Nominations open for the 2026 Local Government Ecology Awards
The annual awards, being run with the Association of Local Government Ecologists, celebrate the positive impact of ecologists in local government.
We are excited to open nominations for the third annual Local Government Ecology Awards
We feel that ecologists working in local government are not sufficiently recognised for the excellent work they do, improving the environment for communities across the country.
To address this, along with the Association of Local Government Ecologists, Verna is excited to run the Local Government Ecology Awards. This annual, UK-wide award recognises and celebrates the innovation and hard work of ecologists working in local government.
From today, anyone can nominate an ecologist working in local government to receive one of these awards, to recognise their work. The deadline for nominations is 20th February, and the winners will be announced in March.
Criteria
The activities recognised can be anything related to ecology in the context of local government work. We urge nominators to consider a broad range of activities, including and beyond those related to the planning system.
The nominee must work in local government in the UK, and the majority of the work being recognised must have been performed since 1 January 2025. Submissions will be judged according to the following criteria:
- Initial impact: To what extent have the ecologist’s actions driven improvements to nature?
- Scalability: To what extent could the initial impact be scaled across the country?
- Community engagement: To what extent has the ecologist engaged and enabled the local community to have a positive impact on nature?
Winning entries do not have to meet all of these criteria – for example, a project with high impact and community engagement, but which is not scalable nationally, is eligible to be recognised.
Judges
The judging panel has been selected to give an independent, broad, and expert view. Each of the judges is a leader in their field, bringing an important perspective on the role of ecology in local government.
The judges are:
- Dr Iain Boulton, Deputy Chair, Association of Local Government Ecologists
- Nick White, Principal Advisor for Biodiversity Net Gain, Natural England
- Sally Hayns, Chief Executive, Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management
Prizes
Each winner will receive a trophy and NHBS vouchers to the value of:
- Local Government Ecologist of the Year (Winner) – £200
- Local Government Ecologist of the Year (Runner-up) – £100
- Early Career Local Government Ecologist of the Year – £150
