Switzerland – Earth Champions Quest

The  Canton de Vaud Earth Champions Quest, 2004

On 14 October 2004, at the World Conservation Union (IUCN) in Gland, Switzerland, the Canton Vaud “Earth Champions Quest” was officially launched. This initiative was launched with the involvement and support from the involvement of the UN Environment Program, UN Habitat, WIPO, WWF, Federal and State Government officials, and members of the Swiss business sector.
At the final event, the award celebration on June 5th 2005 in the Olympic Museum, Lausanne, 68 nominees were honoured for their achievements.

The key events surrounding the Switzerland Earth Champions Quest are summarised below:

March 2004: Invitation to speak at the Olympic Museum

Fiona Mathews (CEO & Founder of Earth Champions) was invited by Dr Alain Jenny, Director General of Granit SA, Lausanne, to present the Earth Champions initiative at the SESEC (Swiss Environ­mental Solutions for Emerging Countries) Conference at the Olympic Museum, Lausanne, in March 2004.

The speech was well received and a number of politicians from various countries attending expressed interest in conducting the Quest in their communities. The Foundation was in­vited to conduct a Quest in Canton Vaud. At the event a number of key volunteers enlisted to assist with the initiative. A key supporter was the Association for the Development of Northern Canton Vaud (ADNV).

14 October, 2004: The Launch of the Canton De Vaud Earth Champions Quest

14 January 2005: Youth event

On 14 January 2005 the Vaud Earth Champions team invited young people from different schools in the region for an hour of fun and discussions. Eight girls and boys from 12 to 17 years of age were received in the St. Andrews house in Lausanne.

This was an opportunity for our team members Naiara Basabe Witteck, Jeremy McTeague, Jill Young-McMurchie, Billy Bilounga, and Ralf Longwitz to learn about youth’s view on environmental matters. Naiara informed our guests about the Earth Champions project and eventually everyone was handed an Earth Champions information kit which they were asked to take to their schools. A letter to the directors was part of the kit. We thus invited the schools of the region to participate in the Canton de Vaud Earth Champions Quest 2004/2005.

16 January 2005: Tsunami sing-along
Western Switzerland raises its voice full of compassion and generosity

On Sunday, 16 January 2005, more than 300 singers, soloists, and musicians participated in a concert organised by Voix d’Espérance, Metaconcepts and Earth Champions for the victims of the tsunami in India and Sri Lanka. The donations collected after the concert amounted to more than CHF 17′000 for Terre des Hommes.

One week before the concert, Voix d’Espérance issued an open invitation to all singers wishing to participate. The response exceeded our greatest expectations. Singers from as far as German-speaking Switzerland joined the singers from the Canton of Vaud to prepare the Mozart Requiem in a single 2-hour rehearsal. A professional ad-hoc orchestra and 4 soloists (Blandine Charles, Marie-Hélène Essade, Valerio Contardo and Stephane Imboden) gave benevolently of their talents and time, for which we are deeply grateful. We would also like to thank our sponsors, mostly from the Lausanne region.

“It was incredible! We had to refuse entrance to dozens of people because the church was full.” says Mark Marotto, musical director. “The challenge was enormous, to prepare the Requiem within two hours”.

Thanks to the passion and strong emotion of the singers, musicians and soloists, they succeeded brilliantly.

22 March 2005: Earth Champions Recruiting Event

On Tuesday, 22 March 2005, we ran a recruiting event at the EPFL, Lausanne. This provided the opportunity to meet the Earth Champion Foundation team and to learn more about this unique project! We showed our guests how they, too, can support our project and join our congenial team. This event was organised in collaboration with the University Sustainable Development Association UniPoly.

5 June 2005: Canton de Vaud Earth Champions 2005 Awards Celebration

Two hundred people applauded the Canton de Vaud Earth Champions at the of the Olympic Museum, Lausanne. Almost all of the sixty seven nominees had come to receive their certificate and recognition for their work.

Keynote speeches were given by Frits Schlingemann (UNEP), Sylvie Lacroux (UN Habitat), Odile Sorgho-Moulinier (UNDP), Anne Décosterd (WWF Vaud), and Sir Crispin Tickell.

• Odile Sorgho-Moulinier’s speech in French
• Sir Crispin Tickell’s speech in French

Trophies for outstanding achievements were presented to the following candidates:

• Energy: Georges Martin, SEBASOL, Services industriels de Lausanne, VHF-Technologies SA
• Transport: Lausanne Roule, Mobility CarSharing
• Water: Association Truite-Léman, Denis Ebbutt
• Education & Awareness: Nicefuture.com, Philippe Barraud, Pierre Goeldlin de Tiefenau, Summit Foundation
• Biodiversity: Alain Vulliamy, Bois Consult Natterer SA, Groupement Herpétologique et Arachnide de Lausanne, La Vaux-Lierre, Lionel Maumary, Zoo de la Garenne
• Youth Award: Classe 8 VSG1, Collège Léon-Michaud, Yverdon-les-Bains (F. Dind et F. Rittmeyer)
• Award for Innovation & Courage: Ernest Badertscher et l’Association pour le Développement des Energies Renouvelables

Further information:

• The full Awards list: Trophy List.pdf
• News article documenting the Awards: 24Heures (in French)

10 June 2006: World Environment and Earth Champions discovery day
On June 10th 2006 we celebrated World Environment Day with the World Conservation Union (IUCN) in Gland, Switzerland. The people of the region, especially young people were given the chance to meet their Canton de Vaud Earth Champions and be inspired.