Euan P. McFarlane Environmental Award Goes to Alexandra Pierre of Haiti

Alexandra Pierre

The Advisory Committee of the Euan P. McFarlane Environmental Leadership Award of the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) has selected Alexandra Pierre of Haiti to receive the 2019 McFarlane Award in recognition of her important work as a dedicated and passionate environmentalist.

Pierre was selected from a field of 10 nominations that also included individuals from Barbados, Curacao, the Dominican Republic, Nevis and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Recipients of the McFarlane Award are recognized as individuals who have applied themselves to the preservation of the natural or built environment in the insular Caribbean and whose career or avocation demonstrates an appreciation of and support for the advancement of environmental stewardship and balanced development in the Caribbean.

The committee believes that the presentation of the award to Pierre will highlight the importance of conservation efforts in Haiti and the role that courageous and dedicated individuals can play.

She was nominated by a colleague, who highlighted her engagement with a variety of civil society organizations and international agencies, her leadership of CYEN (Caribbean Youth Environment Network) and Reef Check in Haiti, and her achievements that have linked field work with policy making.

Pierre has held several positions at the Haitian Ministry of Environment: representing the ministry before technical and financial partners, including The Nature Conservancy and the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund, and liaising for the promotion of a blue economy and implementation of cooperative actions for the conservation of aquatic resources in Haiti. She is currently a senior staff member for the Directorate of River Basins at the Ministry, where she serves on a committee in charge of evaluating proposals for the transfer of shark DNA to an American laboratory. Ms.

The environmentalist is an architect engineer with a double masters in environment and education, a certified eco-diver, a recognized Haitian youth leader and an environmental reporter for the online media outlet “Impulse.” She also has plans to enter a Ph.D. program in marine conservation.

The Euan P. McFarlane Award was established in 1987 to recognize individuals demonstrating initiative, resourcefulness and leadership in promoting conservation and enhancement of the environment in the insular-Caribbean.

Endowment funding for the award was provided by the late businessman and conservationist Laurance S. Rockefeller; the program was initially administered by Island Resources Foundation from 1987-2014. The McFarlane Leadership Award is now managed by the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands as part of its program of support to youth, learning, family support and the environment.