(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- The Ocean County College Foundation is proud to present A Conversation with Basil Camu on Tuesday, October 28, 2025 on the Main Stage (Building 11A), as part of the Blauvelt Speaker Series. This special event will feature Basil Camu, a nationally recognized environmental advocate, author, and co-founder of Leaf & Limb and Project Pando. The event begins at 11:0am.
Basil Camu is a self-described “lucky guy” who has built a life around caring for trees, soil, and flowers. As a Treecologist, ISA Board Certified Master Arborist, and Duke University graduate, Camu brings a unique blend of science, passion, and purpose to his work. He is also the author of “From Wasteland to Wonder: Easy Ways We Can Help Heal Earth in the Sub/Urban Landscape.”
Camu’s work has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Gardenista, The Joe Gardener Show, and other prominent media outlets. Through his nonprofit, Project Pando, he is on a mission to reconnect people with nature and inspire environmental stewardship in communities across the country.
This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear Basil’s story, learn about his innovative environmental work, and discover practical ways to make a positive impact in their own communities. A lifestream of the event is available as well.
For tickets and more information, please 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 additional sponsors for 2025-2026 include The Law Firm of Carluccio, Leone, Dimon, Doyle, Gutman & Petro, LLC, Arlene and Frank Dupignac, Jr., Leone & Daughters Realty Management Corp., Kean Ocean, The Matus Law Group, New Jersey Natural Gas, Novins, York, Jacobus & Dooley, P.A., Ocean County Vocational Technical School, Rotem Dental Care and Stella and Marshall Kern.
Since 1965, the OCC Foundation has proudly served the Ocean County College community, awarding over $22.5 million in scholarships and special program funding for deserving students. The generosity of their donors continues to make a lasting impact, supporting initiatives like the Helping Hands Food Pantry, the Blauvelt Speaker Series, the Grunin Center for the Arts, the Global Travel Experience, the Veteran and Military Resource Center (VMRC), the Robert J. Novins Planetarium, Viking Athletics, and many more college and student-led initiatives.
