One of the world’s leading ocean explorers, Sylvia Earle received the 2010 Roy Chapman Andrews Distinguished Explorer award Friday, February 5, at Eaton Chapel on the Beloit College campus.
Her acceptance lecture, “Exploring the Deep Frontier” emphasized the fragile nature of the ocean which serves as a life support system for us all.
Dr. Earle’s visit included a presentation to area students titled “The World Is Blue” at Beloit Memorial High School. She also met with Beloit College students and attended a celebratory dinner with members and friends of the Roy Chapman Andrews Society.
According to Earle, Beloit native Roy Chapman Andrews was a “personal hero since childhood.” Following Andrews’ example, she has led expeditions throughout the world and shares her discoveries with millions of people via print and electronic media.
Raised on a small farm in New Jersey, Sylvia Earle grew up exploring the nearby woods and studying plants and wildlife. She received scholarships for college and eventually earned a Ph.D. from Duke University. Now a world leader in ocean exploration and conservation, she has been called a “Living Legend” by the Library of Congress, “Hero for the Planet” by Time magazine, and “Her Deepness” by The New York Times and The New Yorker magazine. She has received numerous scientific and environmental awards and prizes, honorary degrees, and TV profiles.
Sylvia Earle is passionately concerned with conservation and protection of the seas. She states that we are all connected to the sea: “our fate and the ocean are one.” Yet degradation, overfishing, and pollution are causing massive damage to the oceans, the world’s “life-support systems.” According to Earle, “there’s still time—but not a lot—to turn things around.” Protected areas such as marine sanctuaries constitute less than one percent of the ocean area, but further exploration, research, and preservation provide hope for the future.
The Distinguished Explorer Award program is a principal focus of the Roy Chapman Andrews Society. Founded in 1998, the Society’s mission is to honor the legacy of one of the most celebrated explorers of the 20th century by educating the public about Andrews’ life, work, and adventures; promoting the value of scientific exploration and discovery; and emphasizing Andrews’ lifetime ties to Beloit.
Contact the Roy Chapman Andrews Society via e-mail
Check out Sylvia Earle’s Facebook Fan Page.
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