The Fund for Wild Nature annually awards $1,000
to an activist who has made substantial efforts
to preserve the natural world. In 2003, we honor:
Elisabeth A. Jennings
Elisabeth is Executive Director of the non-profit
organization
Animal Protection of New Mexico (APNM).
She has been active in advocacy and public policy
for wild and domestic animals since 1985 and has
been particularly successful in forging powerful
and diverse coalitions to challenge the practices
and policies that cause and allow widespread cruelty
and disrespect to animals.
Under
her leadership, APNM spearheaded a successful
drive to make extreme cruelty to animals in New
Mexico a felony -- an important step in moving
away from a utilitarian view of other creatures.
This statute, and the coalition developed to pass
it, also helped educate the public about the link
between cruelty to animals and violence to humans:
A warning sign of someone's potential for domestic
abuse and other extreme anti-social behavior is
often abuse of animals.
Jennings
also led her organization to halt a proposed state-sponsored
bison hunt, close down a substandard Forest Service-operated
road-side zoo, expose illegalities and improprieties
in the federal wildlife killing program known
euphemistically as "Wildlife Services"
(previously Animal Damage Control), begin limiting
the number of cougars killed in New Mexico, and
help close down the world's largest facility of
incarcerated chimpanzees, who were used for vivisection.
Most recently, Jennings founded and leads Animal
Protection Voters, which works to hold elected
officials in New Mexico accountable for their
votes that affect animals.
Over the years, Jennings has drawn inspiration
from the wisdom of author and animal activist
Alice Walker, who said, "The animals of the
world exist for their own reasons. They were not
made for humans any more than black people were
made for whites or women for men."
The
Fund for Wild Nature is honored to award Elisabeth
the 2003 Wild Nature Award.
To
nominate someone for the Wild Nature Award please
send us a letter about your candidate: FWN, PO
Box 42523, Portland, OR 97242
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