Inaugural Indianapolis Prize Winner/Crane Conservation Icon to Speak at IUPUI
(Originally published September 7, 2006)
INDIANAPOLIS - The inaugural winner of the world's largest cash prize for conservation will present a public lecture next month at IUPUI.
George Archibald, recipient of the first-ever Indianapolis Prize, will discuss his crane conservation efforts at 2:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 1, 2006, at the University Place Auditorium, 850 W. Michigan St. The lecture is free and open to the general public.
Archibald is internationally recognized for conservation efforts that span the globe. Because of his significant accomplishments in crane conservation, he recently won the Indianapolis Prize - a $100,000 award given to an individual for conservation of a single species.
The Indianapolis Zoo established the Indianapolis Prize to raise awareness of and increase activity surrounding animal conservation. Archibald, one of six finalists selected from 50 nominees, received the award in recognition of more than 30 years dedicated to saving endangered crane species.
Archibald co-founded the International Crane Foundation, located in Baraboo, Wis., in 1973 when cranes were in a perilous situation and many of the 15 species were on the brink of extinction. Because of Archibald's innovative techniques, diplomacy and dedication, several crane species have made remarkable turnarounds. In the 1940s, the North American whooping crane population was down to 10 to 15 birds. Now the population numbers more than 200.
Archibald's pioneering work includes breeding and raising several crane species in human care, with the caretakers wearing costumes and using crane puppets while interacting with the young cranes in preparation to re-introduce them to the wild. Archibald also has been heavily involved with the project to re-establish a migratory flock of endangered whooping cranes in the eastern United States by training them to follow an ultra-light aircraft along a migration route from Wisconsin to Florida.
In addition to his work domestically, Archibald also has entered some of the world's most hostile territories, including Afghanistan, Cuba, Russia and the Demilitarized Zones (DMZ) between North and South Korea, to protect the watersheds and grasslands where cranes live and to help increase migratory flight paths.
###
|
