Indianapolis Zoological Society awards new prize to Peruvian conservationist – Indianapolis Business Journal

Fanny Cornejo, who works to guard the critically endangered yellow-tailed woolly monkey in Peru, is the primary winner of the Rising Conservationist Award, Indianapolis Zoological Society officers introduced Tuesday.

The Rising Conservationist Award is a brand new honor affiliated with the Indianapolis Prize, a number one award for animal conservation.

Cornejo will obtain $50,000 to spend on her work within the Andes Mountains. The award might be introduced each different 12 months to a conservationist youthful than 40.

The Indianapolis Prize awards $250,000 to a conservationist for main achievements in advancing the sustainability of an animal species or a bunch of species. Cornejo and the yet-to-be-announced 2023 Indianapolis Prize winner might be saluted throughout a Sept. 30 gala in Indianapolis.

The Rising Conservationist Award is supported by the Kobe Basis, an Indianapolis-based charity based by Trey Fehsenfeld. His mom, Suzanne Fehsenfeld, co-founded the Mara Elephant Venture.

Yellow-tailed woolly monkeys, categorized as critically endangered by the Worldwide Union for Conservation of Nature and Pure Sources, had been seen in 2018 in a area of Peru about 125 miles south of the monkeys’ recognized vary.

Yunkawasi, a conservation group Cornejo based along with her mom, the late Fanny Fernandez Melo, works with Amazonian and Andean communities to guard the monkeys and different endangered wildlife.

Cornejo earned a grasp’s diploma from New York’s Stony Brook College in 2015.

“Fanny is main the subsequent era of conservationists to guard nature and encourage folks to take care of our world,” Rob Shumaker, CEO of the Indianapolis Zoological Society, mentioned in a ready assertion. “The depth of accomplishments set her aside from the opposite nominees. I can’t wait to see the impression of her profession in conservation.”

Cornejo was considered one of 10 finalists introduced for the Rising Conservationist Award. The others:

• Alejandro Arteaga, Ecuador
• Sergio Balaguera-Reina, United States
• Akbar John, Malaysia
• Corinne Kendall, United States
• Arthur Bienvenu Muneza, Namibia
• Megan Murgatroyd, United States
• Nguyen Van Thai, Vietnam
• Olivier Nsengimana, Rwanda
• Stephanie Vaz Nogueira Campos, Brazil