Michael Brombacher receives the IUCN Fred Packard Award 2025

This prestigious award honors individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the protection of natural areas and biodiversity worldwide. For over two decades, Michael has done exactly that — working across some of the most ecologically valuable and politically complex regions of Eurasia. 

Michael’s conservation journey began in the early 2000s in Kazakhstan, where he helped uncover the plight of endangered migratory species like the Sociable Lapwing. His work catalyzed the founding of the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan, now one of the country’s leading conservation institutions. He was also a driving force behind the Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative, which over the last 20 years has restored more than five million hectares of steppe and supported the recovery of the saiga antelope population from just 40,000 individuals to over three million today.

This model – combining scientific insight, long-term presence, and local capacity-building – laid the foundation for Michael’s enduring impact across borders.

In 2014, Michael initiated the FZS Ukraine Programme, focusing first on the Carpathian wilderness and later expanding into the wetlands of Polissia. Under his leadership, the program has grown into one of the largest and most sustained conservation efforts in Eastern Europe, supporting over a dozen national parks and reserves with infrastructure, equipment, management planning, and staff development. 

When full-scale war broke out in February 2022, Michael and the FZS team did not retreat. Instead, they doubled down. Through cross-border coordination with partners in Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Germany, Michael led emergency efforts to deliver essential supplies, field gear, fuel, and technical support to keep protected areas operational – even in the midst of conflict. 

Thanks to this leadership, conservation in Ukraine did not collapse under the weight of war. Forest cover in the Ukrainian Carpathians remains largely intact – a testament to both local resilience and the long-term partnerships nurtured under Michael’s direction. 

Michael’s approach to conservation has always gone beyond borders – not just geographic, but disciplinary. One example is the restoration of Groedel Palace in Skolivski Beskydy National Nature Park. What began as an urgent intervention to preserve a heritage building has evolved into a hub for park administration, environmental education, and community events – a powerful symbol of how conservation can contribute to social resilience and recovery.

The Fred Packard Award is not only a recognition of Michael’s technical achievements. It honors a model of quiet, principled leadership that puts long-term presence, trust, and collaboration at the heart of conservation.

“Michael is a shining light and outstanding leader in European nature conservation. With boundless energy and motivation, he takes on even the biggest challenges. Nothing is impossible for him,” said Dr. Christof Schenck, Executive Director of FZS. “With a scientific approach and decades of experience in dealing with conflicts, he achieves even the seemingly unachievable – for the benefit of people and nature.”

We warmly congratulate Michael on this well-deserved honor. His work reminds us that conservation is not only about protecting places, but also about supporting the people and partnerships that make protection possible.