On Sept. 19 Dr. Jane Goodall will be receiving the 2022 Murie Spirit of Conservation Award at the Jackson Center of the Arts. The Murie awards highlight excellence in conservation, and is partnered with the Teton Science School.
Dr. Goodall has spent her life researching chimpanzees.
Shawn Kelly is the CEO of Teton Science School, a partner in the award ceremonies. He said around 105 out of the 500 seats for the event were set aside for students. Kelly said it's important to the Murie awards, the Teton Science School, and Dr. Goodall that they inspire the next generation of conservationists.
“I wouldn't have thought that a 10 year old would be that excited about her but the part that's pretty surprising for me is the fact that her influence is so great,” he said. “That even you know fifth graders are super excited about getting to see her alive and in person.”
The Teton Science School started in 1967, and Kelly said writer and conservationist Mardy Murie who the award is named after, was a founding school board member.
“Because from her perspective, it was this idea that education, if we want to affect change in the future, then we've got to get kids educated and we've got to get them interested in nature in conservation. Otherwise this whole thing unravels,” he said.
Juan D. Martinez-Pineda is also receiving the 2022 Rising Leader Award for his work on community-led cross cultural outdoor recreation.
Dr. Goodall will address the crowd for an hour and a Q and A will commence afterward. The event will be streamed live.
Other recipients of the award include the first black director of the National Park Service Robert Stanton, Academy award winning filmmaker Jimmy Chin, and actor Harrison Ford.
