Trophee des Femmes Prize for Living Lakes: Marion Hammerl, President of the Global Nature Fund, is winner of the prestigious international “Trophée de Femmes Prize” of the Yves Rocher Foundation in Paris.

Last Friday, Marion Hammerl was awarded the international environmental prize for her commitment to the protection of lakes and wetlands worldwide. Three weeks ago she had already won the national Yves Rocher environmental prize in Stuttgart.

It is a matter of fact that women are particularly sensitive to ecological issues such as increasing environmental pollution and destruction of nature. They often work on a honorary basis, set up most valuable initiatives. The environmental foundation of Yves Rocher Cosmetic Manufacturers appreciates this commitment of women, and in 2002, has created the "Trophée de Femmes Prize”, which, meanwhile, is awarded in nine European countries as well as in Russia and Canada.

Three weeks ago, Marion Hammerl has obtained the Yves Rocher Environmental Prize Germany honouring her outstanding contribution to advancing the international network Living Lakes network. German jury members were the magazines natur+kosmos and "FÜR SIE", also media partners supporting the prize. Last Friday, the winners of eleven countries gathered in the famous Institut de France, in Paris. An international jury had to choose among these ten laureates the winner of the International Trophee de Femmes Prize – a quite difficult task according to Jacques Rocher, President of the Yves Rocher Foundation.

Six laureates have initiated practical environmental education projects. Among them Margarita from St. Petersburg, who has created in the city centre an ecological adventure space for the surrounding residential blocks. Twenty year old Jenny and Anna from Sweden are very concerned about the loss of forests in the North of Sweden. They have founded an Internet Foundation to protect the primeval forests in Sweden and collected over 6 million Swedish krona for reforestation measures up to now. Helene, Peruvian of French descent, has been working more than ten years for the reafforestation in the Peruvian Amazon River region Alto Mayo. Julia from Zurich has created the Climate Commitment initiative giving hints to citizens and schools how to save energy.

The international Yves Rocher Trophée de Femmes was awarded to Marion Hammerl for her contribution to the Living Lakes network honouring her outstanding honorary commitment for the protection of lakes and water on a global basis and through concrete local projects. Besides climate change the protection of water, which is becoming ever scarcer; and thus the protection of lakes and wetlands is one of the most important challenges facing mankind. Less than 0,01 % of Earth’s water is available for our use. The remaining water on our blue planet is either salt water, frozen in the polar icecaps, or groundwater in deeper soil layers. According to UN investigations, today over 1,7 billion people lack safe drinking water and 2,5 billion have no access to sanitation such as toilets.

The network Living Lakes, which was founded by the Global Nature Fund ten years ago, provides environmental organisations a platform to exchange experiences, set up joint projects and provide mutual assistance. In 2002, Marion Hammerl was elected president of the Global Nature Fund, an international foundation for the environment and coordinator of the network, based at Lake Constance. Currently, the network comprises 45 lakes and wetlands, represented by 55 environmental and conservation organisations worldwide. Marion Hammerl knows all members personally and is very happy about the strong family sense of coherence that has developed meanwhile. She underlines that it is rather simple to set up a network but much more difficult to keep it going and fill it with concrete activities. "It is great to work with so many committed people who share the same aim. The feeling of not being alone but bringing together like-minded people throughout the world is extremely important, particularly if it becomes difficult once again and negative development gains the upper hand”, Marion Hammerl said during the award ceremony.  

This September, the network members will meet at the 12th international Living Lakes Conference at Lake Trasimeno in Italy to discuss the cultural values of lakes and how these can contribute to protect lakes. Simultaneously, Living Lakes will celebrate its 10th anniversary.