Emerging Conservationist award finalists working to save species from sharks to butterflies
Indianapolis Prize officials have announced the cohort of finalists for the 2025 Emerging Conservationist Award , which recognizes early career efforts to save wildlife species around the world.
The biennial award, part of the global Indianapolis Prize program, is an initiative of the Indianapolis Zoo and was introduced last year when Fanny Cornejo won for her work developing healthy ecosystems for the rare yellow-tailed wooly monkey and other wildlife in Peru.
This year, the prize's review committee named 10 finalists under the age of 40 to be considered for the Emerging Conservationist award, which includes $50,000 to further their work.
"This is about providing the platform and the exposure and resources for a young conservationist to give them secure footing in their career and help them continue to be successful as they go forward," said Rob Shumaker, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Zoological Society. "If Fanny is any indication of that, it has been truly successful."
After winning the award last year, Shumaker said Cornejo went on to attract global media attention including appearing on the cover of Forbes Magazine in Peru and increased funding for her work as a primatologist.
A selection committee will now consider all 10 finalists and chose one winner who will be honored at the Indianapolis Prize Gala next September.
Finalists for 2025 Indianapolis Prize: Helping protect parrots, manatees, jaguars and more
Who are the 2025 Emerging Conservationist finalists?
Selected from around the world, the pool of finalists includes individuals who have dedicated their lives to saving endangered animal species.
The finalists represent countries such as Mexico, Uganda, Nepal, the U.S. and Indonesia and work with a variety of species including freshwater fish, pangolins, butterflies and sharks among others.
The prize is meant to honor and help conservationists early in their career when they may find themselves at a crossroads in terms of going forward, Shumaker said.
"Being a field conservationist is a very difficult profession that has lots and lots of challenges, and at times it can be discouraging," Shumaker said. "So, what we wanted to do was really find a person who was doing extraordinary work, give them the recognition, give them some additional resources, but also give them the momentum to move forward in their career and really secure their future as an influential working conservationist."
The biennial finalists for the Emerging Conservationist Award are:
Arely Ramírez-García — Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Mexico
Ramírez-García, a conservationist in freshwater fish ecology of central Mexico, has been instrumental in the reintroduction of two extinct-in-the-wild species to the Teuchitlán River. Ramírez-García works with numerous reintroduction programs and focuses on the control and eradication of invasive species introduced outside of their natural range.
Aristide Takoukam Kamla — African Marine Mammal Conservation Organization, Cameroon
Kamla, a marine wildlife ecologist dedicated to African manatee conservation, founded the African Marine Manatee Conservation Organization in 2024. The non-profit's vision is to make Africa's coastal and aquatic environment a safe home for marine species while considering the best interests of local people. Kamla created the SIREN mobile app to help fishers report opportunistic sightings, bycatch and strandings of aquatic megafauna along the coast of Cameroon.
Mwezi Badru Mugerwa — Embaka, Uganda
Mugerwa, a researcher and conservation community leader working to protect the African golden cat, established the first community-based anti-poaching project at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in Uganda. Under his leadership, the non-profit has become Embaka, a formally registered local conservation organization with 1,900 members. Through Embaka, he has pioneered creative solutions to tackle poaching and human-wildlife conflict.
David Pavlik — W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University
Pavlik, a conservation biologist with expertise in the recovery and reintroduction of North America's most endangered butterfly species, lends his knowledge on captive rearing to conservation programs throughout North America. Through his advice, these programs have prevented extinction, including saving the federally endangered Poweshiek skipperling butterfly, growing the highly imperiled pollinator species population to nearly 2,000 individuals.
Elisa Panjang — Pangolin Aware, Malaysia
Panjang, a conservation biologist with more than a decade of experience, leads conservation efforts for Sunda pangolins in Malaysia as the founder and director of Pangolin Aware. Panjang's research has enhanced the understanding of this elusive species. Her scientific and technical advice has been a key piece in strengthening legal frameworks that protect the future of pangolins.
Hollie Booth — Yayasan Kebersamaan Untuk Lautan, Indonesia
Booth, a marine conservation researcher, has dedicated her career to designing and implementing programs to protect Indonesia's shark and ray populations. As the founder and chair of the NGO, Yayasan Kebersamaan Untuk Lautan, Booth worked with local government, researchers and small-scale fisheries to establish the world's first randomized trial of pay-to-release program for critically endangered sharks and rays. Booth applies her research to advocate for both governmental policy and practical applications such as private-sector funding.
Iroro Tanshi — University of Washington, Seattle, and Small Mammal Conservation Organization, Nigeria
Tanshi, a bat conservationist, aims to create a future for African bat species. In 2016, Tanshi discovered a small population of the rare short-tailed roundleaf bat, a species that had not been seen in 40 years. She founded the Small Mammal Conservation Organization after this discovery to draw attention to their silent extinction and amplify research findings regarding the unique habitat needs of small-sized mammals that are often neglected by conservation and ecology programs.
Kumar Paudel — Greenhood Nepal, Nepal
Paudel is a conservation practitioner focused on protecting Nepal's critically endangered pangolins. Paudel created the Nepal Pangolin Roundtable in 2015 through Greenhood Nepal, an organization he founded. Because pangolins were a relatively misunderstood species, he gathered key stakeholders to scale efforts to protect them. The event catalyzed a species action plan and resulted in policy frameworks aimed at saving pangolins from poaching and illegal trade.
Sergio A. Balaguera-Reina — University of Florida and ProCAT, Columbia
Balaguera-Reina is a conservation biologist focused on understanding the roles that crocodile species play in aquatic and coastal systems. Balaguera-Reina develops conservation plans that provide support for crocodiles and other species as well as the habitats and landscapes that they inhabit. Two years ago, he was named a 2023 Indianapolis Prize Emerging Conservationist Finalist. His accomplishments also include co-founding an NGO, ProCAT, in his native Colombia. ProCAT engages with local communities to advance practical conservation measures.
Yik-Hei Sung — Lingnan University, Hong Kong, and University of Suffolk, England
Sung is an ecologist and conservationist striving to protect endangered freshwater turtles and tortoises in Asia due to illegal trafficking and poaching. Sung's research has informs conservation actions locally and globally. Sung's technique using infrared cameras aids in successfully detecting illegal hunting and trade.
Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at
IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
