Ecobreves – VENEZUELA: Biodiversity Contest

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CARACAS, May 27 2006 (IPS) - The environmental organization Vitalis convened on May 22 a contest of ideas to learn about and preserve Venezuelan biodiversity, targeting university students from all fields and a awarding a trip to Germany for the 10 project winners Venezuela has “advanced legislation, which declares as public utility the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, as well as restoration and environmental services,” which requires “sharing knowledge and ideas of young people,” Vitalis president Diego Díaz told Tierramérica.

Díaz noted that Venezuela is one of the planet's 12 most megadiverse countries, with some 117,000 species registered, including 16,000 higher plants, 1,380 birds, 355 mammals, 341 reptiles, 284 amphibians and 1,800 fish species. The deadline for presenting proposals is September.