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TUTORS
Danny Akaka, 2016 , '17 ~  Hawaiian Culture
Kumu (teacher) and Hawaiian cultural practitioner, Danny Akaka, is the cultural advisor and historian at the Big Island’s Mauna Lani Bay Resort Hotel. As such, he serves as caretaker of the historic Kalahuipua'a Fishponds, considered the piko (navel) of the Big island’s five volcanoes. He has guided over 20,000 people on tours of Kalahuipua, educating them on the importance of the area and the Hawaiian culture.   KeOla Article

Matt Abbott - 2019 ~ Bay of Fundy: How it works, why it's important, and what marine treasures it has to offer. 
Matt is the Fundy Bay Keeper and Marine Conservation Director of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick. Part investigator, scientist, lawyer, advocate and educator, Matt’s top priority as Fundy Bay keeper is to make sure environmental laws are enforced.

Chief Hugh Akagi and Scoodic Band of the Passamaquoddy Nation - 2019  Retracing our Heritage
There are approximately 350 Passamaquoddy Native Americans living on both sides of the New Brunswick, Canada and Maine, USA border. The Scoodic Band of the Passamaquoddy Nation, headed by Chief Akagi, is in the St. Andrews region. Current tribal efforts involve researching the history and restoring and rebuilding their Native American heritage and culture. Chief Akagi and other tribal members will join us the week of IBC ’23 and share these efforts with participants along with ID information on tribal artifacts beachcombers may come across while exploring area shorelines. 

Julie Allinson, 2011, ‘13  ~  Miocene Fossils from Calvert Cliffs, MD.
Julie is long-time beachcomber and resident of Maryland’s Calvert Cliffs area, which is North America’s leading region for coastal Miocene-era fossils. She was formerly the Director of Development for The Academy of Natural Sciences Estuarine Research Center of Philadelphia where she created their marine education lecture and art series. 

Dr. Richard Ash, 2012   ~   British Mud-Larking
A geologist and planetary space scientist who is Laboratory Manager of the Plasma Mass Spectrometry Lab at the University of Maryland, Richard is an avid beachcomber and 'mudlarker' as the Brits (which he is) call it - turning up centuries-old treasure in the mucky shorelines of London's Thames River.


Mary Beth Beuke, 2015,  '16   ~  The Sea Glass Journey
A Pacific northwest native, Mary Beth is a well-known collector in the sea glass community. Owner of one of the world's most extensive sea glass collections, she has been featured on the Travel Channel, in National Geographic, in Smithsonian Magazine and several dozen other publications. She is a co-founder and former president of the North American Sea Glass Association (NASGA) and authored the Ultimate Guide to Sea Glass.

Gail Benjamin - 2019  ~ Coastal Conservation: Problems, Prospects & Eco- Products 
  The owner of Left Coast Sea Glass out of Pacific, CA., Gail is a sea glass jeweler, a coastal conservation advocate and a life-long Beachcomber. An environmental activist and self-styled ‘Eco-Nazi,’ Gail is an active member of the Pacific Beach Coalition, assisting in monitoring and cleaning 7 miles of shoreline. She also works to influence Pacifica City Council to ban single-use plastics and local restaurants to adopt eco-friendly ‘to go’ containers. 

Evan Breary, 2011, ’12, '18  ~   Beach Treasures of the Bahamas; Crystal Coast
An avid beachcomber who has spent years wandering shorelines from North Carolina south to the Bahamas, Evan specializes in collecting and “sourcing” post historic sea glass and pottery shards artifacts found on the Bahamian island of Eleuthera. 

Mike Callahan, 2011   ~   Beachcombing in Southern Maryland
A naturalist with a special interest in raptors, Mike is Vice President of the Southern Maryland Audubon Society and Chairman of the Raptor Conservation Committee. A consummate beachcomber and sea glass collector, he knows the best combing beaches throughout Southern Maryland's western shores.

Margaret Carruthers, 2009, ’10, ’12   ~   Everything You Want to Know About Beach Stones 
Margaret is a geologist whose work has taken her to many parts of North America and the Pacific and South Atlantic Ocean. As a scientist/STEM Education Specialist, she is an independent consultant who advises on and develops science-related materials. She has also authored seven science books and co-authored with Josie Iselin the book, Beach Stones. 

Dr. Curtis Ebbesmeyer, 2012   ~   Beach Flotsam and Wave Currents
Curt is one of the world’s leading flotsam specialists, tracking the oceanic movement of all kinds of trash including Nike shoes, rubber duckies, and 34,000 ice hockey gloves. Publisher of the magazine “Beachcombers' Alert” and author of Flotsametrics and the Floating World, Curt is currently using his expertise to track Japanese tsunami debris along PNW beaches. 

