Insurance Corporation marked a major milestone last week with their 35th annual Jersey Conservation Awards.
The awards honour individuals, groups, and young people who are making a positive and lasting impact on the island’s natural environment.
The awards ceremony took place at the Pomme D’Or Hotel on Wednesday 18 June 2025, where finalists gathered to celebrate their achievements and share their passion for conservation. Over the years, the awards have become a platform for recognising projects that support biodiversity, restore habitats, and embed sustainability within the community.
This year’s Best Conservation Project was awarded to Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust for its Red-billed Choughs Programme – a long-term initiative to reintroduce and sustain this once-lost bird in Jersey. In 2024 alone, 24 chicks were successfully hatched, with the project also supporting habitat restoration, public engagement, and scientific research.
La Croix Regeneration Centre, led by Nikki de Gruchy, was named Runner-Up. Nikki took on her family’s farm, previously degraded by years of intensive potato farming, and set out to reverse the damage. Through regenerative agriculture, hedgerow planting, adaptive grazing, and community programmes, she has been transforming the site into a thriving example of ecological recovery and sustainable food systems.
The School & Youth Group Green Award went to Jersey Marine Conservation, a collaborative project between the Jersey Sea Cadets and the Jersey International Centre of Advanced Studies (JICAS). Young participants are designing and testing low-cost underwater monitoring tools, contributing to local marine research while gaining hands-on STEM experience.
Jersey College Preparatory’s Eco Team received the title of Young Conservationists of the Year for their outstanding student-led sustainability efforts. Their programme includes energy audits, behavioural change campaigns, and solar power investigations, encouraging a culture of environmental awareness across their school.
The public voted the National Trust for Jersey’s Victoria Tower Pollinator Reserve as this year’s People’s Choice Award winner. This once-vacant field has been transformed into a flourishing pollinator haven through wildflower planting, habitat restoration, and community education.
Also Highly Commended were Jersey Trees for Life for replanting the Railway Walk after 2023’s storm damage and creating a new community woodland at La Moye, and Acorn Woodshack for ‘It’s a burning issue’, which repurposes waste timber while providing work and training for Islanders with disabilities or long-term health conditions.
Michelle Steele, HR and PR Executive at Insurance Corporation, reflected on the success of the event: “After 35 years of these awards, we’re still inspired by the creativity, dedication, and sheer energy behind every entry. It’s heartening to see so many islanders stepping up to protect the natural beauty of Jersey and the Channel Islands. Congratulations to all this year’s finalists and winners – you’re shaping a better future for us all.”
Picture Credit: Paul Wright Photographer
