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An unusual partnership has come together to help bring Crater Lake National Park to Portland. The Crater Lake National Park Trust, a nonprofit organization created to protect, promote and enhance Crater Lake National Park, has teamed with leading scientists from Oregon State University and Portland State University and leading sustainability firm Ecos Consulting to present "Secrets of Crater Lake," a free informational event that will be held January 14 on the PSU campus.

The Trust's Executive Director Jeff Allen explained that this event launches a new series of events. "Crater Lake can be a hard place for people to reach, so we are working to bring the park to the people and help Oregonians gain a deeper appreciation of America's deepest lake." Future events in 2009 are planned for Bend and Ashland.

Professor Scott Burns of Portland State University will focus on Crater Lake's geology and its creation, based on years of research and leading tours to the park. "Crater Lake was created by one of the largest and most unique geological events in the Earth's history," he notes. "We want more Oregonians to appreciate what a unique place Crater Lake truly is."

The second speaker, Professor Robert Collier of Oregon State University, has actually traveled to the bottom of Crater Lake in a research submarine. "We found things nobody expected, including a moss that may be thousands of years old," he explained. "There is still a surprising amount we do not know about Crater Lake."

Portland-based environmental firm Ecos is sponsoring this event. Dave Weigel, vice president of marketing at Ecos, notes that "Crater Lake holds the purest water on Earth, and a special place in the hearts of Oregonians. The more we understand its secrets, the better equipped we will be to protect it for future generations to enjoy." Additional funding for this event has been provided by the Jackson Foundation.

This free event will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 14, in the PSU Smith Memorial Student Union's Vanport Room, room 338 (1825 SW Broadway). Refreshments will be served.

The Crater Lake National Park Trust (www.craterlaketrust.org) is a nonprofit organization that works to help protect, promote and enhance Crater Lake National Park, its unique water purity and its value for human inspiration and knowledge.  

Ecos (www.ecosconsulting.com) delivers proven results for clients looking to reduce their energy use, manage their carbon emissions or make their operations more environmentally sustainable. With over a decade of experience designing innovative and cost-effective ways to leverage market-based mechanisms for the benefit of the planet, Ecos performs the research, develops the plans and implements the projects that make the most significant impact on the vitality of both its clients and the world. Ecos has offices in Portland, Oregon; San Francisco; Seattle; and Durango, Colorado.

 Portland State University (PSU) serves as a center of opportunity for more than 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Located in Portland, Oregon, one of the nation’s most livable cities, the University’s innovative approach to education combines academic rigor in the classroom with field-based experiences through internships and classroom projects with community partners. The University’s 49-acre downtown campus exhibits Portland State’s commitment to sustainability with green buildings, while many of the 125 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees incorporate sustainability into the curriculum. PSU’s motto, “Let Knowledge Serve the City,” inspires the teaching and research of an accomplished faculty whose work and students span the globe.