Pam George, 2010   ~   Shipwrecks of the Delaware Coast 
Pam is a Delaware-based freelance journalist specializing in maritime history whose work has appeared in Delaware Beach Life, Chesapeake Life, Baltimore magazine, Fortune and the Christian Science Monitor. She is the author of Tales of Pirates, Squalls & Treasure. 

Dave Grant, 2010   ~   Coastal Conservation Issues
Dave is the Director of the Ocean Institute at Sandy Hook, a New Jersey-based organization dedicated to ocean conservation education. Dave has been heavily involved in marine education for the last 30 years, employed as station biologist for the NJ Marine Sciences Consortium, a Director of Education for the Acadia institute of Oceanography and an Adjunct Professor, Rutgers University.

Dr. Gary Greenberg, 2016, '17  ~  Grains of Sand
Ted Talk speaker and author of the amazing book, A Grain of Sand – Nature’s Secret Wonder, a collection of microscopic photographs of sand grains from around the world, Gary has devoted his life to revealing the secret beauty of nature. Beginning his career as photographer and filmmaker, he worked on the first Superman film where he transformed human pancreatic cancer cells into the planet Krypton. After earning a Ph.D. in biomedical research, he went on to invent high-definition, three-dimensional light microscopes, for which he was issued eighteen US patents. His latest book is the newly released, The Secrets of Sand. To learn more, visit: sandgrains.com

Terri Kirby Hathaway,  2010, ’11, ’12, ’13, '18   ~   Marine Science and Beach Ecology Topics
Terri is the Marine Education Specialist for North Carolina’s Sea Grant Program, the publisher of the marine education newsletter, "Scotch Bonnet,” and an education associate with the Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence. For over 18 years, she served as the education curator for the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island. 

Josie Iselin, 2012, '19  ~   Seaweeds at the Shore
A photographer and author of eight books on forms in nature and, in particular, what we find at the beach, Josie’s mission is to produce enticing, original and well-designed books that combine art and science.  Her books include Beach Stones, Seashells, and Beach: a Book of Treasure. 

Gerhard Kuska, 2011   ~   Coastal Sustainability and Public Policy
Gerhard is CEO of Ocean Strategies, an ocean management-consulting firm providing strategic advice and services on ocean, coastal, and maritime issues. As the former Director of Ocean and Coastal Policy in the Executive Office of the President, he oversaw the implementation of the President’s Ocean Action Plan.  

Richard LaMotte, 2009, ’10, ’12   ~   Sea Glass Sources
Richard is a leading sea glass expert and at the forefront of sea-glass research. His award-winning book, Pure Sea Glass, serves as a master reference on sea glass collectors. He is co-founder and former President of the North American Sea Glass Association. 

Mary T. McCarthy, 2015, '19  ~ Beach Marbles
Mary is also a novelist and free-lance journalist who has published in the Washington Post, Philadelphia Inquirer and the Baltimore Sun. Currently she is a senior editor for the website, Splice. An avid beachcomber and sea glass collector from Maryland’s eastern shore region, her leading combing passion is beach marbles.

Nicola McFarlane, 2019   Beachcomb Treasures from the Kingdom of Fife, Scotland
A fervent beachcomber with an incredible collection of 19th c bottle stoppers, codd marbles & beach pottery, Edinburgh-born, Nicola is also a skilled driftwood artist who sells under the name, Beach Art. 

David Moore, 2018 Blackbeard and his Flagship
David is the Curator of Nautical Archaeology at the North Carolina Maritime Museum and directs the recording efforts on the excavation of Blackbeard’s flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge. He has been involved in maritime history and shipwreck research for over 35 years.

R. Barry Murray ~ St. Andrews History: 1750 to Present Day
Barry was born and raised in St. Andrews and is an avid beachcomber and local historian/storyteller. After receiving a Master’s in Education, he spent over 30 years working for the Canadian government. He has also lectured at several universities including Dalhousie University and the University of New Brunswick, and formerly served as Chairman of the Charlotte County Archives. Now retired, Barry enjoys sharing his knowledge of regional settlement history with others, particularly the period between 1750-1900, (which corresponds with many of the shoreline treasures found in the area)

Scott Nieman, 2010   ~   Fossil Hunting Tips, Calvert Cliffs
Scott works for Patuxent Naval Air Station and is a field specialist for Flag Pond Nature Center.   He collects fossils throughout the mid-Atlantic region, including along Calvert Cliffs, the Patuxent and Potomac Rivers, and throughout coastal Virginia. He lectures to fossil clubs throughout the east coast and has published papers on fossils by The Calvert Cliffs Marine Museum.  

Kalli Mackinsky Ostner
, 2013    ~   Beach Treasures of Puget Sound
Kalli is a native of Washington State’s Puget Sound region and a lifelong beachcomber. A passionate photographer, she specializes in wildlife photography, especially birds living along Puget Sound’s southern shores. 

