (http://colunas.epoca.globo.com/viajologia) called Viajologia (Travelology), in partnership with Brazilian TV Globo’s EPOCA weekly magazine, focusing on ecotourism and conservation.
From 1990 to 2006, he worked at the Washington-based NGO Conservation International (CI); as CI’s Vice President for Global Awareness, he was responsible for designing and implementing conservation awareness strategies and directing video productions for conservation projects around the world.At CI, Castro produced a vast array of video and TV materials. He directed
more than 60 programs, produced in several languages and tailored-made to local audiences in biodiversity-rich countries. His documentaries have won 50 awards in the USA ­ including three at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival and 15 at the International Wildlife Film Festival ­ as well as more than 10 international prizes.

Reasons why the candidate merits the Award
He is a keen promoter of environmental reporting. In 1999, he created a contest for nvironmental journalists, the “Biodiversity Reporting Award” (biodiversityreporting.org) to acknowledge the efforts of media professionals in developing countries. He was the Executive Director of the
initiative from 1999 to 2006. The Award continues to exist and it is in its 11th edition.Before joining CI, Haroldo Castro worked in Washington, DC, as a correspondent for a Brazilian weekly magazine and as an independent television producer. He has organized international teleconferences and television events to create awareness of social issues, such as AIDS,
environmental degradation, health and natural disasters.
His assignments have taken him to 148 countries around the world and he speaks four languages. He has participated in several photographic exhibits and has published hundreds of articles and thousands of photographs in international magazines and newspapers.

Haroldo Castro started his professional career as a photographer and journalist in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1970. In the 80’s he began to integrate the conservation agenda in his work and soon he was producing stories focused on nature and biodiversity protection.After joining Conservation International, a Washington-based environmental organization, in 1990, he became a renowned leader in environmental communications. Faithful to his roots, Castro strongly supported journalists who were covering environmental issues in Brazil, Latin America, and Africa. One of his activities was to organize seminars and workshops to build capacity for his colleagues.
In 1999, he created a contest for environmental journalists, the Biodiversity Reporting Award (BDRA) (www.biodiversityreporting.org). The goal was to acknowledge the efforts of media professionals in developing countries. He was able to get financial support from several foundations in the USA and Europe, as well as bring partners to the event, such as the
International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), the International Federation of Environmental Journalists (IFEJ) and Fundación Biodiversidad (FB), part of Spain's Environment Ministry. All partners were well-respected and independent institutions that helped guarantee the contest's prestige and credibility with the international media. Haroldo Castro was the Executive
Director of the initiative from 1999 to 2006.

Brief Summary of the Biodiversity Reporting Award The BDRA was launched in 1999 as a pilot project in Guatemala and Guyana. Nineteen journalists participate in the contest with 42 stories. Based on its success, the BDRA was expanded in 2000 to include Colombia. Thirty-five
journalists, from 17 media houses, entered 85 stories. The winners went to Cairo, Egypt, to participate in the IX IFEJ Conference. Financing from the Virginia Cabot Foundation allowed the competition to be expanded in 1991 to three additional countries: Bolivia, Brazil and Ghana, the first African country. From 88 participants, six winners were chosen to attend the X IFEJ
Conference in Germany. In 2002, Peru replaced Guatemala and 115 journalists entered 222 articles. The six winners traveled to Baltimore, USA, to attend the XII Annual Conference of the Society of Environmental Journalists of the US (SEJ). In 2003, the contest was organized in the same six countries. Additionally, a pilot project in Peru and Bolivia launched an award for
Radio, with 18 participants in both countries. Six winners, selected from a total of 125 journalists, participated in the XIII SEJ Conference in New Orleans, USA.

Madagascar replaced Ghana in 2004 and the contest continued to be held in six countries. In this sixth edition, 109 print journalists, representing 72 media outlets, participated in the award with 186 stories. Brazil launched a new category, Television, and received 22 stories from 17
reporters. The seven winners traveled to Bangkok, Thailand, to take part of the III IUCN World Conservation Congress. In 2005, new financing from Spain allowed the competition to be expanded to Ecuador and Venezuela. At that moment, the BDRA comprised eight national awards for written press and one television award for Brazil. The Regional Andean Award was celebrated for the first time, honoring the best two reports from the Andean region. In that year, 212 journalists, representing 107 media, sent 376 written stories and 33 television reports. In 2006, the award was organized in nine countries and 12 categories, with a participation of 588 printed articles, written by 363 journalists and representing 148 media outlets. Peru received the highest number of articles: 104. Brazil held, for the third time, its television contest, with 68 reports. The eight Latin American winners traveled to Madrid to attend the Eighth Environmental National Congress of Spain. Read More ...>>

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