National Geographic Announces 2012 Travelers of the Year

WASHINGTON (Nov. 26, 2012)—National Geographic Traveler magazine today announces its new Travelers of the Year initiative. The honorees for 2012 are boundary breakers, who explore the world with passion and purpose, inspiring others to expand their horizons, ask big questions and seek new answers. The Travelers of the Year are featured in the December 2012/January 2013 issue of National Geographic Traveler magazine and online at http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/travelers-of-the-year/.

This year’s honorees include a high school librarian and a Maasai warrior who teamed up to bring the Serengeti to schoolchildren in Denver; a modern nomad who is documenting the oral histories of everyday Americans; a 29-year-old grad student who has established the Bread Houses Network in 12 countries, where people from all cultures and walks of life can bake bread together, share stories and form friendships; and a 15-year-old online travel host who scripts and stars in a video series that reveals the world through the eyes and experiences of young people.

The 2012 Travelers of the Year are:

Paula Busey and Samwel Melami Langidare Mollel, who teamed up to bring the Maasai culture to kids in Colorado;Heather Greenwood Davis; husband, Ishmael; and sons, Ethan, 10, and Cameron, 8, who chronicled their yearlong, round-the-world adventure on globetrottingmama.com;Diana Gross, a teacher whose globe-spanning goal is to digitally connect students and teachers by bringing technical education and video training to underserved communities;Theron Humphrey, who took a year to see America and record the story of one person on film and video every day;Mary Jean Jecklin and Kelley Rea, who, through their website PACforkids.com, help travelers to developing countries identify how, why, where and what to give to needy children living there;Booker Mitchell, a Manhattan high-schooler who brings off-the-rails adventures to a new generation;Robert Pennicott, who led the first-ever circumnavigation of Australia by rubber dinghy to raise funds for conservation and polio eradication;Amy Russell, who is walking the length of Africa to raise funds for clean water;Nadezhda Savova, who bakes up cross-cultural connections;Linda Yuen, an 85-year-old who travels the world, continually seeking new destinations and experiences.

“We sifted through hundreds of nominations to pick world-shaking people on innovative missions,” said George Stone, contributing editor of National Geographic Traveler. “Each of these dedicated voluntourists, green-minded adventurers and culture-embracing pilgrims reminds us that we have the power to reach beyond the bubble of our daily lives, learn from locals in far-flung places and make a difference both around the world and in our own neighborhoods.”

To learn more about each Traveler of the Year through photos and interviews, go to http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/travelers-of-the-year/, or check out the December 2012/January 2013 issue of National Geographic Traveler magazine, on newsstands Tuesday, Dec. 4.

About National Geographic Traveler Magazine

National Geographic Traveler: Nobody Knows This World Better. National Geographic Traveler is the world’s most widely read travel magazine. Published eight times a year, Traveler is available by subscription, on newsstands in the United States and Canada and digitally for tablets like the iPad (on Zinio) and Nook (at BN.com). Its website (www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler) offers inspiring and authoritative digital content including trip ideas, photo galleries and blogs. It also houses travel apps, including 50 Places of a Lifetime that showcases the world’s greatest destinations handpicked by National Geographic’s family of globe-trotting contributors, and the award-winning National Parks app, filled with stunning pictures, maps and tips to explore America’s national parks.

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National Geographic Announces Nominees and Start of Online Voting For People’s Choice Adventurer of the Year

WASHINGTON (Nov. 1, 2012)—National Geographic announced today the start of online voting for its annual People’s Choice Adventurer of the Year contest. The nominees for 2013 are 10 adventure innovators whose extraordinary achievement in exploration, conservation, humanitarianism and adventure sports have distinguished them in the past year. Fans can go to http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/adventurers-of-the-year/2013/ to vote every day for their favorite nominee. The adventurer with the most votes on Jan. 16, 2013, will be the 2013 People’s Choice Adventurer of the Year.

This year’s nominees include a surfer who rides giant waves; a skier who landed the first sit-ski backflip; a mountain biker who pedaled across cultural boundaries; and a BASE jumper who jumped from space. The 10 nominees are:

Felix Baumgartner — Austrian BASE jumperJosh Dueck — Canadian skierSteve Fisher — South African kayakerShannon Galpin — American humanitarianLizzy Hawker — British ultrarunnerJeremy Jones — American snowboarderDavid Lama — Austrian climberMike Libecki — American explorerRamon Navarro — Chilean surferRenan Ozturk — American artist

“This is the eighth year that National Geographic has combed the globe to find people who have pioneered innovation in the world of adventure. This year’s Adventurer of the Year nominees have pushed the boundaries of exploration and adventure,” said Mary Anne Potts, editor of National Geographic Adventure online.

