BINGHAMTON, NY – The Binghamton University Speech and Debate Team will host Captain Paul Watson, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society founder and environmental activist, at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 10, in the Grand Ballroom of the DoubleTree Hotel, 225 Water St., Binghamton. The event will include a public debate, a speech by Watson and a Q&A with the audience.

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) is an international, non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization founded by Watson in 1977. Its mission, according to seashepherd.org, is to "end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world's oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species." Animal Planet’s television series "Whale Wars" follows SSCS and Watson as they attempt to defend whales from the Japanese whaling trade.

Watson has been involved with numerous other activism efforts including serving as a co-founder of the Greenpeace Foundation in 1972, a field correspondent for Defenders of Wildlife from 1976-1980, a field representative for the Fund for Animals from 1978-1981, and a representative for the Royal Society for the Protection of Animals in 1979. Additionally, Watson co-founded the Earthforce Environmental Society in 1977, and Friends of the Wolf in 1984.

Watson has received many prominent awards and recognition including the Daily Points of Light Award in 1999 from President George H.W. Bush for his volunteer efforts with conservation activism. In 2000, Time named Watson one of the environmental heroes of the 20th century.

The event is free and open to the public, with a $20 suggested donation. Pre-registration is required at http://speechdebate.binghamton.edu/. This event is sponsored by the Binghamton University Speech and Debate Team, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, the Institute for Critical Animal Studies and PeTA2, an animal rights group.

The Binghamton University Speech and Debate Team was founded in 1955 as part of Harpur College, and transformed into a Student Association organization in 1987. The team is comprised of a policy debate portion and a speech portion that compete in individual events. To learn more about the Binghamton Speech and Debate Team, visit: https://www.facebook.com/BinghamtonSpeechandDebateTeam.