Conservationist Tomas Diagne received a 1998 Rolex Award for Enterprise for creating Senegal’s Village des Tortues (Tortoise Village), which is both a haven where turtles, tortoises and terrapins are bred for release into the wild, and a place of learning about the conservation of species on the brink of extinction. He has since embarked on successful conservation initiatives across the entire continent, such as the African Chelonian Institute that spearheads the mentoring of young conservationists. Diagne has set free hundreds of the imperilled reptiles, helping to ensure their existence through research, education and grassroots collaboration.