Roger Payne to Be Honored by Earthwatch
Whale Expert Roger Payne To Be Honored by Earthwatch
"A Life Among Whales" Wins 20th Annual Earthwatch Film Award
March 22 at National Geographic Society
Renowned whale biologist Dr. Roger Payne will receive the Earthwatch Lifetime Achievement Award as part of a special event March 22 at the National Geographic Society in Washington D.C.
Dr. Payne will speak about the plight of whales following the screening of "A Life Among Whales," winner of the 2006 Earthwatch Film Award. Directed and produced by Bill Haney, the documentary chronicles Payne's passionate quest to understand and conserve the world's whales. Experts from Earthwatch Institute and National Geographic Society will join Dr. Payne in a lively forum, Thinking Big: Saving Oceans, One Whale At A Time.
"Like all large animals, whales are threatened by human competition and habitat degradation," said Payne, founder and president of Ocean Alliance. "But their most immediate challenge is that whaling is increasing exponentially. We need to restart the 'save the whales' movement. This, and the other environmental crises that mankind has generated, are not insurmountable problems; they represent the most singular opportunity for greatness ever offered to any generation in any civilization."
The screening of "A Life Among Whales" and the Earthwatch Forum will take place in partnership with the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital, and marks the 20th Annual Earthwatch Film Award.
"Documentary films help broadcast the inspiring power of nature. This is particularly important when dealing with marine issues as so few people get the chance to witness this unique environment first hand," said Ed Wilson, President and CEO of Earthwatch, which recruits ordinary people to join scientific expeditions around the globe. With offices in the USA, UK, Australia and Japan, Earthwatch is one of the world's largest private supporters of marine mammal research.
"As we mark our 35th Year, Earthwatch is increasing its focus on improving awareness and management of our oceans," Wilson noted; "Dr. Payne's life work is a stellar example of how to engage the public in addressing these issues. From whales burdened by toxic chemicals to coral reefs overcome by climate change, we know the larger part of our blue planet is in trouble."
Earthwatch was founded in the same year that the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act was passed, 1971, and quickly became a major supporter of cetacean research. Joining Dr. Payne in the Thinking Big forum will be Dr. Daniela Maldini, director of research at Earthwatch. Maldini is also principal investigator of Marine Mammals of Monterey, one of Earthwatch's 15 marine mammal projects.
The Thinking Big forum also includes Dr. John Francis, vice president for research, conservation, and exploration at the National Geographic Society.
Dr. Roger Payne is best known for his studies of whale behavior, especially early recordings of humpback whales songs, and for his theory that the sounds of fin and blue whales can be heard across oceans. Studying whale behavior since 1967, Payne has published articles in National Geographic, which printed 10.5 million copies of a small vinyl record, still the largest single print order in the history of the recording industry. Payne is founder and President of the Ocean Alliance, a MacArthur Fellow, and leader of over 100 expeditions to study whales in all the world's oceans.
"The composing of music is a communal bond and a defining element for whales," Payne wrote in a presentation entitled Whale Songs and Musicality; "Each season, the Humpback whales' songs are structured in phrases of balanced lengths which are presented in a specific order, are memorized by all of the group in the area, repeated exactly by all, and are retained after six months of the beginning point for the new season's compositions." Songs of humpbacks inspired popular recordings by Judy Collins, Paul Winter and classical composers.
Payne is passionate about the future of whales and concerned about the efforts of whaling nations, such as Japan, to shift the balance in the International Whaling Commission and potentially overthrow the moratorium on commercial whaling. "Unless we get off our chairs and start persuading responsible nations to support whales, the whaling nations will have a majority in the International Whaling Commission in a year or two," said Payne. "That will enable them to institute new laws, like throwing out the conservationists who are currently allowed to observe meetings and lobby delegates."
"A Life Among Whales" traces Payne's influential work over the past four decades. Stunning images and unique hybrid of biography and natural history leave viewers contemplating our stewardship of Earth and co-existence with some of its most intriguing creatures. It is the same sense of stewardship instilled by Earthwatch, suggests Payne.
"The vast majority of us live in cities," said Payne. "Such a view leaves us all with a giant hole in our collective view of life. Earthwatch fills that vacant space. Each person who gets to study whales becomes a voice for whales. Volunteers get the clarity of vision about what important service they can and must offer to secure the future of the rest of life on Earth."
About Earthwatch:
Earthwatch's mission is to engage people worldwide in scientific field research and education and promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. 2006 marks the 35th Anniversary of the unique global volunteer organization. http://www.earthwatch.org
About the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital http://www.dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org
About A Life Among Whales http://www.uncommonproductions.com/lifeamongwhales/
About Ocean Alliance and Whale Conservation Institute: http://www.oceanalliance.org
To hear whale song http://www.oceanalliance.org
To buy tickets including a special reception to meet Dr. Payne, events@earthwatch.org or call 800-776-0188 ext. 138. For tickets to film and forum only, contact National Geographic 202-857-7700 or http://www.nationalgeographic.com
About National Geographic Live!
For more than a century, National Geographic's public presentations have thrilled and educated audiences with tales of adventure and exploration. National Geographic Live features lectures, film screenings, and concerts at the Society's headquarters in Washington, D.C., and also in Chicago, Seattle, and Minneapolis.
Earthwatch Institute was awarded a Model Programs in Geography Education grant from the National Geographic Education Foundation to engage k-12 educators in field work with scientists on geography and conservation research.
