INDIANA — Maggie Hirschauer, an Indianapolis native and Indiana University graduate, is among 19 young conservationists worldwide competing for the $50,000 Emerging Conservationist Award from the Indianapolis Zoo.
Hirschauer is one of a select group of women leading wildlife conservation initiatives in the field globally. She currently lives and works in Zambia, where she leads a unique program dedicated to saving the shoebill, a rare, giant, pelican-like bird.
World’s Only Shoebill Hatchery and Reintroduction Program
Standing up to five feet tall with a distinctive bill shaped like a wooden shoe, shoebills face severe declines in the wild due to illegal poaching and wetland habitat destruction.
Hirschauer manages the world’s only facility that hatches, raises, and returns shoebill chicks to the wild. To prevent the young birds from imprinting on humans, her team uses shoebill hand puppets created by a puppeteer known for work on The Muppets. Additionally, Hirschauer collaborates with local villagers who guard wild shoebill nests around the clock. Since its inception, the program has more than doubled the percentage of nests that successfully fledge a chick.
From Bloomington to Africa
Hirschauer’s passion for avian conservation began at Indiana University in Bloomington, where she volunteered caring for injured hawks and owls. After graduating with high honors in 2010, she earned a master’s degree in zoology in South Africa and spent years working on endangered vulture recovery efforts before taking over the shoebill conservation project.
Award Announcement Set for 2027
The Indianapolis Prize Emerging Conservationist Award honors international wildlife conservationists under the age of 40. A review committee will select three finalists, and the winner will be announced live in Indianapolis on September 25, 2027.
To learn more about the Indianapolis Zoo’s conservation prize program and view the full list of applicants, visit indianapoliszoo.com/prize/news/2027-emerging-conservationist-applicants-announced.
