NEWS & EVENTS

TOMS RIVER — Philippe Cousteau, multiple Emmy-nominated TV host, producer, author, speaker and social entrepreneur, will speak at the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts on Thursday, May 19 at 6:30 p.m., part of the Ocean County College Foundation’s ongoing Blauvelt Speaker Series.

Inspired by the legacy of his grandfather, famed ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, Philippe Cousteau is well known for his efforts on behalf of global environmental issues. He is the founder of EarthEcho International, a leading environmental education organization, and co-founder of Voyacy Ventures, a consulting and media development company promoting best practices for social and environmental sustainability.

As the host and executive producer of the Emmy-nominated series Awesome Planet, now in its sixth season, Cousteau takes his audience on incredible journeys, exploring some of the most spectacular places found on Earth. Recently, Cousteau and his wife, Ashlan, traveled around the Caribbean to explore the legends of lost treasures in The Travel Channel’s series, Caribbean Pirate Treasure, winner of a Cynopsis Media Award for Best Adventure Reality Series. Philippe and Ashlan were also the co-hosts of Discovery’s Nuclear Sharks, as well as a three-part video series with Takepart.com, Treasures of the Terai, exploring tiger and rhino conservation in Nepal. As a special correspondent for CNN, Cousteau has hosted several award-winning shows, including the series Going Green, and the 8-part special, Expedition Sumatra.

Cousteau is the co-founder of SeaWeed Naturals, a first-of-its-kind wellness lifestyle brand that is creating products that bring customers the established benefits of the cannabis plant, combined with the countless powerful effects of marine botanicals like algae and seaweed. The brand is focused on using commerce to help build the emerging blue economy and set an example for how to create restorative businesses.

He holds an honorary doctorate in marine biology from the University of Plymouth in England, and has been a speaker at events for the United Nations, Harvard University, the University of Florida, the Society of Environmental Journalists, The Economist, and countless corporate events and global conferences. He has testified before Congress several times, and serves on the National Council of the World Wildlife Fund, the Board of Antarctica 2020, the Board of Directors of Green 2.0, and the Board of Advisors of the Environmental Media Association.

Cousteau is also the author of several award-winning books. His children’s book, Follow the Moon Home, has been chosen for the prestigious Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List. In addition, he has co-written Going Blue and Make a Splash, both of which have won multiple awards, including Learning Magazine’s 2011 Teachers’ Choice Award for the Family, a Gold Nautilus Award, and a 2010 ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Gold Award. His new book series, The Endangereds, with Harper Collins, launched in September of 2020, and his latest book, Oceans for Dummies, which he co-authored with his wife Ashlan, was released in February 2021.

The evening will include a 30-minute presentation, followed by a 30-minute Q&A session. Tickets for the in-person event are $15. A free virtual option is also available. For tickets and more information, please call 732-255-0500 or visit grunincenter.org.

The Blauvelt Speaker Series is funded in part by the generosity of the late Bradford Thomas & Eleanor G. Blauvelt and The Wintrode Family Foundation. This year’s 2021-2022 additional sponsors include Arlene and Frank Dupignac, Jr.; Helen M. Earles, Ph.D.; Judi and Stephan Leone; New Jersey Natural Gas; and Novins, York, Jacobus and Dooley.