It is a great honor to announce the 2017 winner of the RAVE award! This award is generously sponsored by ZooMeds in conjunction with the ARAV and awarded annually to one deserving member who demonstrates excellence in advancing the care of reptile and amphibian medicine and conservation. We could not be more pleased to announce this year’s RAVE award winner, Dr. Charlie Innis!
Dr. Innis is a diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in Reptile and Amphibian practice. He is the current director of animal health for the New England Aquarium in Boston, MA and an assistant professor at the Cumming’s School of Veterinary Medicine at Tuft’s University. He is also a past president of the ARAV.
When asked why Dr. Innis chose to work in this area of conservation, he replied, “Much of my motivation comes from recognizing that the existence of life is miraculous, that the existence of so many species is amazing, and that many people just don’t appreciate these things. I hope that through my work I can remind people that the habitats and plants and animals that we have on this planet are incredible, that we should all be in awe of their existence (and our own) every day, and that we are destroying so much of this so rapidly.” His work helps thousands of animals annually through rescue and rehabilitation programs for a variety of sea turtle species, including giving sensitive species, such as the Blanding’s Turtle and Northern Red-bellied Cooter, a good head start on development before releasing them back in their natural habitat, and captive breeding programs for species such as the Sulawesi tortoise and the Burmese Star Tortoise. He also is very active in lending assistance where it is needed during crises, as he was instrumental in 2015 during the Palawan Forest Turtle Project. Please help us in congratulating the 2017 RAVE award winner at the annual conference in Dallas.