Dr. Patricia Wright, the
trailblazing scientist featured in the new IMAX® movie “Island of
Lemurs: Madagascar,” will talk about her work with these endangered primates in
a special presentation on Thurs., April 17 at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.
“Dr. Wright is going to be in
very high demand because of this wonderful new movie, so we feel especially
fortunate to be able to welcome her so close to the premiere,” said Jennifer
Herring, president of The Maritime Aquarium. “We’re sure she’ll have lots of
amazing stories about lemurs and a compelling conservation message.”
The 7:30 p.m. talk will be
followed by a screening of “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar.” Tickets are $20 ($16 for Aquarium members).
It’s an exciting year for Dr.
Wright. Aside from being the featured scientist in a new IMAX movie, she is one
of six finalists for the 2014 Indianapolis Prize, the world’s leading award for
animal conservation. (The winner will be announced this summer.)
“Our
finalists are among the most important wildlife conservationists working in the
field today,” said Michael Crowther, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Zoo,
which initiated the Indianapolis Prize. “They are achieving real victories in
saving animal species, creating hope and making the world a better place.”
Early in her career, Wright
made history when she discovered the golden bamboo lemur, a species that was
then unknown to science. The find helped to catalyze the formation of
Madagascar’s park system. A short time later, Wright learned that timber exploiters
were logging the golden bamboo lemur’s rain-forest habitat, so she spent months
trekking to define park boundaries with the forestry service and securing
funding to develop Ranomafana National Park (RNP). Now a UNESCO World Heritage
Site, RNP encompasses the home of 12 lemur species, some of which are listed
among the world’s most endangered animals.
During
the last 20 years, public awareness of Madagascar’s ecosystem has flourished
through Dr. Wright’s research and outreach efforts. Her long-term relationship
with the local communities in Madagascar has catalyzed economic opportunities
around the park. Tourist visits to the park increased from zero to more than
30,000 in 2010, and half the park entrance fees have always been returned to
the villages for conservation projects.
Recently, she spearheaded the creation of Centre ValBio, a huge preserve
that is a modern hub for multidisciplinary research, training and public
awareness, the first in Madagascar.
The IMAX movie “Island of
Lemurs: Madagascar” reunites writer-producer Drew Fellman, filmmaker David
Douglas and narrator Morgan Freeman from the 2011 IMAX movie “Born to Be Wild,”
which follows efforts to reintroduce orphaned baby orangutans and elephants
into their natural environment. Beginning an unprecedented fourth year at The
Maritime Aquarium, “Born to Be Wild” is one of the Norwalk attraction’s most
popular IMAX films ever.
Like “Born to Be Wild,” “Island
of the Lemurs: Madagascar” is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures and IMAX
Entertainment. It’s rated G.
To reserve tickets for Dr.
Patricia Wright’s lecture on April 17 or for the daily screenings of “Island of
Lemurs: Madagascar” beginning April 4, go to www.maritimeaquarium.orgwww.maritimeaquarium.org or call
(203) 852-0700, ext. 2206.
