Harrison Ford Named Off-Screen Hero with Monumental Wildlife Award
You may know him for the adventurous and heroic characters like Han Solo and Indiana Jones, but Harrison Ford’s dedication to conservation efforts prove that he is just as much of a hero off-screen.
In fact, the actor’s devotion over the past 25 years has earned him the 2018 Jane Alexander Global Wildlife Ambassador Award.
The award recognizes key advocates for “wild things and wild places.”
“Global Wildlife Ambassadors use their communications skills to tell the stories of threatened and endangered species and habitats, raising awareness of these issues with the public, businesses and policymakers,” the official website further explains.
Past winners of this award include Jane Alexander and Sigourney Weaver.
Ford’s efforts include patrolling the Hudson River looking for polluters and starring in nature documentaries like Conservation International’s The Ocean.
He also investigated the effects of palm oil production and deforestation, and he visited rescue and rehabilitation centers for orangutans affected by the deforestation.
His passion and drive to protect nature have made huge strides in conservation efforts across the world.
“If we don’t stop the destruction of nature, nothing else will matter. Jobs won’t matter, our economies won’t matter, our freedoms and ethics won’t matter, our children’s education and potential won’t matter,” Ford said. “If we end the ability of a healthy natural world to sustain humanity nothing else will matter.”
He has played an active role at Conservation International for over 25 years.
As a board member of their Global Conservation Fund, Ford has helped secure protection of over 40 million acres of land on three different continents.
These achievements are more than enough to catch the Indianapolis Zoological Society’s attention.
Micheel I. Crowder, CEO of the Society, said, “Harrison Ford is among today’s most credible conservationists and is widely respected by the professional and academic conservation communities.”
The award will be presented to Ford at the Indianapolis Prize Gala on September 29, 2018.
“I care deeply for the natural world,” Ford said. “It’s not about me, it’s not about me at all, it’s about this other world we’re going to leave behind.”
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