New Delhi, May 1 -- Indian conservationists, Barkha Subba and Parveen Shaikh have won the prestigious 2026 Whitley Awards for their work on protecting the habitat of the Himalayan Salamander and community led protection of the nesting sites of Indian Skimmer on the Chambal river. With her Whitley Award, Barkha will focus on seven of the most critical breeding sites of the rare and evolutionarily distinct amphibian. "The main threat is habitat loss due to rapid urbanisation, expanding tourism, wetland modification and invasive species," Barkha said from London where she received the award on Wednesday. Parveen was recognised for her community-led "Guardians of the Skimmer' initiative on the Chambal River. Through the recruitment of local nest guardians and continuous scientific monitoring, nest survival has increased to 27% from 14% with the local population growing to about 1,000 last year from 400 in 2017, Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) said. With Whitley Award, Parveen, a Bombay Natural History Society scientist, will strengthen protection at Chambal and expand the initiative to key sites around Prayagraj. "Local guardians now proudly refer to the skimmers as 'our birds', which reflects a sense of ownership. This change in perception from indifference to stewardship has been one of the most meaningful outcomes of the project," Shaikh said in a statement. Often called the "Green Oscars," the Whitley Award recognises grassroots conservation leaders in the Global South....