Awareness is the first step to any kind of change. 

First Steps: Be a conscious consumer. Consider what you are throwing out. Can it be recycled, composted or donated? Read your product labels and visit your local farmers market to learn if the goods you consume and use are sustainably produced. How efficient are you when it comes to electricity and water?​

Educate Yourself 

Through volunteer opportunities, education programs and environmental gro​​​ups you can learn what conservation efforts are taking place in your local community and understand how it affects wildlife living in your backyard and beyond.

First Steps: Enjoy nature, enjoy the wild. Visit local parks and institutions like the Indianapolis Zoo to learn and appreciate, first hand, all of the beauty this world has to offer.  

Find Your Role

Get involved in stories that move you. Consider supporting global conservation initiatives that are directly saving endangered species and protecting their habitats worldwide.

First Steps: Follow programs, like the Indianapolis Prize, on social media to see what conservation issues are arising around the globe. Share the stories that move you. [close]

Saving Species

​Our Prize heroes have global impact for species iconic and unique. Click on the animals to discover ways you can help some famous animals as well as countless others living in the same habitat.​

African Elephant​

• Take the 96 Elephants pledge to show you support measures aimed at combating the global ivory trade.

• Only purchase products made from sustainable alternatives to ivory. [close]

​Alaskan Brown Bear, Wolves and Forest Wildlife

• When you go camping, secure all of your food and trash items to avoid attracting bears and other wildlife into campsites. 
  

• Follow the Leave No Trace principles ​​​whenever you're spending time in nature. ​

• Choose Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)​-certified​ materials.
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Amur Tiger​

• Recycle old cell phones and other electronics at recycling centers in your area. Recycling helps to preserve tiger habitat by reducing the demand for metals, like aluminum, and rare earth elements mined in Russia.

• Buy and use the Save Vanishing Species stamp from United States Postal Service. They feature a cute tiger cub, and part of the proceeds go to Multinational Species Conservation Fund.​​ [close]

Bald Eagle and Other Birds

• ​​​Maintain a safe distance of at least 300 feet anytime you're observing a nest. Also, limit the use of recreational vehicles, especially during the breeding and nesting seasons.​​​

• ​Participate in events in your community like Lights Out Indianapolis, a bird and energy conservation initiative created by Amos Butler Audubon. Join building owners, managers and tenants in turning off exterior and interior lights during peak bird migration periods to prevent bird strikes.​
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Orangutan (Bornean and Sumatran)

• ​Support companies whose products are made using certified sustainable palm oil. The Sustainable Palm Oil Shopping Guide app can help you find "orangutan friendly" products.​[close]

​Pacific Walrus, Polar Bears and Arctic Wildlife

• Reduce the energy consumption in your home by unplugging electronics and small appliances when they're not in use, and by adjusting your thermostat 2 degrees up in the summer and down in the winter.
  

• ​Drive smart and drive less. Shut off your car when it will sit idle for more than 10 seconds, like in the drive-thru or when loading/unloading passengers. Carpool and take mass transit when you can.​ [close]

Sharks, Whales and Ocean Wildlife​

• ​​Before you buy, read the labels on your foods to make sure you're purchasing sustainable fish and seafood. Download the Seafood Watch app to make shopping even easier.​[close]

​Giving for Good​​

Since its inception in 2004, the Indianapolis Prize has provided a unique recognition in the field of animal conservation, acknowledging the men and women leading the charge to save species across our planet.

To make certain their conservation initiatives continue, each Prize honoree has identified an affiliated organization that directly supports his or her work, featured in "Champions for Our Planet: The Indianapolis Prize Guide to Animal Conservation Giving."​​

As you make decisions on how you will contribute to the greater good, we invite you to enter the worlds where proven conservation heroes work, where victories change the fates of threatened species. [close]

From the Field: Advice from Conservation Heroes​

• ​"Get out into nature — see what's out there." — Dr. Carl Jones, 2016 Indianapolis Prize Winner

• ​"We all can support conservation by reducing our consumption of goods, such as clothes and detergents, by saving energy in our home and our work (or school), by reducing our waste, and by volunteering with the local environmental authority." — Dr. Gerardo Ceballos, two-time Indianapolis Prize Finalist

• "Get out into the field to experience nature firsthand, whether it's through ecotourism to some exotic destination in Amazonia, Madagascar or another remote corner of our planet, or through volunteer opportunities, education programs or periodic visits to natural areas in your own backyard. Also take advantage of local institutions where you live. I attribute a large part of my interest in wildlife to frequent visits to NYC's Bronx Zoo and American Museum of Natural History. The opportunities are endless." — Dr. Russ Mittermeier, two-time Indianapolis Prize Finalist​ [close]

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