A former Warwick Academy head boy who led conservation efforts enabling governmental protections for endangered endemic species has been selected as Bermuda’s 2026 Rhodes Scholar.

The Office of the National Secretary of the Rhodes Scholarship said Noah Da Silva was chosen for the prestigious international postgraduate award.

It said it looked forward “to the many ways he will continue to contribute to Bermuda, the scientific community and the world”.

The scholarship is a funded, full-time postgraduate award that enables exceptional young people from around the world to pursue studies at the University of Oxford.

“Noah’s academic focus at Oxford will be palaeobiology and the study of ancient ecosystems, mass extinctions and the fossil record,” the scholarship office said.

Mr Da Silva said he was “beyond grateful” for the opportunity to study at Oxford.

He added: “Above all, I’m thankful to the community whose constant and unconditional support got me to this point — my indomitable parents, family, mentors and too many friends to count. Without the people around me, I never would have made it here.”

Mr Da Silva said he was surprised when he received a call that he was awarded the scholarship.

He explained: “At the end of geobiology class, I got the call and fell out of my chair.

“I remember locking myself in the geology supply closet and bracing myself against a wall as it all sank in.

“I stayed in that closet for hours calling my entire family, who were incredibly excited and proud, even my mom who was nine hours away in India.”

He said previous awardees he has met “are immensely interesting and enthusiastic people,” and he added: “I can’t wait to be immersed in that community at Oxford.”

Mr Da Silva said he plans to expand his knowledge in the study of palaeobiology and tell “the story of ancient creatures and ecosystems from millions of years ago”.

He plans to use his knowledge to inform conservation and education efforts.

“Bermuda and the world face so many unprecedented challenges today — climate change, extinctions, rising sea levels …” he said.

He added: “I want to use the patterns and secrets of ancient events to predict and prevent those challenges in our modern world, using knowledge of the past to solve the problems of the present.”

Mr Da Silva, who holds a bachelor’s in earth sciences modified with biology, graduated with honours from Dartmouth College in the United States.

At Dartmouth, he designed and completed a self-created interdisciplinary palaeontology-focused major, as the institution does not offer a palaeontology programme.

He was also the recipient of Dartmouth’s Award for the Most Outstanding Earth Sciences Senior thesis.

Mr Da Silva completed his internship with the Bermuda Zoological Society, where he designed island-wide biodiversity surveys of micro-snails across 24 Bermudian biomes.

He led conservation efforts which enabled new governmental protections for endangered endemic species and he also developed a conservation management plan and population reports for Vertigo micro-snails.

He conducted geochemical soil analysis to study the effects of native versus invasive forest canopies on soil chemistry, leaf litter dynamics and micro-snail distribution.

Mr Da Silva continues to collaborate with the Government of Bermuda on conservation research.

His impressive academic record included research stints on the island and in Costa Rica, Little Cayman, Canada, the US and Mongolia.

For young Bermudians who are interested in exploring science, he said “the main thing I can say is to just go out and do it”.

He added: “We are so incredibly lucky to be surrounded by oceans, caves, forests, coral reefs … our island has mysteries hidden in every corner that are just waiting for interested minds to investigate.

“There are amazing people and opportunities available for those who are bold enough to chase them — I especially want to thank my mentors at the aquarium, who exemplify that lesson.

“A great thing about being a Bermudian is that you get to do a lot of firsts — we may come from a tiny island, but our futures can span the world. I’m excited to get back out there.”