Dale Gardner worked 25 years for the Alaska Dept. of Environmental Conservation in the Division of Spill Prevention and Response. He was integrally involved in DEC’s oversight of significant spills beginning with the Exxon-Valdez, creation of the state’s first comprehensive oil spill and hazardous substance response plans, and development of protection strategies for sensitive habitats—which gave him the much-appreciated chance to do field work in remote regions of the state. Since his retirement in 2014, travel adventures and volunteer work have included two stints working with refugees on the Greek Isle of Samos, home of Pythagoras and Epicurus