Indianapolis Prize Finalists Announced

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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Indianapolis Zoological Society has announced the six finalists for what is considered to be the world’s leading award for animal conservation. The 2016 Indianapolis Prize winner will be announced this spring and receive $250,000 and the Lilly Medal.
The 2016 Indianapolis Prize finalists are:
Joel Berger with the Wildlife Conservation Society at Colorado State University, who works to save species such as the muskox in the Arctic tundra and the wild yak of the alpine on the Tibetan Plateau. He was also a 2014 finalist for the Indianapolis Prize.
Dee Boersma with the University of Washington Department of Biology, who has studied penguins for more than 40 years and worked to boost conservation efforts and prevent harvesting.
Rodney Jackson with the Snow Leopard Conservancy, whose work focuses on tracking the elusive snow leopard and teaching locals how to peacefully exist with the endangered animal. He was also a finalist for the 2008, 2010 and 2012 Indianapolis Prize.
Carl Jones with the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, who has helped bring a dozen species back from the brink of extinction and worked to shape conservation work on the island of Mauritius. He was also a finalist for the 2012 and 2014 Indianapolis Prize.
Carl Safina with the Safina Center at Stony Brook University, whose ocean studies range from reef coral and whales to establishing a sustainable seafood program. He was also a finalist for the 2010 and 2014 Indianapolis Prize.
Amanda Vincent with the University of British Columbia’s Project Seahorse, whose work includes initiating what is billed as the first seahorse conservation project, focusing on 47 species of the animal. She was also a finalist for the 2010 Indianapolis Prize.
The winner will be honored at the Indianapolis Prize Gala in October. The prize, first awarded in 2006, is presented every two years. In 2014, Patricia Wright became the first woman to receive the prize in honor of her commitment to protecting Madagascar’s lemurs.