The Indianapolis Zoological Society has named six DeHaan finalists for its biennial Indianapolis Prize honoring animal conservationists from around the world.

The finalists have spent their lives working to protect manatees, kangaroos, orangutans and elephants and the critical habitat each species needs for healthy populations.

The winner of this year’s prize will receive a $250,000 award and will be celebrated at the Indianapolis Prize Gala on Sept. 27. The remaining five finalists and the winner of the society’s Emerging Conservationist Award will each receive a $50,000 award.

Dr. Rob Shumaker, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Zoological Society, said the six finalists have produced tangible results while protecting threatened species across the globe.

2023 Indianapolis Prize winner: Pablo Borboroglu protects penguins and their habitat in Argentina

Indianapolis Prize reaches milestone

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the prize, which has awarded more than $7 million since it began. 

The society established the Indianapolis Prize to bring attention to animal conservation and the people who spend their lives saving endangered animal species. It is the largest individual monetary award for work in this area.

2025 DeHaan finalists

Here are this year’s DeHaan finalists for the Indianapolis Prize.

• Alberto Alves Campos founded Aquasis, a nonprofit organization in Brazil that works with endangered species and habitat conservation. His work has improved the conservation status of the Antillean manatee.
• Lisa Dabek founded the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program, where she partners with indigenous communities and local governments to establish conservation plans in Papua New Guinea.
• Biruté Mary Galdikas is the president and co-founder of Orangutan Foundation International, where she leads the way in orangutan ecology research. Galdikas was also an Indianapolis Prize DeHaan finalist in 2023.
• Julie Packard is the founding executive director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium and works to uplift the sustainable seafood movement using ecosystem-based science.
• Lily-Arison René de Roland serves as the national director of The Peregrine Fund’s Madagascar program and has helped establish five national protected areas totaling 1,550 square miles.
• Lee James Taylor White is a field biologist with the Institute for Tropical Ecology Research working with the critically endangered African forest elephant in the countries of the Congo Basin.

2025 Emerging Conservationist Award

The society named its 10 finalists for the Emerging Conservationist Award in October last year. The award honors early-career efforts to save animal species.

The winner will be honored at the gala in September.

IndyStar’s environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on BlueSky @karlstartswithk.bsky.social

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Circle City will host its first-ever Royal Rumble, the third largest event WWE puts on.

Lauren Sparkman is the co-chair of the local organizing committee for Indiana Sports Corp and WWE.

“There will be a men’s rumble and a women’s rumble,” Sparkman said. “Thirty men and 30 women in each rumble, and, every 90 seconds, another superstar enters the ring and you never know who it’s going to be. It could be a returning superstar, it could be a celebrity, it could be a legend who hasn’t been in the ring in a while.”

Indiana Sports Corp will make sure all visitors have plenty to do leading up to the rumble.

“We have the title belt behind us. The Children’s Museum was excited to partner and put the title belt on their dinos,” Sparkman said. “We have Chreece Hip Hop Festival programming, an incredible Top Rope Tailgate downtown on Saturday before the Royal Rumble, and even things that you might not expect like Dr. Andy Finely at IU Indy who wanted to host a conversation about wrestling as an art form.”

Artists have also jumped in and created WWE-inspired pieces. “Most of the activations we’ve built are the product of our community partners and artists in the community raising their hand with ideas of how they wanted to activate,” Sparkman said. “So whether it’s our visual artist activations, both artists Kyng Rhodes and JD Bills are lifelong wrestling fans who wanted to create pieces to support this event.”

Kyng Rhodes designed a piece called “The Circle City Enters the Rumble” for the Indianapolis International Airport.

JD Bills did a mural in Fountain Square called “Ringmasters.” It is installed on the the Murphy Arts
Center at 1043 Virginia Ave.

This is the start of what’s being touted a first-of-its-kind partnership between WWE and Indiana Sports Corp. “WWE has never partnered with a city or a sports commission in this way so it’s going to be a really exciting partnership,” Sparkman said. “(It) is going to bring the WWE universe, which has fans from all over the world, to Indianapolis over the course of the next several years.”

The Royal Rumble will start at 6 p.m. Saturday in Lucas Oil Stadium. Remaining tickets start at $150 each, according to Ticketmaster.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Aloft Hotels, Marriott’s lifestyle brand, is opening a new location in downtown Indianapolis this February.

Located two blocks east of Monument Circle on Market Street, the Aloft Indianapolis is a short walk away from Lucas Oil Stadium, the Indiana Convention Center, and Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

“We are absolutely thrilled to open our doors and welcome guests to the Aloft Indianapolis Downtown,” General Manager Ryan Niketh said in a press release. “With a focus around local culture, crave-able food and beverage and purpose-built design; the Aloft Indy is the ideal choice for travelers in search of a boutique hotel with bold design elements, but who still want the confidence of a Marriott Brand as well as the Marriott Bonvoy rewards program.”

Aloft Indianapolis will have 128 urban loft-style guestrooms, with nine-foot ceilings. Guests will have access to the Arf pet program, which provides lodgings, toys, and treats for your dog, and Camp Aloft, a program designed to entertain children.

In homage to the building’s original tenant, a bank vault in the lobby was renovated as a lounge for private dining and as an event space.

WXYZ Bar, a new cocktail bar, can be found at home in the Aloft. The mixologist-inspired bar will offer weekly live music.