Maverick sustainability and environmental conservation projects get lauded at the 2019 Rolex Awards For Enterprise in Washington
It was a monumental task: to select the five most deserving candidates for the 2019 Rolex Awards for Enterprise from a shortlist of nearly 1,000. Since they were established in 1976 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the world’s first waterproof watch, the iconic Rolex Oyster, the biennial Rolex Awards have supported enterprising individuals initiating exceptional projects to conserve our cultural heritage and protect the environment.
The Rolex Awards jury comprised a group of independent experts, including business leader and philanthropist Ravi Venkatesan, geneticist and author Adam Rutherford, retired golfer Annika Sörenstam and National Geographic Society executive vice-president and chief scientist Jonathan Baillie. In February, the shortlist had been whittled down to 10 finalists, who four months later presented their projects to the participants in the National Geographic Explorers Festival in the US state of Washington. (The festival was a week-long symposium with speaker forums, panel discussions and research presentations on topics ranging from environmental issues to space exploration.)
Also see: Rolex undertakes marine conservation efforts with marine biologist and explorer Sylvia Earle
![1976 – Launch of the Rolex Awards for Enterprise.](https://cdn.tatlerasia.com/asiatatler/i/sg/2019/08/09110027-tatler-rolex-raelow_cover_2000x1476.jpg)