Joshua Roark

Program Title:

The journey through the jungles of Mexico to drop some of deepest sinkholes. 

Description:
One man’s story of his challenging adventure with a team of cavers who trekked through the jungles of Mexico in 2001, 2003 and 2007 to drop some of the deepest sinkholes in Central Mexico. Joshua will show a video and display the gear used in this exigent journey.

Biography:

Joshua is director of Biotechnology and is an Environmental Scientist at Patterson Career Center in Dayton, Ohio.  He graduated from Wright State University with a concentration in Molecular Biology (DNA profiling) and Physical Anthropology (skeletons).  He is an avid horizontal and vertical caver who has been caving for the past eleven years.  He first got into horizontal caving by doing Archaeological work in caves and then progressed into vertical caving back in the 90’s.  Joshua has pushed the depths of sinkholes by dropping some of the deepest holes in Central America and North America. He was a member of an expedition team back in 2004 to climb and rappel El Capitan (2.650 feet) in Yosemite National Park, California.  In 2001, 2003 and 2007 his team journeyed into the jungles of Central Mexico to drop some of the deepest sinkholes.  He is a member of the National Speleological Society, Dayton Underground Grotto, Miami Valley Astronomy Chapter, National Science Teacher Association, and the Ohio Academy of Science.