To learn more about each adventurer through photos, interviews and a video and to vote every day for the People’s Choice Adventurer of the Year, go to http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/adventurers-of-the-year/2013/.

National Geographic Society

            The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. National Geographic reflects the world through its magazines, television programs, films, music and radio, books, DVDs, maps, exhibitions, live events, travel programs, interactive media and merchandise. National Geographic magazine, the Society’s official journal, published in English and 36 local-language editions, is read by more than 60 million people each month. The National Geographic Channel reaches 440 million households in 171 countries in 38 languages. National Geographic Digital Media receives more than 20 million visitors a month. National Geographic has funded more than 10,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program promoting geography literacy. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com.

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All Roads Film Project Announces 2012 Film Festival Award Winners

WASHINGTON (Sept. 28, 2012)—National Geographic’s All Roads Film Project announced the award winners of this year’s All Roads Film Festival last night at a reception at National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The award for Best Documentary went to “Los Descendientes del Jaguar” (“Children of the Jaguar”), which chronicles the courtroom triumph of the Sarayaku people of the Amazon over oil exploration that took place on their land without their consent. The Best of Narratives award was won by “Burros” (“Donkeys”), the tale of a 10-year-old Mexican boy’s adventures as he runs away from his aunt’s house and finds his way home. The Best of Stories award went to “Busong” (“Palawan Fate”), a Philippines film that deals with animism.

The winners were selected by a jury, and this year’s award, handmade by Santa Fe artist Beau Duran, depicts a traditional Tesuque Pueblo corn maiden spirit.

All Roads Film Festival Director Francene Blythe presented the awards in front of a crowd that included the All Roads Film Project board members and representatives of the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines and the Mexican Cultural Institute as well as the talented filmmakers whose work comprised the festival.

“Every year, the All Roads Film Festival has the opportunity to host fresh new filmmakers from around the world. This year we are pleased to present another outstanding collection of films, including documentaries, short films and full-length features,” said Blythe. “These awards, chosen by a distinguished jury, recognize those films that have made the most impact this year, but as in years past, the films that will be screened this weekend represent some of the most impressive indigenous filmmakers in the world.”

This year marks the eighth All Roads Film Festival, a groundbreaking program that offers contemporary stories by or about indigenous and under-represented minority cultures.

The 2012 Festival continues through Sunday, Sept. 30, at the National Geographic Society, with the theme “Vibrant Cultures from Around the World.” A full festival schedule and ticketing information are available at http://events.nationalgeographic.com/events/event-series/all-roads-film-festival-washington-dc/.

For the official All Roads Film Festival trailer, go to http://www.youtube.com/embed/DA0QcpBuGdY.

The All Roads Film Festival is part of the All Roads Film Project, a National Geographic program created to provide an international platform for indigenous and under-represented minority-culture artists to share cultures, stories and perspectives through the power of film and photography. In addition to providing a venue for their films, All Roads offers its filmmakers and photographers a series of networking opportunities and awards a minimum of 10 film grants a year to support the development and production of film and video projects by or about indigenous and under-represented minority-culture communities. Film grant recipients are considered for inclusion in the All Roads Film Festival and other National Geographic-affiliated broadcast outlets.

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All Roads Film Project Announces 2012 Film Festival Award Winners

WASHINGTON (Sept. 28, 2012)—National Geographic’s All Roads Film Project announced the award winners of this year’s All Roads Film Festival last night at a reception at National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The award for Best Documentary went to “Los Descendientes del Jaguar” (“Children of the Jaguar”), which chronicles the courtroom triumph of the Sarayaku people of the Amazon over oil exploration that took place on their land without their consent. The Best of Narratives award was won by “Burros” (“Donkeys”), the tale of a 10-year-old Mexican boy’s adventures as he runs away from his aunt’s house and finds his way home. The Best of Stories award went to “Busong” (“Palawan Fate”), a Philippines film that deals with animism.

The winners were selected by a jury, and this year’s award, handmade by Santa Fe artist Beau Duran, depicts a traditional Tesuque Pueblo corn maiden spirit.

All Roads Film Festival Director Francene Blythe presented the awards in front of a crowd that included the All Roads Film Project board members and representatives of the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines and the Mexican Cultural Institute as well as the talented filmmakers whose work comprised the festival.

