Conservationist and sea turtle expert Wallace
J. Nichols will present Duke University’s Earth Day keynote speech at
6 p.m. Tuesday, April 22, in Von Canon C at the Bryan Student Center.

Nichols’ talk is free and open to the public; an eco-reception will
follow.

An internationally recognized expert on marine conservation, Nichols
is senior research scientist at the nonprofit Ocean Conservancy and
was among the experts interviewed in Leonardo DiCaprio’s 2007 global
warming documentary, “The 11th Hour.” He received a master’s degree in
environmental management in 1992 from Duke’s Nicholas School of the
Environment and Earth Sciences.

A central focus of Nichols’ work has been forging alliances between
former environmental adversaries. He works with conservationists,
commercial fishermen, landowners, coastal communities and researchers
worldwide to advance ocean protection. Nichols also spearheads Ocean
Revolution, an outreach program designed to inspire and mentor the
next generation of ocean conservationists.

In 1998, he founded the Grupo Tortuguero, an international grassroots
movement dedicated to protecting endangered Pacific sea turtles and
promoting sustainable practices by commercial fisheries. In 1999, he
co-founded WILDCOAST, a global conservation network that works to
preserve coastal wildernesses.

Nichols is a principal investigator on Project GLOBAL, an
international study of fisheries bycatch -- the unintended capture of
species in fishing gear -- being conducted by the Duke University
Marine Lab and the Blue Ocean Institute.

The Bryan Center is located on Duke’s West Campus. Parking is
available at the adjacent Bryan parking garage.

For more information about Earth Month activities at Duke, visit
http://www.duke.edu/sustainability/earth_month08.html