From Manatees to Polar Bears: An Evening With Photographer Wayne Lynch

Sea to Shore Alliance (Sea2Shore), a Florida-based non-profit that works to protect manatees, right whales, and sea turtles will hold its first-ever ticketed fundraising event on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota, 3975 Fruitville Road. The event, “From Manatees to Polar Bears: An Evening With Photographer Wayne Lynch,” will be a stunning presentation and discussion of Arctic photography by world-renowned wildlife photographer Dr. Wayne Lynch. The evening will begin at 7 p.m. in the Lexow Wing with a reception featuring a silent auction, a mouth-watering assortment of decadent desserts, wine, and, of course, Dr. Lynch himself! The photo presentation and discussion will begin at 8:30 p.m. in the sanctuary. Tickets are $35 each and available from Sea2Shore; call (727) 954-3390 or email events@Sea2Shore.org. All proceeds from this event will benefit Sea2Shore’s environmental conservation programs; Dr. Lynch is donating his time to this event.

The silent auction will feature a wide variety of unique items and hands-on experiences for the adventurous. Just a small sampling of auction items includes the opportunity to join Sea2Shore’s biologists for a day in the field tracking and photographing manatees; a cozy weeklong stay at a private beach house on Anna Maria Island, and an original painting by Sarasota-based artist Jean Blackburn. There will also be a raffle for two round-trip tickets on Southwest Airlines, valued at $800. A complete list of auction items may be viewed on Sea2Shore’s web site: www.Sea2Shore.org/Events.

Noted scientist and Sea2Shore executive director Dr. James "Buddy" Powell, who is currently co-authoring a book about manatees with Dr. Lynch, calls Lynch's world class multi-media presentations "eye-opening and not to be missed."  

Dr. Lynch is a popular guest lecturer and an award-winning science writer. His books cover a wide range of subjects, including: the biology and behavior of owls, penguins and northern bears; arctic, boreal and grassland ecology; and the lives of prairie birds and mountain wildlife. He is a fellow of the internationally recognized Explorers Club - a select group of scientists, eminent explorers and distinguished persons, noteworthy for their contributions to world knowledge and exploration. For nearly 30 years, Dr. Lynch, a former emergency room physician, and his wife, Aubrey Lang, have worked together as freelance science writers and wildlife photographers, exploring the great wilderness areas of the world - tropical rainforests, remote islands in the Arctic and Antarctic, deserts, mountains, prairies and African plains.

Sea to Shore Alliance (Sea2Shore) is a 501(c)(3) that through research, education, and conservation, works to improve the health and productivity of coastal environments for the endangered species and human livelihoods that depend on them. Based in Sarasota, Fla., Sea2Shore was founded in 2008 as a partnership of scientists and citizen volunteers with the expertise, passion, and vision to help reverse the degradation of our aquatic coastal environment and loss of species diversity. Sea2Shore is mission focused with five full-time biologists working on issues ranging from the disappearance of manatees’ warm water sanctuaries to beach illumination hotspots that imperil hatching sea turtles. For more information about Sea2Shore, visit www.Sea2Shore.org.