Iroro Tanshi, after rediscovering the endangered short-tailed roundleaf bat in Nigeria, identified human-induced wildfires as the species’ main threat and launched a successful, community-led campaign to protect its refuge: the 24,710-acre Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary. Between early 2022 and May 2025, she and her team prevented any serious wildfires from occurring in and around the sanctuary by patrolling thousands of farms and effectively responding to more than 55 fire outbreaks, safeguarding the bat’s fragile refuge.

Photo credit: Etinosa Yvonne / Goldman Environmental Prize