Friday, March 09, 2007

Wilmington, N.C. - Famed international environmentalist and cave explorer Sam Meacham will visit Wilmington March 13-15 for a series of environmental education activities as a guest of the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Media are welcome to attend and cover the following events:

• Meacham will visit and interact with sixth grade students at Noble Middle School from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 14.

• Meacham will present as a guest lecturer in the Environmental Studies Speakers Series at UNCW at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 14 in Dobo Hall 134.

Meacham, a cave diver and researcher originally from Austin, Tex., has been exploring the underwater caverns of the Yucatan since 1995. Through his Nature Conservancy-funded expeditions in the Yucatan Peninsula, he has explored some of the largest underwater cave complexes in the world and studies the effects of coastal development and tourism on this subterranean ecosystem. Meacham's explorations have been chronicles in the New York Times and featured on the BBC, David Attenborough's Planet Earth and the Discovery Channel.

Media contacts:

James Rotenberg, assistant professor of environmental studies, 910.962.7259 or rotenbergj@uncw.edu

Dana Fischetti, manager of news and media services, 910.962.7259 or fischettid@uncw.edu