A renowned conservationist, René de Roland, is the Peregrine Fund’s national director of its Madagascar Program. He will share his journey from rediscovering species in Madagascar, thought to be extinct, to winning the Indianapolis Zoo’s Indianapolis Prize for his critical work. René de Roland will be joined by his colleague at the Peregrine Fund, Stéphanie Razakaratrimo, Ph.D., who will expand on how their collective work is having a positive impact on species in the wild.

René de Roland’s contribution to the discovery of a variety of species is substantial, including the rediscovery of the Madagascar pochard, a rare duck thought to be extinct since the 1990s. He and his team rediscovered the species during a challenging expedition to a remote area of northern Madagascar in 2006. René de Roland has also contributed to the discovery of two previously undescribed lemur species in northern Madagascar. Due to his extensive impact on biodiversity conservation, scientists named a newly described wolf spider, Katableps lilyarisoni, after René de Roland in 2021. Most recently, during a 2022 expedition, René de Roland led a team to the rediscovery of the Dusky tetraka, a small songbird that had eluded ornithologists for 20 years.

The lecture is free, but registration is appreciated. Click the link to register to attend the lecture.

Visit indianapolisprize.org to learn more about the Indianapolis Prize initiative and Lily-Arison René de Roland, Ph.D.