Wildlife Trust's Second Annual Award Gala

Soiree With a Cause - An Evening in India to Honor Madhav Gadgil

NEW YORK - May 2, 2005 - On May 5, guests for the Wildlife Trust's Second Annual International Award Gala, AN EVENING IN INDIA, will celebrate the sights, sounds and flavors of India with three kinds of authentic Indian music provided by Arch Worldwide, Bhangra dancing and Indian acrobats. The menu, too, will celebrate the culinary delights of India with curried roasted vegetables, Tandoori-style rack of lamb, and all manner of traditional flatbreads, vegetables, fruits and sweets infused with chutney, cilantro, papaya mint, red pepper Harissa, eggplant relish, toasted coconut, cumin and orange ginger.

Honorary Chairmen for the event are philanthropist Virginia C. Mars (former Wildlife Trust Board President and current Council member), and acclaimed filmmaker Ismail Merchant.

The celebration will honor one of the world's leading ecologists and conservationists, Madhav Gadgil, Ph.D., who has contributed to the success of Wildlife Trust programs. Professor Gadgil has pioneered work in integrating research on biodiversity with the needs of communities and poor people. He has worked to eliminate the separation between the interests of human communities and the requirements of conservation, and he was the main contributor to the establishment of India's first biosphere reserve in the Western Ghats. He is guided by the belief that traditional knowledge of communities is of central importance to scientific research as well as ecological and land use planning.

Wildlife Trust President Mary Pearl notes, "Madhav Gadgil has been an inspiration to a whole generation of conservation-minded ecologists around the world."

She adds, "Among many books, Professor Gadgil wrote a unique and seminal history of the ecology of the Indian subcontinent, and many consider him the father of ecological studies in India. We are proud to honor him as we honor India's rich natural heritage."

The Wildlife Trust International Awards were created in 2004 to honor outstanding contributions to the field of conservation science, either through visionary support of science or brilliant achievement within the field. The 2004 winners were philanthropist Virginia C. Mars, for her pioneering support for developing strong conservation science in developing nations, and economist Jeffrey Sachs, for his international actions linking environmental change to issues of poverty and health.

The evening's festivities will include a live auction with a rich variety of unique offerings, with Guy Bennett, Vice President, Christie's America, as auctioneer.

Individual tickets are available for $500 (Donor), $1,000 (Supporter), $1,500 (Patron) and $2,500 (Benefactor). Tables are available for $5,000 (Donor Table), $10,000 (Supporter Table), $15,000 (Patron Table) and $25,000 (Benefactor Table). Sponsorships and special underwriting opportunities also are available.

Proceeds from the evening will support a range of Wildlife Trust programs on behalf of threatened species around the world, and their pioneering work in Conservation Medicine, the new discipline that addresses the link between ecology, wildlife, and human health.