Polar Explorer Eric Larsen to Give Presentation at Lutcher Theater,
July 24, 2009
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Michael Hoke, Managing Director
409.670.9113
Polar Explorer Eric Larsen to Give Presentation at Lutcher Theater
ORANGE, Texas, July 20, 2009 – Acclaimed polar explorer Eric Larsen will visit the Lutcher Theater Tuesday, August 11 at 7:00 p.m. to give a free presentation on his experiences trekking the world’s harshest environments and what those trips have taught him about global warming.
In 2006 Larsen and his partner Lonnie Dupre became the first explorers to reach the North Pole during the summer, hoping to learn more about the recent decline of polar ice and bring attention to global warming. Through a combination of kayaking, skiing and snowshoeing, Larsen and Dupre reached the North Pole and teamed with scientists from the University of Washington to measure sea ice changes and composition, shedding new light on the current plight of the Arctic Circle and its inhabitants. He is currently working on his “One World Expedition,” during which he hopes to become the first person to visit the world’s three “poles” (North Pole, South Pole, and Mount Everest) in a consecutive 365-day period.
Larsen’s energetic presentation covers the rigors associated with polar expeditions and the teamwork required to persevere in such trying conditions, and the captivating videos and photographs from his explorations offer a fresh new perspective on the familiar topic of climate change.
At just 38 years of age, Eric Larsen is an experienced public speaker and educator, and he has spent the last 12 years of his life adventuring in some of the harshest and most remote places on Earth. Larsen’s list of talents includes explorer, dog musher, adventure racer and educator, and he has traveled enough wilderness to circle the globe nearly two and-a-half times. Only the third American to reach both poles, Larsen spends most of his time in Grand Marais, Minnesota, when he isn’t training for explorations or traveling on adventures and speaking tours.
“I would HIGHLY recommend [Larsen’s talk] to anyone. The content of the program is unique in its capacity to draw in the audience due to the unique nature of the expedition and the alien landscape it covered. On top of that, Eric’s delivery was phenomenal. He delivered a polished presentation that was educational, inspiring, humorous, and contained a strong dose of the courage and conviction that addressing climate change will require.” – University of New Hampshire
The Lutcher Theater is located at 707 West Main Avenue, Orange, Texas. This event is made possible by the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation. For more information visit
www.shangrilagardens.org or call 409.670.9113.
About Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center
Nestled within 252 acres in the heart of Orange, Texas, Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center is a program of the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation, a private foundation whose mission is to improve and enrich the quality of life in Southeast Texas and encourage and assist education. The unique ecosystem of Shangri La presents an ideal opportunity to further that mission as well as carry on the vision of H.J Lutcher Stark, the man who originally developed the gardens more than 60 years ago.
The formal Botanical Gardens contain more than 300 plant species in five formal "rooms" as well as four sculpture "rooms" plus thousands of nesting birds in Ruby Lake. The Nature Center includes Adams Bayou boat excursions to educational outposts, a 15-acre Beaver Pond, a state-of-the-art bird blind, a bat house, and more up-close encounters with nature.
Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center is the first project in Texas and the 50th project in the world to earn the U.S. Green Building Council's Platinum Certification for LEED®-NC, which verifies that the design and construction of Shangri La reached the highest green building and performance measures. Shangri La offers a glimpse of how people can live in harmony with nature, as it strives in its mission to Mentor Children of All Ages to Be Kind to Their World.
Additional programs of the Stark Foundation are the Stark Museum of Art, The W.H. Stark House and the Frances Ann Lutcher Theater for the Performing Arts.
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