On June 5, the National Geographic Society announced 15 recipients of its 2025 Wayfinder Award in Washington. Kurdish biologist Hana Raza is among this year's winners of the National Geographic Society's Wayfinder Award. The award honors 15 pioneers from around the world who are breaking new ground in nature and species conservation, science, education, and storytelling.

Hana Raza, who holds a master's degree in ecology and wildlife conservation, is being honored for her groundbreaking work in protecting the Persian leopard and other endangered species in the mountains of Kurdistan. She is the founder of the organization Leopards Beyond Borders (LBB) and one of the leading voices in conservation in South Kurdistan and Iraq.

“True to the name of this award, this extraordinary group of changemakers represents the bold spirit of purposeful exploration,” said Alex Moen, chief explorer engagement officer at the National Geographic Society. “Their creativity and innovation are helping us to better understand and protect the natural world, and we’re proud to support them as they lead us into a more viable future.”

Raza will receive the award at the National Geographic Society's annual Explorers Festival in Washington. In addition to international recognition, the award winners receive financial support for their projects and access to a global network of researchers and environmentalists.

Leopard protection in the shadow of war

Hana Raza was born in 1971 in a Peshmerga refugee camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). As an infant, she survived a chemical weapons attack on the camp in Sergelê and fled with her family to the mountains. The forests that once offered her protection later became the center of her professional commitment. Today, she protects those very mountains—as a habitat for endangered species and as a symbol of hope and resistance.

For over 15 years, Raza has been working to preserve the Persian leopard and the Syrian brown bear—species that had almost disappeared from the region due to decades of war and habitat loss. In 2011, with the help of camera traps, her team was able to prove that the Persian leopard still exists in the Qeredax Mountains (Qara Dagh) south of Sulaymaniyah.

As a result, the first officially protected nature reserve in the Kurdistan region of Iraq was established there. The Qeredax Nature Reserve is a range of dense oak forests covering almost 2,300 hectares. The reserve has several ecosystems, including mountain forests, subalpine scrubland, and riparian forests. The area is home to nearly a thousand plant species and over 180 different registered bird species. Camera trap monitoring has identified 15 different mammal species there so far.

Building bridges between people and nature

A central element of her work is dialogue with the local population. “Only when people understand the value of nature will it be protected in the long term,” Raza emphasized in an interview in 2023. Even though encounters with leopards can sometimes be frightening, she has found that many people feel a connection to the animals—not least because they too have found refuge in the mountains.

Raza is also working to establish Iraq's first Community Conserved Area, which will focus on the protection and participation of local communities. She sees the Persian leopard not only as an animal, but as a symbol of peaceful coexistence between humans, animals, and nature.
Nature conservation as a life's work

Hana Raza received the Future for Nature Award in 2017 and was included in the Explorers Club 50 list in 2022 – the 50 people worldwide “who are changing the world.” “Nature is not just my calling – it is my inner fire,” says Raza. “Without this passion, I wouldn't be able to get through a single day.”

Wayfinder Award

The National Geographic Society's Wayfinder Award honors a new generation of explorers who are making extraordinary contributions to the preservation of our planet through research, education, technology, or art. In addition to financial support, the winners receive access to support programs, further training, and global exchange formats.

Photo Hana Raza © private