September 27 — Join in honoring Indianapolis Prize winner George Schaller
Every other year the Indianapolis Prize honors an individual who has made extraordinary contributions to conservation efforts involving a single animal species or multiple species. Meet 2008 winner George Schaller as well as the other finalists at a gala dinner.
When: Saturday September 27, reception at 6:00 PM, fun at 7:00 PM
Where: The downtown Marriott Hotel
It’s a fundraiser, so expect to pay. Order tickets here.
This is from the Indianapolis Prize:
September 27, 2008 – Indianapolis Prize Gala, Marriott Hotel Downtown, Indianapolis - Dr. Schaller will be thestar of the evening at this celebration of the Indianapolis Prize and of the work all of the conservationists do to help preserve the lives of endangered animal species around the world. Schaller will be joined by the emcee for the evening, award-winning actress and environmentalist Jane Alexander, Indianapolis Prize co-chairs, Michael I. Crowther (president & CEO, Indianapolis Zoo) and Myrta Pulliam (former board chair of the Indianapolis Zoological Society and Director of Special Projects, Indianapolis Star), plus several of the other finalists for the 2008 Indianapolis Prize. This will be a night to remember, with message that will speak to the hearts of all who attend. For more information, click here.
Why does Provocate think you should attend this event?
Apart from learning about what Schaller has done, you can get a comprehensive view of the world of conversation by meeting with the other finalists:
- Iain Douglas-Hamilton: (Save the Elephants) — As president and CEO of Save the Elephants, Douglas-Hamilton has long been a friend to the largest land mammals. His pioneering study of the social behavior of wild elephants four decades ago in Tanzania formed the basis for all subsequent studies. In the 70s, Douglas-Hamilton launched the first pan-African elephant survey to accurately account for the devastation of the ivory trade on elephant populations. As a result, the ivory trade was banned and the United States took greater interest in the plight of elephants, creating the African Elephant Bill, one of the most successful funding programs for elephants that continues to this day.
- Rodney Jackson: (Snow Leopard Conservancy) — Jackson, director/founder of the Snow Leopard Conservancy, has received recognition for his groundbreaking radio-tracking study of snow leopards in the 1980s and his subsequent dedication to building local communities’ capacity as key players in conserving the species. Jackson works tirelessly to save snow leopards from the threat of poachers and shrinking habitats, which often put the big cats in conflict with local villagers. Jackson toils alongside locals to protect livestock from snow leopards, yet finds ways for all to coexist peacefully. He believes local farmers who are involved in the stewardship of snow leopards offer the best long-term chance of the species’ survival. Towards this goal, he assists communities to predator-proof corrals, better guard their livestock and enhance local livelihoods in environmentally friendly ways.
- K. Ullas Karanth: (Wildlife Conservation Society) — Senior conservation scientist with the Wildlife Conservation Society and premier tiger expert, Karanth energizes the new generation of India’s conservationists. He has championed the cause of tigers through his groundbreaking work in India, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. After two decades actively involved in tiger conservation, Karanth still finds room for optimism: “We have experienced successful tiger conservation actions in India, including a voluntary relocation of villages, the closure of a destructive mine, and a campaign that lead to the termination of a failed eco-development project in Nagarahole.”
- Laurie Marker: (Cheetah Conservation Fund)— Marker, founder/executive director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), has accomplished much since founding CCF in 1990. She has led a conservation program from humble beginnings in rural Namibia to an unparalleled model for predator conservation. Time magazine awarded her “Hero for the Planet” in 2000. In 2007, she completed a breakthrough research study on captive cheetah reproduction. The first-ever in vitro cheetah embryos to reach early embryonic development were produced at CCF in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution and the University of California at Davis.
- Roger Payne: (The Ocean Alliance) — As founder and president of The Ocean Alliance, Payne has devoted more than 40 years to the study and protection of whales. He discovered that whales sing and that their songs propagate across oceans. His whale song recordings became immensely popular and helped launch the “Save the Whales” movement, which led to a moratorium on whaling passed by the International Whaling Commission (IWC). Since then, he has worked with the IWC to create whale sanctuaries throughout the world.
If you think this sounds interesting, be sure to check out …
George Schaller is appearing elsewhere in Central Indiana, see at least one of these events: Schaller and other Indianapolis Prize finalists appear at the Indy Zoo for “Meet a Hero, Be a Hero Day” September 28; September 29 he will be in Muncie as part of a Ball State/PBS simulcast/webcast; September 30 he gives the Woods Science Lecture at Butler.
And for your listening pleasure …
