Within the earth’s rapidly disappearing tropical forests, a dazzling and diverse collection of animals are in peril.
From smart and social apes to rainbow-hued birds to insects grown to gargantuan size, the jungles are hotspots for the grandeur of the natural world.
Russell Mittermeier has worked for his entire life to protect these unique natural habitats, devoting himself to the cause of conservation after developing a deep appreciation and passion for the natural world.
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But at the same time, he sees protecting species at risk is also an act of self-preservation.
“We are connected to the natural world in every imaginable way. Species are the building blocks of ecosystems, and ecosystems are what provide the services that we depend on for our own survival, be it fresh water or controlling climate, soil, food, fibers, you name it,” he said.
Mittermeier has dedicated his life to protecting the biodiversity in some of earth’s most vital, most vulnerable habitats. He has advocated for primates, turtles and lizards in tropical forests threatened by the loss of habitat.
Throughout his career, he has discovered and described more than 20 new species — including three turtles, six lemurs and seven monkeys. Time Magazine named him a “hero for the planet.”
For his work, he has been awarded the Indianapolis Prize, a recognition given every two years for excellence in conservation. Mittermeier will share his experiences and his mission at 7 p.m. today during a special presentation at Franklin College, the first of six local lectures presented by the Indianapolis Zoological Society.
The Indianapolis Prize was created in 2006 to recognize practical conservation solutions, as well as rewarding those conservation heroes who have been most successful in saving species from extinction.
“You can’t just to have tried hard, you actually have to have achieved victory in improving a species’ sustainability,” said Michael Crowther, CEO of the Indianapolis Zoological Society. “The people who win this prize have addressed this challenge directly and actually changed the trajectory of a species or group of species. They’ve changed the long-term survivability of an animal species.”
Mittermeier has worked for nearly 50 years as a leading voice for the conservation of primates. Primates are the only large mammal group that has not seen any species or subspecies become extinct during that time.
Considering Mittermeier’s leadership, that’s not coincidental, Crowther said.
“If it’s the only large group of mammals that has not had an extinction in the last 100 years, and Russ Mittermeier has been chairing this group, then I think it’s a pretty direct connection to his impact,” he said.
Growing up in the different boroughs of New York, Mittermeier developed a love of nature during his childhood despite growing up in a bustling city. His mother would take her son on trips to the Bronx Zoo and the American Museum of Natural History nearly every week, where he was exposed to the wonders of the natural world.
That played into another unusual inspiration: the fictional character of Tarzan.
“I would read Tarzan books and see Tarzan movies and buy Tarzan comics. That combination really had me focused on wildlife and jungles and things like that, to the point where, when I was 6 years old, whenever anyone asked me what I wanted to be, I’d say a jungle explorer,” he said. “There really wasn’t a whole lot else that tempted me.”
With his mind singularly focused on studying jungle ecosystems and the animals living there, Mittermeier was drawn towards the diverse species nature has created.
The rare treasures that exist on earth were endlessly fascinating.
“Early on, I realized that in all likelihood, this is the only place in the entire universe where life exists. If it exists somewhere outside of our solar system, it’s probably going to be so far away that we’ll ever find out about it,” he said.
Mittermeier started as a student interested in reptiles such as turtles and snakes, before transitioning to studying primates. The animal group including monkeys, apes and lemurs has been a focal point of his career.
For the past 45 years, he has served as the chair for primate specialist group for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Species Survival Commission. The animals have become a priority group for the organization, the largest and most influential conservation group in the world, Crowther said.
Mittermeier has championed the concept of biodiversity hotspots — designations given to areas of biological diversity that face severe threats of destruction.
He has helped spotlight a group of 18 countries, such as Brazil, Madagascar and the U.S., which contain two-thirds of all of the biodiversity in the world.
“We’ve been pretty pleased with what we’ve been able to accomplish so far with the animals that I work on,” he said. “The challenge is that the threat to these animals will be there for as long as I’m around and as long as the planet exists.”
Mittermeier’s long-term impact was the impetus for being named this year’s Indianapolis Prize winner, Crowther said. Since 2006, the Indianapolis Prize has recognized six other conservationists working around the world.
The winner receives $250,000, as well as the Lilly Medal for their contributions. The prize has allowed the Indianapolis Zoological Society to further achieve its mission of conservation, which is included in its most visible project, the Indianapolis Zoo.
“The mission of the Indianapolis Zoological Society is that we empower people and communities, both locally and globally to advance animal conservation,” Crowther said. “The reason the Indianapolis Zoo exists as a campus is so we can connect people with the wild and engage, enlighten and empower them. The Indianapolis Prize is another vehicle we created to advance that mission.”
For Mittermeier, the foremost reward for his work is seeing endangered species thriving again. But it’s an honor to join a group that includes biological luminaries such as George Schaller, known as one of the founding fathers of wildlife conservation, and Patricia Wright, dedicated to saving lemurs from extinction.
“It’s fantastic. I was delighted when I was informed I had won it. In large part, it’s become a kind of Nobel Prize for wildlife conservation. When you look at the other six people who have won this before me, these are some of the best there are,” he said.
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Russ Mittermeier
What: A presentation by the conservation leader and winner of the 2018 Indianapolis Prize.
When: 7 p.m. today
Where: Branigin Room of the Napolitan Student Center, Franklin College campus, on Forsythe Street south of Monroe Street.
Cost: Free and open to the public, though registration is appreciated at franklincollege.edu/indianapolis-prize-lecture/
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