Explorer, primatologist Mireya Mayor brings the jungle to Aspen

The Changemaker Speaker Series, in collaboration with Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, will host world-renowned primatologist, explorer, and Emmy Award-nominated television host Mireya Mayor in “Mireya Mayor: Pink Boots and a Machete,” to share stories of her unconventional career path.

The event will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, at the Wheeler Opera House.

“I didn’t grow up dreaming of being a scientist. The realization came when I watched ‘Gorillas in the Mist.’ I wanted to follow in Dian Fossey’s footsteps — to live among animals, protect them, and tell their stories to the world. That film lit a fire in me and continues to persist decades later,” Mayor said.

Mayor originally became a Miami Dolphins cheerleader for four years while obtaining a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and philosophy at the University of Miami. From there, she made a career pivot when she received a Fulbright Scholarship that sent her to Guyana, South America, for the first time. This experience led her to become National Geographic’s first female wildlife correspondent.

At first, she said, her mother was “not thrilled.” 

“I was leaving a stable path for a life of danger and uncertainty in far-flung jungles. But over time, as she saw the passion and the discoveries, she became my biggest supporter,” Mayor said.

Mayor has hosted dozens of documentaries since beginning her television career in remote areas, including “Wild Nights with Mireya Mayor” on Nat Geo WILD, a television network dedicated to documentaries.

In 2019, she took on her current role on the hit documentary series, “Expedition Bigfoot,” now in its sixth season, capturing the experience of how she and a team of researchers spent three weeks in the Pacific Northwest searching for evidence of Bigfoot’s existence. 

“We’ve pulled genetic material from places where no large primates are ‘supposed’ to exist — and that mystery is what keeps me going. Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer, the data makes you lean in closer,” Mayor said.

Beyond television, one of her benchmark achievements includes co-discovering a mouse lemur in Madagascar in 2001.  

“We had set up mammal traps to get a more accurate wildlife inventory of a little-known area in Madagascar,” Mayor said. “Every morning I would check the traps, but it rained for weeks, so there was nothing to see but raindrops accumulating. But then one morning as I pushed the little metal door open, expecting to see only the piece of banana I’d placed in the trap box the night before, two huge eyes peered back up at me.”

She said she suspected it was something entirely new to science, but that they had a long way to go to prove it. 

“Holding this tiny, wide-eyed primate in my hands was surreal,” Mayor said “It was like cradling a secret the world didn’t know existed yet.”

Her mouse lemur discovery also became the subject of a popular children’s book, “Just Wild Enough.” The biography highlights how she helped convince the Prime Minister of Madagascar to establish a national park to help protect the species.

Mayor also achieved a Ph.D. in anthropology from Stony Brook University in 2008. She currently serves as Executive Director of Strategic Projects at Florida International University. In addition to that role, she is a mother of six.

“People assume it’s impossible — that you can’t raise six kids and at the same time trek through jungles or scale mountains. The truth is, it’s not about balance, it’s about integration,” Mayor said. 

She sees herself as a role model for her children, showing them that you can chase your dreams and that you don’t have to give up one passion for another.

Advancements in technology have impacted her career, including in some transformative ways.

“When I started, we relied on machetes and notepads,” Mayor said. “Today, we use drones, environmental DNA sampling, and satellite technology to uncover mysteries we couldn’t touch before. One of the most exciting innovations is eDNA  — it allows us to detect the presence of species from just a drop of water or a bit of soil. It’s like CSI meets National Geographic.”

Her advice for young women who may want to follow in her footsteps is clear.

“Don’t wait for permission. Don’t wait until you feel 100% ready. Leap first, learn as you go. And never believe that you have to look or act a certain way to belong in science — the field needs ‘you’ exactly as you are,” Mayor said. 

Mayor’s upcoming presentation will feature tales of her adventures and offer practical advice for breaking barriers.

“Come ready to laugh, to be amazed, and to hear stories from above the clouds to below the ocean, and from the far edges of the map. I’ll share not only what I’ve discovered in the wild, but what the wild has taught me about resilience, family, and the courage to chase the impossible,” she concluded.

Tickets are available by calling 970-920-5770 or online at wheeleroperahouse.com/event/mireya-mayor-pink-boots-and-a-machete/. Attendees can also purchase them in person at the Wheeler Opera House box office, Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m., located at 320 E. Hyman Ave.