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Renowned oceanographer featured speaker at Crater Lake symposium: Dr. Sylvia Earle to participate in centennial celebration

Herald and News

Klamath Falls, Oregon
September 18, 2002

By LEE JUILLERAT

Dr. Sylvia Earle, known as “Her Deepness” for her deep water explorations, will be the featured speaker at “Crater Lake: A Tapestry of Inspiration,” a three-day symposium celebrating Crater Lake National Park’s centennial.

Events will be held at Southern Oregon University in Ashland on Oct. 4 and 5, with field trips at the park on Oct. 6. The symposium is being presented by the Jeld-Wen Foundation.

Organizers say the intent of the symposium is to “draw together artists, scientists, Native Americans, writers, historians and educators to provide diverse insights into the inspiration of Crater Lake.”

Earle, an internationally known marine biologist and founder of Deep Ocean Exploration Research, will give a keynote talk at 7 p.m., Oct. 4. Other activities will include a presentation by Charles Bacon, from U.S. Geological Survey who has specialized in interpreting Crater Lake’s geology, and Klamath Tribes drumming and dancing.

Concurrent workshops will be offered Saturday morning and afternoon followed by a talk by John Reynolds, the National Park Service’s former Pacific West Region director, and a performance of the Will Steel drama, “Reflections.” Workshop topics include “A Park for Inspiration and Expression,” “A Park for Education,” “A Park for People” and “A Park for Science and Learning.”

Park workshops and field trips on Oct. 6 include programs on geology, mushrooms and truffles, fire ecology, a rim tour, and a ranger-led hike up Garfield Peak.

The preregistration fee is $18 by Sept. 25 or $20 at the symposium, $10 for Southern Oregon or Oregon Institute of Technology students. Other optional fees include $9 for lunch Oct. 5, $15 for an Oct. 6 barbecue, and $5 for some field trips.

For registration information call the Extended Campus Program, Southern Oregon University, 1250 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520, at (541) 552-6331 or visit the Web site at www.sou.edu/aaaspd/craterlake/

Earle is the National Geographic Society’s explorer-in-residence and former chief scientist for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She has written more than 125 scientific and popular publications.

During Deep Rover explorations of Crater Lake in 1989, Earle piloted a submarine to the bottom of the lake.

Earle is also known as an early pioneer of scuba diving equipment and was the first researchers to use a mask and oxygen tank to observe plant and animal habitats beneath the sea. She later set a world record by free diving 1,250 feet. She and her former husband, Graham Hawkes, designed Deep Rover, a submersible that can go to depths of 3,000 feet.

Over the years, Earle has spent more than 6,000 hours underwater, helping to earn her titles as “Her Deepness” and “Queen of the Deep.”

She is also the author of several books, including “Exploring the Deep Frontier,” “Wild Ocean: America’s Parks Under the Sea,” “Oceans,” and various children’s books, including, “Dive! My Adventures” and “Hello, Fish!”

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