Whale Expert Dr. Roger Payne to Wrap Up PCI SNS Speaker Series, 4/18

Before "save-the-whales" became the battle cry of the conservation movement, a couple of guys dropped a microphone into the sea to record the underwater sounds of mammoth marine creatures. And what they heard was nothing short of amazing: singing whales. One of those now-esteemed scientists is Dr. Roger Payne.

Best known for his 1967 discovery (with Scott McVay) that humpback whales sing songs, Dr. Payne closes the 2013-2014 Park City Institute / Strategic News Service "Future in Review" Speaker Series on Friday, April 18. The evening, "Ocean, Whales, and People" takes place in the intimate Black Box Theater of Park City's Eccles Center at 7:30p.m. Tickets are $25.

Along with bringing the awe-inspiring whale songs to our ears, Payne has been at the forefront of the conservation movement for decades. This MacArthur genius - who shares his time between Vermont, Gloucester, Mass. (where his non-profit Ocean Alliance is based), and New Zealand - connects the dots between ocean health, whale health and human health.

"Dr. Payne is nothing short of a 'whale whisperer'" says PCI's executive director Teri Orr, "He has such extraordinary knowledge of the ocean and what we need to do to help protect it... and ourselves. This is the kind of talk that unveils just how closely connected we are to the oceans and the creatures that inhabit it. At the very least, after listening to his discoveries, each and every one of us will think twice about tossing chemicals down our sinks."

Dr. Payne has led more than 100 expeditions around the globe to study every large species of wild whale. He has also trained many of the current leaders in whale research; and his theory that fin and blue whales can be heard across oceans was recently confirmed by one of his students. He directs long-term research projects on the behavior of 1,300 individually known Argentine right whales as well as continued study of humpback whale songs. His recordings, articles, books and Emmy-nominated films have reached millions of listeners and readers via IMAX, National Geographic Magazine, PBS, and his books and recordings. His vast array of awards ranges from a knighthood in the Netherlands to the United Nations UNEP "Global 500."

Sharon Anderson Morris, Managing Director of SNS Programs and FiReFilms, will interview Dr. Payne. The evening concludes with a question and answer session with the audience.

PCI's new partnership with the innovative Strategic News Service allows the Park City, Utah-based, non-profit organization to introduce the community to some of the world's greatest minds and ideas. Dr. Roger Payne will conclude this season's series.

Park City Institute and Strategic News Service present Dr. Roger Payne on April 18 as part of the 2013-2014 Park City Institute / Strategic News Service "Future in Review" Speaker Series in the Black Box Theater of The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Center for the Performing Arts (1750 Kearns Blvd., Park City). The evening, "Oceans, Whales, and People," starts at 7:30 p.m. All tickets for this series are general admission: $25. Tickets and information are available at The Eccles Center box office, 435-655-3114 or www.ecclescenter.org.

Park City Institute is a non-profit organization, dedicated to bringing world-class performances and new ideas to the community. Since 1998, PCI has presented internationally renowned and cutting edge musicians, actors, authors, comedians, dancers, speakers and film at The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Center for the Performing Arts (a joint-use facility with the Park City School District). The organization will present its 11th season of headliner concerts at Deer Valley Resort in the summer of 2014. PCI is dedicated to introducing young people to the arts through free student outreach workshops, shows and demonstrations. They proudly launched the Mega Genius Supply Store and IQ HQ - an after school literacy program and very thinky retail store - in January 2010. And the organization continues to illuminate with TEDx events and Curiosities evenings.