“Every year, the All Roads Film Festival has the opportunity to host fresh new filmmakers from around the world. This year we are pleased to present another outstanding collection of films, including documentaries, short films and full-length features,” said Blythe. “These awards, chosen by a distinguished jury, recognize those films that have made the most impact this year, but as in years past, the films that will be screened this weekend represent some of the most impressive indigenous filmmakers in the world.”

This year marks the eighth All Roads Film Festival, a groundbreaking program that offers contemporary stories by or about indigenous and under-represented minority cultures.

The 2012 Festival continues through Sunday, Sept. 30, at the National Geographic Society, with the theme “Vibrant Cultures from Around the World.” A full festival schedule and ticketing information are available at http://events.nationalgeographic.com/events/event-series/all-roads-film-festival-washington-dc/.

For the official All Roads Film Festival trailer, go to http://www.youtube.com/embed/DA0QcpBuGdY.

The All Roads Film Festival is part of the All Roads Film Project, a National Geographic program created to provide an international platform for indigenous and under-represented minority-culture artists to share cultures, stories and perspectives through the power of film and photography. In addition to providing a venue for their films, All Roads offers its filmmakers and photographers a series of networking opportunities and awards a minimum of 10 film grants a year to support the development and production of film and video projects by or about indigenous and under-represented minority-culture communities. Film grant recipients are considered for inclusion in the All Roads Film Festival and other National Geographic-affiliated broadcast outlets.

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National Geographic Traveler Announces Winners of 2012 Traveler Photo Contest

This image was shot in the Kyrgyz lands of the Wakhan Corridor. The intimacy of this everyday life moment, shot inside of a family yurt, is in total contrast with the harsh environment these nomadic tribes live in. On the right we notice a television and a sound console. These tribes live weeks away from any village by foot. In spite of being located at an altitude of 4,300 meters in one of the most remote areas of Afghanistan they are equipped with solar panels, satellite dishes and cellphones. Ancestral ways of living, with touches of modernity.

WASHINGTON (Aug. 14, 2012)—National Geographic Traveler announced today the winners of the 2012 Traveler Photo Contest. The grand-prize winner is C?dric Houin of Brooklyn, N.Y.  He has won a 10-day Gal?pagos Photography Expedition for two with National Geographic Expeditions. His winning photo, “Butterfly,” captures a Kyrgyz woman and her daughter sewing with an old-fashioned-looking machine in a remote region of Afghanistan.

“The intimacy of this everyday life moment, shot inside of a family yurt, is in total contrast with the harsh environment these nomadic tribes live in,” said Houin. “These tribes live weeks away from any village by foot. In spite of being located at an altitude of 4,300 meters in one of the most remote areas of Afghanistan, they are equipped with solar panels, satellite dishes and cell phones.”

Vo Anh Kiet of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, placed second for the image “My Balloon” and wins a spot in an intensive two-and-a-half-day photo workshop at Santa Fe Workshops. Third place went to Andrea Guarneri of Sicily, Italy, for “Devotees.” His prize is to take part in a National Geographic Traveler seminar.

“I’ve judged this contest for 15 years and it increasingly thrills me. We had an avalanche of entries that clearly illustrate how powerful photography has become among those who aren’t professional shooters. The range of subject matter, the excellence of composition, the pure surprise factor—everyone stepped up their game to make this our most competitive contest,” said Keith Bellows, National Geographic Traveler magazine editor in chief.

The 24th annual photo contest received more than 12,000 images from 6,615 talented photographers in 152 countries around the globe. Contestants submitted photographs in four categories: Travel Portraits; Outdoor Scenes; Sense of Place; and Spontaneous Moments. Judging consisted of two rounds of evaluation based on creativity and photographic quality. The three winning photographs along with the seven merit winners can be viewed on the Traveler Photo Contest page.

The Gal?pagos Photography Expedition in which Houin will participate is a unique experience to join a National Geographic photographer aboard the National Geographic Endeavour and learn photography tips and techniques. The trip is part of National Geographic Expeditions, the travel program of the National Geographic Society, which provides guided trips spanning all seven continents and more than 60 destinations.

About National Geographic Traveler Magazine

National Geographic Traveler: Nobody Knows This World Better. National Geographic Traveler is the world’s most widely read travel magazine. Published eight times a year, Traveler is    available by subscription, on newsstands in the United States and Canada and digitally for tablets like the iPad (on Zinio) and Nook (at BN.com). Its website (www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler) offers inspiring and authoritative digital content including trip ideas, photo galleries and blogs. It also houses travel apps, including 50 Places of a Lifetime that showcases the world’s greatest destinations handpicked by National Geographic’s family of globe-trotting contributors, and the award-winning National Parks app, filled with stunning pictures, maps and tips to explore America’s national parks.

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