June 2026 Stakeholder Update

Read the Duke Lemur Center’s Stakeholder Update, sent to our donors on June 17, 2026. Questions? Contact Mary Paisley, DLC Development Director, at mary.paisley@duke.edu.

Ring-tailed lemur infants clinging to their mother who is sitting on the forest floor. Another ring-tailed lemur is close behind the mother.

Two young ring-tailed lemurs are new to exploring one of our eleven forested free-ranging enclosures. The infants, Melissa and Karl, are clinging to mom, Liesl, as their big sister, Hedwig, stays close. Read their infant announcement.

Dear valued friend and supporter,

Summer is here! The Duke Lemur Center’s peak tour season is in full swing and our staff and volunteers are enjoying sharing our lemurs with visitors. If you plan to visit, keep in mind that our public tours require reservations, and we recommend booking well in advance! Please reach out to me directly if you are a giving society member at the Lemur Champion level or higher to schedule a complimentary weekday, behind-the-scenes visit. We also hope you’ll consider visiting the DLC Museum of Natural History for a free open house event this summer—you can find dates and information below.

During our Earth Day Zoom event for donors on April 22, Executive Director Greg Dye shared that Earth Day is about “recognizing what still works, what’s worth protecting, and the real progress we can point to, together.” Read Greg’s full message from the event at Reasons for Hope: Earth Day 2026.

In that spirit of progress and hope, we invite you to learn below about the life and enduring legacy of the Duke Lemur Center’s Co-Founder, Dr. Peter Klopfer. While his recent passing brings sadness to the DLC community, his extraordinary impact continues to inspire our work every day.

Thanks so much for your support!

Warm regards,

Mary Paisley, Director of Development

DLC Co-founder Peter Klopfer Dies at Age 95

We are saddened to announce that Peter Klopfer, professor emeritus of Biology, civil rights activist, and co-founder of the Duke Lemur Center, died on June 5 at the age of 95. He is survived by his wife, Martha, and their three daughters. Read more about his extraordinary life and impactful research. We also invite you to view a video filmed in 2020 featuring Dr. Klopfer sharing his answer to the question: “Why are there lemurs at Duke?”

DLC -SAVA Conservation Annual Newsletter

The new issue of our DLC-SAVA Conservation Annual Newsletter was recently released with an updated design. Check it out and join us in celebrating everything we achieved in Madagascar in 2025! For the latest on our progress in 2026, enjoy the May issue of our DLC-SAVA Conservation update.

A fossil specimen hanging from a branch.

What the Fossil?! Museum Open Houses

This summer join us for a FREE open house event at the Duke Lemur Center Museum of Natural History at 1013 Broad Street in Durham! These will be hosted from 1:00 to 4:00 PM on Saturday, June 27, and Saturday, July 25.

Graphic of a baobab tree with key milestones marked in raising funds for the Welch Katz fund

Welch and Katz Fund Update

A year ago, we celebrated the career and retirement of Charlie Welch, our longtime Conservation Coordinator and an endowment was established to honor the work of Charlie and his wife, Andrea Katz. The Welch and Katz Fund is close to an important financial goal that will allow us to dedicate it specifically to the DLC’s conservation work in Madagascar.

If you have questions about this fund, or wish to discuss other areas of interest, I welcome the chance to talk with you! Contact me at mary.paisley@duke.edu or 919.401.7252.