Featured Speakers

Some of Our Featured Speakers

Lynne Cherry

Trevor Corson

Richard Ellis

Sidney Horenstein

Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher,
Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere

Dr. Peter Rona

Environmental Educator Emertius Sidney Horenstein

THE HUDSON RIVER: TOP TO BOTTOM

The Hudson River, exclusive of its extension, the Hudson Canyon on
the continental shelf, is the 71^st largest river in the United States.
From its source in the Adirondacks, 315 miles from its mouth, it flows
through six geological terrains, all glaciated, recording a complex
geologic history. Remarkably, the final 150 miles, is a tidal estuary,
including its freshwater northern end. Although ancestral Hudson
originated in the Mesozoic Era, its post-glacial history is most
important in understanding many aspects of its present diverse biota.
During the Pleistocene the Hudson Valley was probably covered in
part several times by glaciers and during the last glacial maximum the
whole valley was shaped ice. As its mouth the Hudson is joined by the
Raritan River, together forming the significant estuary of the New York Bight.
And yet with all of the substantial alterations that have occurred within
and adjacent to the river - filling, dredging and loads of pollutants -
it is surprising that some significant habitats as well as its diversity remain.

Sidney Horenstein

Sidney Horenstein recently retired from the American Museum of Natural History
as coordinator of Environmental Programs and is now Environmental Educator
Emeritus. He is also the natural history consultant to the Bronx County Historical
Society. He also was an adjunct lecturer in the Geology and Geography Department
of Hunter College, CUNY for 25 years. At the museum he led numerous field trips
and workshops and a taught a variety of courses in basic geology, New York
geology and natural history. As liaison with many local environmental groups on
current issues he organized symposia and other forums at the museum relating to
New York City. In the past he directed the Environmental Information Center, and was
Exhibit Curator for “On Tap” (New York’s Water Supply System), “The World of Maps”
and “National Parks.” He also participated in the development of several temporary
and permanent exhibits including: “Global Warming,” “Biodiversity” and
“Human Evolution.” Directed EcoImpact Forum (monthly public meetings related to
New York ecological issues), 1986 –1992. He is the author of articles and books
about geology (including New York) and now is co-authoring a book about the city’s
biodiversity.

Dr. Peter Rona

Exploration of Frozen Fire and Volcanoes of the Deep Sea

It is said that we know more about the backside of the Moon than the bottom of
the ocean. The seafloor is hidden beneath a layer of water averaging 2 miles
thick. An ocean frontier lies at our doorstep where the Hudson River channel
continues seaward as the Hudson Canyon, one of the world’s grandest submarine
canyons. Hudson Canyon connects New York City with the deep ocean basin.
The canyon cuts through a largely unknown region of the continental margin underlain
by gas hydrates, methane gas frozen into the underlying sedimentary strata.
Farther seaward in the most remote reaches of the deep ocean lays the mid-ocean
ridge. The mid-ocean ridge is a submerged volcanic mountain range that encircles
our planet as the largest and most dynamic geological feature on Earth. We used
Hollywood’s latest filming technology to make the current IMAX film, “Volcanoes of
the Deep Sea”, which illuminates clearly for the first time newly discovered hot
springs and their ecosystems on the mid-ocean ridge. Join us as we embark on
the great age of ocean exploration.

Dr. Peter Rona

Dr. Peter Rona is internationally recognized as a pioneering leader in scientific
exploration of the deep sea floor. He led the exploration and discovery of the first
black smoker hot springs, giant polymetallic mineral deposits, and ecosystem of
life forms in the deep Atlantic shown in the IMAX film, "Volcanoes of the Deep Sea".
His discovery of the living fossil Paleodictyon is featured in the film. He has and
continues to make expeditions to the world's oceans and to dive with all of the deep
research submarines, which he considers safer than driving to work. As Professor
of Marine Geology and Geophysics at Rutgers University and former Senior Research
Geophysicist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) he
publishes prolifically in scientific journals (over 250 papers and several books) and the
popular media (Scientific American, National Geographic, Natural History and others).
He is consultant to the United Nations on seafloor resources and is active in the
development and leadership of public science centers. He has received numerous
awards including the Shepard Medal for excellence in marine geology, the U.S.
Department of Commerce Gold Medal for exceptional scientific contributions to the
nation, and the Pettersson Bronze Medal of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
He was thrilled to work with Stephen Low and others making,
"Volcanoes of the Deep Sea", since it illuminates the most spectacular, dynamic and
inaccessible places on Earth as never before.

http://marine.rutgers.edu/faculty_prona.html

Trevor Corson

The Secret Life of Lobsters: Bringing Science Alive by Putting it in Context"

Trevor Corson will share lessons from the writing of his science bestseller
The Secret Life of Lobsters. Corson will show gripping underwater video footage,
discuss highlights of lobster biology and ecology, and describe how he used
stories about the lives of the men and women who study and harvest lobsters
to reveal the animals' secrets.

Bio http://www.secretlifeoflobsters.com/author/author.asp

Navy Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D.,
Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere.

Bio http://www.noaa.gov/lautenbacher.html

Lynne Cherry

Lynne will focus on the importance of teaching students about mangrove
ecosystems; It was a 10-year-old British schoolgirl who recognized the
signs of an impending tsunami while on vacation in Indonesia and warned
and, hence, saved the lives of over 100 people. Mangroves mitigate the
damage caused by tsunamis and hurricanes. The villages where mangroves
were intact did not suffer the death and destruction of areas that had cut down
their mangroves. Mangroves also protect coastal areas from hurricanes.
Children are learning how to plant, preserve and protect mangroves in Florida
and abroad. Lynne discusses how her books were inspired by her love of the
natural world and how educators are using nature to integrate curriculum and
make children’s learning relevant. Lynne is an avid canoeist, hiker, snorkeler
and explorer.

Lynne Cherry

Lynne Cherry is the author and/or illustrator of over thirty award-winning books
for children that teach respect for the earth and launch conservation campaigns.
In 2005, three of her books—The Great Kapok Tree, How Groundhog’s Garden Grew
and The Shaman’s Apprentice were selected as the Best Classic Garden Books of
the Century by the American Horticultural Society and Junior Master Gardeners.
A River Ran Wild has launched projects to study and clean up local watersheds.
Flute’s Journey: the Life of a Wood Thrush focused national media attention on
conservation efforts to save the 60 acre Belt Woods In Md. when Lynne and students
who had written letters were featured on Sunday Morning News With Charles Osgood.
Lynne hopes that her current book The Sea, The Storm and the Mangrove Tangle will
help save mangroves around the world. She has been working most recently trying to
save mangroves on Bimini in the Bahamas. . She lectures widely—and passionately--
about how children can make a difference. Lynne earned her BA at Tyler School of Art
and her MA in History at Yale. She has been artist-in-residence at the Smithsonian,
Princeton University and the Marine Biological Lab and Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institute in Woods Hole. She is currently visiting fellow at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
in Ithaca, NY.
For more info see www.LYNNECHERRY.com
You can hear Lynne reading from several of her books if you click on the links to
LIVING ON EARTH, a nationally syndicated show of National Public Radio (NPR).
There are also links to programs Lynne has done on CBS and PBS.

Richard Ellis

Mr. Ellis will give a short presentation "under the Blue Whale" in the New Millstein
Hall of Ocean Science at the American Museum of Natural History

Richard Ellis

Bio http://www.natureartists.com/artists/artist_biography.asp?ArtistID=1117