Nominations for the President Valdas Adamkus Prize Are Now Open

Submissions for nominations for the President Valdas Adamkus Prize begin on January 14. The Prize of the Valdas Adamkus Presidential Library-Museum and Dana Gedvila Fund will be awarded for laudable and noteworthy achievements and efforts to protect and restore the natural environment in Lithuania and its neighbouring countries, and to ensure the sustainability of resources.

“When submitting nominations for the Prize, we invite to take into consideration scientific research or inventions, as well as civic activities of individuals or organizations that draw attention to environmental issues. Submissions that consider political decisions or business initiatives that encourage more sustainable development and cleaner future by inventing or adopting the most advanced solutions are also welcome,” says Arūnas Antanaitis, the Head of the Valdas Adamkus Presidential Library-Museum. The nominations for the President Valdas Adamkus Prize (5,000 euros) will be accepted from January 14 to March 21 of this year.

The winner of the Prize will be announced on April 22, the International Mother Earth Day, and the award ceremony will take place on June 4, on the eve of the World Environment Day, in Vytautas Magnus University Botanical Garden.

Last year, Mindaugas Survila, the director of the documentary film Sengirė, who drew the attention of the general public to the need to preserve unused forests, was the winner of the renewed President Valdas Adamkus Prize.

Adamkus presents the award to Mindaugas Survila. (Photo by Jonas Petronis)

The founders of the award are the Valdas Adamkus Presidential Library-Museum and the Dana Gedvila Fund. The fund manager Gabrielius Gedvila is a long-time friend of President Valdas Adamkus. His late wife Dana was a passionate environmentalist. After she passed away, the family decided to set up a fund and use it to improve Lithuania’s environmental protection.

Dana Gedvila. (Photo from Gedvila family archive)

Until 1997, President Valdas Adamkus was the regional administrator for the Great Lakes Region of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He worked as the regional administrator for 17 years, with a total of 26 years of service. Adamkus initiated the environmental prize, which aimed to contribute to the environmental development in Lithuania. The prize, renewed in 2021, is based on the UN Champions of the Earth format.

The Press Committee in Adamkus’s Election Headquarters in 1968. Adamkus can be seen sitting in the middle of the first row, Dana Gedvila is sitting to his right, and Gabrielius Gedvila is sitting in the right-hand corner. (Photo from Gedvila family archive)

You can read about the categories in which nominees can be submitted and find all other relevant information here.