On February 18, Sir Stelios attended a ceremony for The 2009 Duke of Edinburgh Award at Buckingham Palace, awarded to freshwater ecologist and visionary environmentalist Chen Yiyu.  The Duke of Edinburgh Conservation Medal is awarded annually by WWF for outstanding service to the environment.

Recipients of the award receive a gold medal in a sustainably-sourced rosewood box donated by the Chamber of Mines of South Africa, a watch donated by Rolex, and a certificate signed by the Duke of Edinburgh and the Director General of WWF International.

Stelios attended in his capacity as a member of WWF's 1001: a Nature Trust; he has also recently been appointed an Ambassador for WWF UK.'