Najeda (Jade) Patolo, 2011   ~    Beachcomber Beware: Biohazards of Shoreline Combing
Jade is an Associate Professor of Geography at Jacksonville State University in Alabama specializing in GIS, estuarine health and environmental hazards. Her research focuses on how climate variations affect the distribution of reported vibrio vulnificus infections and other health issues revolving around hazardous water-born bacteria.  

Ed Perry,  2012   ~   Drift Seeds (Sea Beans) on the Florida Coast
Ed, a park ranger at San Sebastian Inlet State Park, Fl., is a leading drift seed expert who co-authored the book, Sea Beans From the Tropics. He spearheads the International Sea Bean Symposium in Cocoa Beach and publishes the tri-yearly “Drifting Seed” newsletter, which reaches collectors across the world. 

Jake Rankin, 2015   ~   Beachcombing Northwest-Style:  Finding Agates, Jasper, Petrified Wood and Concretions
Born and raised in Oregon, Jack is a lapidary artist with over 20 years experience collecting and studying minerals from the Northwest and beyond. He is also an avid collector, and spends most of his time combing beaches and river ways for agates, jasper, petrified wood and concretions. He is a member of the lapidary group, NW Rockhounds, who bring the geology of the Northwest to your living room. To learn more John's finds, visit Agate Hunter on Facebook.

Ron Rees - 2019   ~ The Settlement History of the Pasmaquoddy Bay Region 
 Ron is a former professor of historical geography at the University of Saskatchewan who has written sixteen books, including New Brunswick: An Illustrated History and New Brunswick’s Early Roads: The Routes that Shaped the Province. A native of Wales, Ron has resided in St. Andrews for over 25 years and has become one of the towns resident historians.  

Dr. Deacon Ritterbush, 2009, ‘10, ‘12, '15, '18   ~  An Insider’s Tips, Techniques & Sourcing Productive Beachcomb Sites Across the Globe
Explorer, educator and author, Deacon has been at the forefront of the world of beachcombing for over two decades. Known as Dr. Beachcomb, she focuses on the scientific, historical, and healing aspects of beachcombing, and is also committed to encouraging earth-care and eco-stewardship through this hobby. Founder of the International Beachcombing Conference, which began in 2009, she is also the author of the award-winning book, Vol. 1: A Beachcomber’s Odyssey as well as upcoming Vol. 2 of the trilogy, Strands in the Sand.

Chuck & Debbie Robinson, 2009, ’10   ~   Shells of the Mid-Atlantic Coast
Chuck and Debbie grew up on the New Jersey shore and their love of beachcombing resulted in their first book, The Art of Shelling. The Robinson's have searched for seashells on beaches from Florida to Maine, in California, Oregon, Hawai’i, Canada and throughout the Caribbean. They lecture extensively across the eastern seaboard. 

Rick Rogers, 2016   ~   Shipwrecks of the Kona Coast
Captain Richard W. Rogers was born on the shores of the Mississippi River and learned to swim jumping from the paddle wheels of an old riverboat. He was a salvage diver in the US Army in Viet Nam, and continues to dive today on Spanish shipwrecks throughout the Eastern Pacific. 

Noni Sanford , 2016   ~   "Junk Beach" :  Kamilo Beach - the Dirtiest Beach in the World
Noni Sanford began visiting Kamilo Beach in the early 1960's when it was a lovely sweep of beach filled with glass fishing floats and logs. Twenty years later,  she discovered Kamilo was now known as “Junk Beach” and found it covered with plastic debris and fishing nets.  Around 2005, she took oceanographer, Curt Ebbesmeyer and Charles Moore to visit Kamilo, and subequently teamed up with Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund to do beach cleanups.  

Allison Schutes, 2012, ’13   ~   Coastal Conservation and the Plastics Problem
Allison is the Trash Free Seas Program Coordinator for the Ocean Conservancy.  Her  primary work is to engage the public on the issue of ocean trash, and prevention and removal strategies. She also spearheads the development of comprehensive and effective educational content to supplement the International Coastal Cleanup and Trash Free Seas Program. 

Genny Simard ~ Favorite Beachcomb Finds of the Passamaquoddy Bay Region
A consummate beachcomber, Genny originally hails from Montreal, but has resided in New Brunswick since 1998. She has worked as a biologist at the Fundy Discovery Aquarium and as a tour guide on whale and marine watch tours. Currently, through her company, Turtle Shore Adventures, Genny offers tours focusing on Passamaquoddy Bay’s fascinating local wildlife as well as human interest stories.

Jay Taylor, 2012   ~   English Sea Glass
A life long beachcomber, Jay is the General Manager of the University of Delaware’s Virden Retreat Center. He has been an avid collector of beach rocks since childhood, but in the last decade, his attention turned to sea glass, especially the exquisite English sea glass.   He has joined combing expeditions along England’s northeast coast and has become an avid and knowledgeable collector.

