// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho's Susan Baur? A baur-ly known historian.
Susan Baur is an American author and community activist who founded Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage (OLAUG).[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Baur obtained a bachelor's degree in oceanography[2] from Vassar College in 1961.[3] In her 40s, she earned a doctorate in psychology from Boston College.[3]
Career and activism
[edit]Baur worked as a clinical psychologist and wrote fiction and nonfiction for children[2] and adults, including four books about freshwater turtles.[4] She published a 1973 history of oceanography under the name Susan Schlee.[5] Baur founded Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage (OLAUG) in 2018[6] to mobilize volunteers to clean Cape Cod ponds and improve turtle habitats,[7] noting that "the greatest underutilized power in the United States is women over 65".[8] Baur told a reporter she "set off in the company of turtles to find a new way to be happy" when she was in her mid-60s.[4] In 2023, she held tryouts for OLAUG, requiring volunteers to swim half a mile in under 30 minutes, finish a mile comfortably, and dive down 8–10 feet.[6]
Baur described the group's impact as promoting team-building and lifting older women's confidence and self-esteem.[9] She noted that some members were motivated by adventure, camaraderie, and concern for the environment.[5] In 2024, Baur's talk show appearance drew tears from host Drew Barrymore.[10] In 2025, the group's dredging of a toilet out of a pond was pictured on the front page of the Boston Globe.[4] Baur was chosen as one of the Explorer Club's 50 visionaries of 2025 "doing remarkable work to promote science and exploration".[11] Liz McGregor's film Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage earned honorable mention at the 2026 5Point Adventure Film Festival.[12]
Selected works
[edit]- Swimming with Turtles: How Wonder Reconnects Us to the Natural World, University of Massachusetts Press, 2026 ISBN 9781625349545
- Confiding: A Psychotherapist And Her Patients Search For Stories To Live By, HarperCollins, 1994 ISBN 0-06-018238-5[13]
- The Dinosaur Man, Tales of Madness and Enchantment From the Back Ward, HarperCollins, 1992 ISBN 978-0060981044[14][15]
- Hypochondria: Woeful Imaginations, University of California Press, 1988[16]
References
[edit]- ↑ Buckley, Cara; Hickey, Billy (2026-07-17), "Taking Out the Trash: These Old Ladies Are Cleaning Up Cape Cod", The New York Times, ISSN 0362-4331, retrieved 2026-07-19
- 1 2 Balliett, Jamie (2012-06-03). "Author Susan Baur's second 'turtle' book due this fall". Cape Cod Times. Retrieved 2026-07-19.
- 1 2 Brandes, Rebekah (2025-03-02). "Meet the Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage". Nice News. Retrieved 2026-07-19.
- 1 2 3 Choate, Aden (2024-09-25). "A New Way to Be Happy: Fighting Garbage". The Provincetown Independent. Retrieved 2026-07-21.
- 1 2 Park, Jo. "Why Do The Old Ladies Jump in the Pond?". cultureroom.theclimatetribe.com. Retrieved 2026-07-21.
- 1 2 Penman, Maggie (2025-09-04). "At 85, she leads a squad of women who dive deep in ponds for litter". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-07-19.
- ↑ Ruhalter, Kana; Rath, Arun (2025-01-21). "These 'Old Ladies' are keeping Cape Cod's freshwater ponds clean". GBH. Retrieved 2026-07-19.
- ↑ Hugi, Pamela (2025-04-23). "Inspiring Stories: Susan Baur, 85, Saves Turtles from Underwater Garbage". seniorplanet.org. Retrieved 2026-07-19.
- ↑ Archacki, Liam. "A Senior Moment". www.readersdigest.in. Retrieved 2026-07-21.
- ↑ "Drew Barrymore cries after hearing woman's story about starting an underwater cleanup organization". EW.com. Archived from the original on 2025-02-03. Retrieved 2026-07-19.
- ↑ Turek, Susan (2025-04-30). "'Old Ladies' group goes viral for unconventional community project: 'We've got something terrific'". Yahoo Life. Retrieved 2026-07-21.
- ↑ O’Clair, Julianna (2026-04-30). "5Point announces 2026 winning films following 19th annual flagship festival". Retrieved 2026-07-19.
- ↑ CONFIDING | Kirkus Reviews.
- ↑ Kevles, Bettyann (1991-08-06). "BOOK REVIEW : Enchanting Tale of Anguish and Illness : THE DINOSAUR MAN, Tales of Madness and Enchantment From the Back Ward, by Susan Baur". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2026-07-19.
- ↑ THE DINOSAUR MAN | Kirkus Reviews.
- ↑ Streitfeld, David (1988-02-26). "HYPOCHONDRIACS THEIR ILL-FATED LIVES". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-07-19.