Age: 39

Title: Director of conservation and research, Blank Park Zoo

Family: Husband Justin Lowry; daughter Elena

A reason why she is a Forty: Through collaboration and partnerships such as Plant.Grow.Fly. and Iowa Hunters Leading the Way, she maximizes impact, reaching large audiences.

What drives her: “We’re in the midst of the sixth mass extinction. We’ve not lost species this rapidly since the loss of dinosaurs. It’s caused by us. I work every day to create a better world for wildlife and to help people understand that we are part of nature, not separate from it,” she said.

An interesting fact about Lowry: She wants to help build a second “Dream School” in Madagascar with Conservation Fusion to help students in the village of Lavavolo learn about conservation, reading, writing and art.