Frank Trusdell, 2016 , '17  ~   The Big Island's Volcanic Landscape
Volcanologist Frank Trusdell, of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, is responsible for the mapping/monitoring of Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, and advises residents on the hazards associated with the volcano. In addition, Frank is part of a USGS rapid response team that sends volcanologists to assist other locales when volcanic crises occur. 

Scott Williams, 2015  ~   Pacific Northwest Trade History and Shipwreck Artifacts 
A native of Hawaii, Scott is an archaeologist who is the Manager of the Cultural Resources Program at the Washington State Department of Transportation. He also serves as the Principal Investigator for the Beeswax Wreck Project, researching the location and identity of a 17th century Manila galleon wreck on on the Oregon coast.

Andrew Wilson, 2010  ~  Marine Mollusks
Andrew is a biologist and a licensed scuba diver who served on the stranding team of Virginia Marine Science Museum rescuing whales and injured marine animals, which eventually led to a position in the education department with the Museum. In 1995, Andrew founded the Under the Sea Program to promote awareness, stewardship and conservation of the aquatic environment.  

Bill Winkler, 2010   ~   Shipwreck Treasures Along the DelMarVa Shore
Bill Winkler is underwater maritime archaeologist specializing in shipwreck artifacts on Delaware beaches. He is founder of the Delaware Marine Archaeological Society (DMAS) and served as Project Manager for the DMAS  Beach Plum Island Project, the first maritime archaeological survey completed in Delaware. 

Dr. Blair Witherington, 2012, ’13   ~   Beachcombing in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas 
Blair is a research scientist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and an adjunct professor in the Department of Zoology, University of Florida. He served as President of the 20th International Turtle Symposium.  He and his wife, Dawn, authored Florida’s Living Beaches and Living Beaches of Georgia and the Carolinas. 

Gene Woodwick, 2015, '17 ~ Beach Treasures of Damon Point:  The Role of the Davidson Current, the Columbia River and the Salish Sea
Gene Woodwick is a local journalist and founder of the Coastal Interpretive Center in Ocean Shores. A leading historian on Washington’s central coast, she is a former board member for the Washington Museum Association, Polson Museum, and Aberdeen Museum of History. Founder and currently the exhibits curator at the Ocean Shores Interpretive Center, she is the author of Ocean Shores and co-authored with Brian Woodrick Logging in Grays Harbor. 

Larry Workman, 2015  The Quinault Nation of the Olympic Peninsula
Originally from Indiana, Larry was a Peace Corp Volunteer in Ethiopia prior to moving to the Olympic Peninsula. A long-time employee of the Quinault Indian Nation (QIN), Larry helped plant the roots for a forestry program and produced publications related to natural resources. Currently he manages the QIN Centralized Communications Program and is an avid photographer of the Olympic peninsula and Quinault nation. 

Ben Wunderly, 2018 ~  Outer Banks Settlement / Geographical Patterns
Ben is knowledgeable about the interconnectedness between humans and the coastal environment of eastern North Carolina. He has spent the last 20 years working at educational centers affiliated with North Carolina's Department of Natural and Cultural Resources including Hammocks Beach State Park, the Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores and the Maritime Museum in Beaufort, NC.

Gary Young ~ A Local Beachcomber’s Show-n-Tell
A lifelong beachcomber and native of Deer Island, New Brunswick, (Gary’s family have been Deer Islanders for so long he can’t recall how many generations back!) Gary has amassed an enviable collection of sea glass shard, antique bottle stoppers and bottles, and regional artifacts that are unsurpassed. IBC’23 participants will be able to see his collection firsthand and listen to his beachcomb stories.


PANELS

 - The Impact of Sea Level Rise On Beachcombing, 2009

Dr. Drew Ferrier   Drew is a Professor of Biology and Director of Coastal Studies Program for Hood College, co-founder of the Society for Ocean Sciences, which co-sponsored the first International Beachcombing Conference. 

David Harp
David is a Maryland-based nature photographer and author of The Nanticoke,  who collaborates occasionally with Tom Horton on pictorial essays focusing on nature, beach life and Maryland ecology.

Tom Horton  
A prolific environmental author, Tom has been a reporter for the Baltimore Sun and a professor at Salisbury University. But he is best known for his award-winning books, including An Island Out of Time, documenting the way of life on Smith Islanders. 

 - Writing, Preparing, Publishing & Distributing Coastal Books, 2012
Curt Ebbesmeyer, Richard LaMotte, Deacon Ritterbush, Ed Perry   (see bios above)


CONFERENCE DETAILS
IBC ARCHIVES

Listen to Hawaii Public Radio Interview with Deacon Ritterbush
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