Half-Earth Day 2025: Evening Program

On Wednesday, October 29, the Field Museum will be partnering with the environmental nonprofit the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation to host Half-Earth Day, an annual event that convenes people from around the world and across disciplines to share their perspectives and provide thought leadership on how we can work together to safeguard biodiversity and ensure the health of our planet for future generations. 

This year’s Half-Earth Day theme, “From Wisdom to Action: Mentorship as a Force for Biodiversity,” will shine a spotlight on how mentorship acts as a powerful driver of conservation. During the day, participants will hear speakers discuss how mentorship is a force in science, arts and culture, business, and environmental conservation and how, together, we are driving action to protect biodiversity.  Learn more here. 

The event’s evening ceremony will include a variety of performances, presentations, and awards, culminating in the presentation of the E.O. Wilson Legacy Award for Transformative Conservation Leadership to actor and environmental activist Harrison Ford. Ford, who was born in Chicago, has championed biodiversity protection and raised global awareness of the importance of conservation for over 30 years. 

Field ornithologist David Willard will also be honored with the museum’s Parker/Gentry Award for his nearly 50 years of work documenting and studying birds that collide with city windows.