Pioneering herpetologist and zoo leader Dr. Roger Conant has been officially inducted into the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) Robert W. Crawford Hall of Fame as one of only two inductees for 2026. The honor was formally presented on September 30th, during NRPA’s Annual Conference in Philadelphia—a fitting location, as Conant spent the majority of his career serving the City of Brotherly Love.
Colleague Ray Novotny, Associate Editor for Herpetological Review (In Memory section), accepted the induction on stage alongside Brint Spencer, Director of the Brandywine Zoo, with Philadelphia Zoo Chief of Staff Kristen Lewis-Waldron attending among hundreds in the audience.
Read more about Conant’s legacy and induction to the Hall of Fame here: https://aapra-goldmedal.secure-platform.com/a/page/HallofFame/Inductees/Roger-Conant.
Brint Spencer, Ray Novotny, and Kristen Lewis-Waldron at the NRPA induction.