As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to keep people distanced and home, two Upper Keys museums are continuing to provide the public with educational virtual lectures.
HISTORY OF DIVING MUSEUM
Sink your teeth into the History of Diving Museums’ virtual “Immerse Yourself” presentation series, this one regarding the Alaskan salmon sharks on Wednesday, April 15 at 7 p.m. The salmon shark is a cold-water cousin to the great white shark capable of reaching speeds of 55 mph. Until 2009, very few people had even heard of this species, and only a handful had ever been in the water with them.
Andy Dehart, vice president of animal husbandry and marine conservation at Frost Science, was part of a team that traveled to a remote part of Alaska to see if they could interact with this species in the water to eventually film them for “Shark Week.” Hear the adventure filled story of how this shark finally made its “Shark Week” debut and is now helping to drive eco-tourism in Prince William Sound, Alaska.
Dehart has more than 25 years of experience in animal husbandry at several major public aquariums throughout North America. Dehart’s knowledge of sharks has led him to serve as shark advisor for Discovery Channel. He’s also has made a number of high-profile media appearances, including The Today Show, The Early Show, NBC Nightly News, Larry King Live, Fox News, USA Today, The O’Reilly Factor and The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer. He has been featured in seven “Shark Week” productions for Discovery Channel.
The museum and Dehart will be co-hosting the presentation live through a private Zoom meeting. If you are interested in joining the virtual presentation, email Community Outreach Coordinator Emily Kovacs at programs@divingmuseum.org or call the museum at 305-664-9737 to receive the Zoom Meeting number and password. “Spaces” will be limite. The presentation will be available on the museum’s YouTube page: www.youtube.com/user/TheDivingmuseum
The History of Diving Museum thanks April’s sponsor, the Florida Department of State Division of Cultural Affairs’ Culture Builds Florida campaign. This campaign’s goal is to increase the public’s awareness of the benefits of arts and culture to Florida. The presentation is also sponsored by museum members, Patti and David Gross, who continue to support the museum’s mission of man’s quest to explore under the sea.
KEYS HISTORY & DISCOVERY CENTER
Join the Keys History & Discovery Center for a live virtual webinar presented by professor and author, John Capouya, on Wednesday, April 15 at 6 p.m.
When people think about the origins of soul music, what comes to mind is often Detroit, home to Motown; Memphis, home to Stax Records and Otis Reading; or New Orleans, which has a rich rhythm and blues history. But Florida has a spectacular soul music heritage — one that’s been overlooked. The great soul duo in Sam and Dave came out of Miami. Ray Charles became a musician here, and many other hit-making musicians of the 1960s and 70s have Florida roots.
Join Capouya, University of Tampa professor and author of Florida Soul, as he plays classic R & B, shows vintage photos and shares his research into this important musical legacy and shows that Florida made valuable contributions to soul, on par with notable soul capitals Memphis, Detroit, Chicago and Philadelphia.
Registration to participate in the live webinar is required. If more than one person plans to watch together on a single device, only one registration is needed. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. It’s recommended that people join the webinar five to 10 minutes prior to the start of the presentation.
A recording of the lecture will be available for viewing on the Florida Keys History & Discovery Center’s Facebook page and YouTube channel on Friday, April 17.
