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| AGRA, INDIA, 1983. Traveling by rail across the Indian subcontinent. Photograph by Steve McCurry |
National Geographic explores the world around us
Behind every great National Geographic story there's a great storyteller—the writers, photographers and explorers who bring the world home for readers and viewers. The David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa will soon play host to four of National Geographic's renowned journalists, who will share their stories, images and travels.
- Steve McCurry, Photographer
- Wade Davis, Cultural Anthropologist
- Paul Nicklen, Photographer/Biologist
- Mireya Mayor, Primatologist
- Experience National Geographic Live
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| AGRA, INDIA, 1983. Traveling by rail across the Indian subcontinent. Photo by Steve McCurry |
MARCH 29: FACE TO FACE
Steve McCurry is renowned for his evocative and moving photographs of Asia and its people. His career reached a turning point in the 1980s when, disguised in native garb, he crossed into Afghanistan after the Soviet invasion of that country. In 1984, while visiting an Afghan refugee camp in Pakistan, he took his famous "Afghan girl" photograph, which became a National Geographic magazine icon after it was published on the cover of the June 1985 issue. Eighteen years later, after the fall of the Taliban, an extensive search effort located the previously anonymous refugee, Sharbat Gula. McCurry has covered numerous conflicts around the globe, plus Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Tibet and its people, 9/11, and Afghanistan. His work is driven by an innate sense of wonder and curiosity about the world and its people, aided by his uncanny ability to cut across boundaries of race, religion, language and culture to capture the human experience.
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| AMAZON, 1977. Amazonian child. Photo by Wade Davis |
Wade Davis, Cultural Anthropologist
FEBRUARY 22: WHY ANCIENT WISDOM MATTERS IN A MODERN WORLD
Wade Davis is an Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society. As an ethnographer, writer, photographer and filmmaker, his work has taken him from the Amazon to Tibet, from the Arctic to Africa, from Australia to Mongolia, and from Polynesia to New Guinea, living for extended periods among indigenous communities. Davis is the author of 13 books, including The Serpent and the Rainbow, One River, The Clouded Leopard and The Lost Amazon. His books have been translated into 14 languages.
Among his many film credits is Light at the Edge of the World, a documentary series. In 2009, Davis received the Gold Medal from the Royal Canadian Geographical Society for his contributions to the fields of anthropology, and for his work in raising public concern about the plight of indigenous peoples around the world.
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| CHURCHILL, MANITOBA, CANADA. Polar bear and her cub resting at twilight. Photo by Paul Nicklen |
Paul Nicklen, Photographer/Biologist
JANUARY 25: POLAR OBSESSION
Whether he is ice diving among leopard seals in Antarctica, covering hundreds of miles of terrain in -40F temperatures, or mastering aerial shots from his ultralight plane, photojournalist Paul Nicklen has specialized in documenting the wilds of the Arctic for the past 15 years. Growing up in a small Inuit community in Canada's Arctic gave Nicklen unique and personal insight into this remote region. He has published 10 stories for National Geographic magazine, and his latest book, Polar Obsession, is already in its third printing. He has received more than 20 international awards.
Nicklen's encounter with one of Antarctica's most-feared predators, an enormous leopard seal, became a YouTube sensation, surpassing 2 million views. Appearances on television shows such as Jeopardy and ABC's World News have thrust him into the popular culture spotlight.
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| MADAGASCAR. Mireya Mayor with a mouse lemur. Photo by Mark Thiessen |
APRIL 19: MY WILD LIFE
A two-time Emmy Award-nominated field correspondent for the National Geographic Channel, Mireya Mayor currently hosts Wild Nights on National Geographic Wild. She has reported to audiences worldwide on critical wildlife and habitat issues. Closest to her heart is her study of a newfound species of Microcebus, or mouse lemur, which she discovered on a 2000 field expedition in Madagascar. Mayor's work with this rare primate inspired the prime minister of Madagascar to establish a national park to help protect the new species, conserving the 10 percent that remains of the African island nation's once vast forest. She recently earned her Ph.D. while conducting research on the effects of forest fragmentation and isolation on two types of lemurs found only in northern Madagascar. When not deep in the jungle or on assignment, Mayor, a National Geographic Emerging Explorer, will speak about the importance of conservation for a vigorous and healthy planet.
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Only $165 per person*
- Jan. 25
- Feb. 22
- March 29
- April 19
Package available for all four series events. Book today at your local AAA office or call 1-888-984-4222. Space is limited!
Experience Includes:
- 1 night at the Sheraton Riverwalk Hotel Tampa
- Entrance to National Geographic lecture of your choice
- Private pre-lecture dinner at the Straz Center
- Meet & greet with the speaker
- Full breakfast at the hotel
* Based on double occupancy and subject to availability.