Landscape geographer Giedrė Godienė awarded Česlovas Kudaba prize

The Česlovas Kudaba prize has been awarded to landscape geographer Giedrė Godienė, Lithuania’s Environment Ministry announced on Friday, marking World Environment Day.

Godienė received the 3,000-euro award in recognition of her long-term contributions to advancing a comprehensive approach to landscape studies and her efforts in implementing the European Landscape Convention. The prize is granted every two years to individuals who have made significant societal contributions to environmental protection, aligning with the legacy of Česlovas Kudaba, a geographer and signatory of Lithuania’s 1990 Act of Independence.

Environment Minister Kastytis Žuromskas praised Godienė’s work, noting her decades-long focus on landscape, geo-diversity, natural frameworks, urban ecology, and the application of the European Landscape Convention. “This year’s laureate has dedicated many years to these fields,” the ministry’s statement quoted Žuromskas as saying.

Godienė described Kudaba as a major influence and mentor, recalling his role in her early academic development. “He was the professor who, when I was little, drove me and my mother across all of Lithuania to Šilutė by car. Later, he was my teacher for a good year at Vilnius University’s Faculty of Nature Sciences,” she said. “I am grateful for all the efforts to protect and properly manage our landscapes.”

A scientific associate at Vilnius University’s Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences since 2017, Godienė became a lecturer in 2019 and was appointed associate professor in September 2025. For 11 years, she represented Lithuania at conferences of states party to the European Landscape Convention, overseeing its national implementation.

The award selection committee, chaired by the minister’s advisor Sigitas Podėnas, chose Godienė from 13 nominees. Since its establishment in 1998, the prize has been awarded to 16 recipients.