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Dr. George Archibald, International Crane Foundation’s Co-founder, will be awarded the Order of Canada on behalf of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II this week. Born in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Canada, Archibald is being recognized for his visionary leadership in international conservation efforts over the past 40 years.
The Order of Canada is the cornerstone of the Canadian Honours System, and recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. The public has the opportunity to watch a live webcast of the Order of Canada investiture ceremony at 10:30 a.m. (EST) on Friday, December 13, 2013.
“I share this honor with many others with whom I have worked to help the cranes. It’s humbling to be so recognized by one’s country,” Archibald said.
In 1973, when cranes were in a perilous situation and many were on the brink of extinction, Archibald, along with Cornell University colleague, Ronald Sauey, Ph.D., established the International Crane Foundation (ICF) in Baraboo, Wisconsin, as the world center for the study and preservation of cranes. Today, ICF has over 50 employees and supports conservation projects in 45 countries.
“George Archibald is a true conservation ambassador who uses his unique brand of crane diplomacy to work in sensitive places,” ICF President and CEO Rich Beilfuss said. “He leverages the charisma of cranes to unite people from diverse cultures and countries to work together to preserve the landscapes necessary for the survival of both cranes and people.”
In recognition of his many accomplishments, Archibald has received four honorary doctorates and many awards, including the Gold Medal from the World Wildlife Fund, a Fellows Award from the MacArthur Foundation, The Wildlife Conservation Medal from the Zoological Society of San Diego, the Lilly Medal presented by the Indianapolis Zoo, and the Douglas H. Pimlott Award from Nature Canada. In 2013, he received the inaugural Dan W. Lufkin Prize for Environmental Leadership from the National Audubon Society. He and his wife, Kyoko, live in the Baraboo countryside where they enjoy gardening and aviculture.
Founded in 1973, ICF is a 501(c)(3) organization that works worldwide to conserve cranes and the ecosystems, watersheds, and flyways on which they depend. ICF provides knowledge, leadership, and inspiration to engage people in resolving threats to cranes and their diverse landscapes. Learn more about our global conservation efforts, and follow Dr. Archibald through his web series Travels with George.