World-renown Conservationist George Schaller to Speak at National Zoo
International icon tells stories of wildlife adventures
INDIANAPOLIS --- The world’s pre-eminent field biologist and recipient of the 2008 Indianapolis Prize, George Schaller, Ph.D., will share his stories of animal conservation at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, October 1. The talk, “A Life in the Wild,” held at 7:30 p.m. at the National Zoo’s Visitor Center, is free and open to the public.
Schaller, senior conservationist at the Wildlife Conservation Society and vice president of the Panthera Foundation, will speak about his visit back to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska after 50 years. In 1956, Schaller assisted conservationists Olaus and Mardy Murie with research that helped create the refuge, which is now home to more than 45 species of land and marine mammals.
Schaller will also discuss his current research being conducted on the Tibetan Plateau, his story of establishing the 175,000-square-mile Chang Tang Reserve, which helped save the threatened chiru or Tibetan antelope, and his life-changing experience studying mountain gorillas that helped shatter myths about the species.
Schaller’s appearance is part of the 2008 Indianapolis Prize lecture series. Schaller was awarded the Indianapolis Prize, the world’s leading award for animal conservation – a $100,000 prize – for his numerous successes, including the development of 15 wildlife reserves around the world, such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the Chang Tang Wildlife Reserve in Tibet, and an international peace park in the four corners of Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and Tajikistan, where war has harmed wildlife conservation efforts. He is the author of more than 220 popular and scientific articles and 16 books.
The National Zoo is located at 3001 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., a short walk from Metro’s Red Line stations at Cleveland Park and Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan. For more information and to RSVP, visit the Zoo online at www.fonz.org/lectures.htm.
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The Indianapolis Prize was initiated by the Indianapolis Zoo as a significant component of its mission to inspire local and global communities to celebrate, protect, and preserve our natural world through conservation, education and research. This biennial award brings the world’s attention to the cause of animal conservation and the brave, talented and dedicated men and women who spend their lives saving the Earth’s endangered animal species.
Indianapolis Prize educational programming is sponsored by Cummins Inc.