National Geographic Explorers to Speak at Free Event at McGill University

MONTREAL (Sept. 24, 2012)—A free public presentation on field research and exploration featuring National Geographic Emerging Explorer and ecological anthropologist Kenny Broad and renowned alpinist and The North Face athlete Conrad Anker will be held at McGill University on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012. The event will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Leacock Building (Room 132) on the McGill campus.

Anker (http://www.thenorthface.com/en_US/exploration/athletes/3-conrad-anker/) is well-known as an accomplished alpinist and a key member of the search team that located the remains of legendary British climber George Mallory on Mount Everest. He will share highlights from his most recent expedition of Mount Everest, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the first successful American summit of the mountain.

Broad (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/explorers/bios/kenny-broad/), who has a long history of diving and producing documentary films and was named one of National Geographic’s Explorers of the Year in 2011, will recount his recent expedition to one of the most challenging and spectacular frontiers in exploration: the Bahamas Blue Holes.

The public presentation will follow a daylong workshop for McGill students on National Geographic’s Young Explorers Grants program. The Young Explorers grants support aspiring scientists and researchers between the ages of 18 and 25 in their pursuit of research-, exploration- and conservation-based field projects. The workshop will enable students interested in pursuing Young Explorers grants to meet with recent grant recipients as well as National Geographic staff, explorers, conservationists and researchers. They will learn about the types of projects the grant program supports and will have an opportunity to pitch ideas for field projects to National Geographic grantees and staff.

“The Young Explorers program is a unique way for young scientists and explorers to take steps into field research. It’s their first shot, and we take a risk on them that has really paid off. We realized that, by supporting younger individuals on their first field projects, we could reach a new sector and new generation of scientists,” said John Francis, National Geographic’s vice president of research, conservation and exploration. “Our growing number of Young Explorers is helping National Geographic better fulfill our mission to inspire people to care about the planet.”

The Sept. 29 workshop is hosted by McGill with support from the National Geographic Society, Lucy and Henry Billingsley, Panasonic, the Brinson Foundation and The North Face.

“For anyone interested in exploration, research or conservation, this workshop is exactly what you need to help you get started,” said Colin Chapman, biologist and anthropologist at McGill University and member of the Committee for Research and Exploration at National Geographic.

WHAT:            Free public presentation by explorers from the National Geographic Society and The North Face

WHO:               Conrad Anker, The North Face athlete and renowned alpinist

Kenny Broad, ecological anthropologist and National Geographic Emerging Explorer

WHERE:         Leacock Building, Room 132

WHEN:            Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012; doors open at 7 p.m., program starts at 7:30 p.m.

CONTACT:     Kelsey Flora, National Geographic, kflora@ngs.org, (202) 828-8023

Cynthia Lee, Media Relations Officer, McGill University, Cynthia.Lee@mcgill.ca, (514) 398-6754

###

Information on National Geographic’s Young Explorers Grants program:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/field/grants-programs/young-explorers/

View the original article here

National Geographic Shows 30.9 Million Worldwide Audience via Consolidated Media Report

NEW YORK (Sept. 24, 2012) — The Audit Bureau of Circulations has released a Consolidated Media Report for National Geographic. The publication, which was ranked as the seventh largest in the U.S.  in June 2012, is the largest magazine to present audited data about its cross-platform brand via a CMR.

The report shows audited data from National Geographic’s total brand universe of 30.9 million, which includes print circulation, digital editions, apps, social media, websites and newsletters for the main edition as well as International, Worldwide and Traveler editions. For the first half of 2012, the total brand universe includes:

4.2 million print and digital editions for National Geographic2.9 million app downloads for National Geographic International19.4 million monthly unique visitors to NationalGeographic.com11.7 million Facebook likes2.7 million Twitter followers5.5 million newsletter distribution

“We have always been innovators in real-world storytelling, in print, video and photography. New devices are allowing us to explore an exciting frontier that challenges us to re-imagine our storytelling in fresh ways that take advantage of our rich tradition and expertise,” says Declan Moore, executive vice president, National Geographic publishing and digital media. “Digital editions have become the fastest growing piece of our business. Hundreds of thousands of people globally are sampling the digital edition and converting to paid subscribers. In addition to the audited numbers, National Geographic also currently reaches a global audience through its 33 local-language editions and the National Geographic Channel in 171 countries.”

The report also details National Geographic’s website statistics, price and downloads for its iPhone and iPad apps, and a chart that shows digital replica edition growth of 40 percent from January through June 2012. Additional statistics are available in the full report.

“We are excited to add National Geographic to the growing list of magazine brands that are choosing the CMR to show their advertisers and ad agencies data that’s audited and trusted,” said George Bartman, ABC vice president, marketing and sales. “This is a great example of an innovative magazine using an innovative report format to communicate the components of their cross-media brand.”

Examples of previous magazine Consolidated Media Reports and more information are available on ABC’s website.

About ABC

ABC is a forum of North America’s leading magazine and newspaper publishers, advertisers and advertising agencies. The organization provides credible, verified information essential to the media buying and selling process. ABC maintains the world’s foremost online database of audited circulation information and a growing array of readership, audience and website usage data. ABC’s digital arm, ABC Interactive, is one of the world’s leading independent auditors of websites and digital ad-based technology. To learn more, visit www.accessabc.com.

About National Geographic

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, school publishing programs, interactive media and merchandise. National Geographic magazine, the Society’s official journal, published in English and 33 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.

#  #  #

View the original article here

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC 125 YEARS: Legendary Photographs, Adventures, and Discoveries That Changed the World

WASHINGTON (Sept. 25, 2012)—On Jan. 13, 1888, a group of 33 men met at the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C., to discuss a way to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge across the world. A century and a quarter later, after landmark shipwreck discoveries, stunning images from countless cultures and expeditions from the top of Mount Everest to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the National Geographic Society has expanded beyond those original founding members, but the organization’s goal of spreading geographic knowledge around the globe has remained the same.

This fall, readers can join the National Geographic Society in celebrating its past and future with a new book NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC 125 YEARS: Legendary Photographs, Adventures, and Discoveries That Changed the World (National Geographic Books; ISBN 978-1-4262-0957-4; on sale Nov. 6, 2012; $50 hardcover), by author and historian Mark Collins Jenkins, a former National Geographic Society archivist. The foreword is by Gilbert M. Grosvenor, the Society’s former chairman, president and National Geographic magazine editor, who is a fifth-generation member of the Society’s founding family.

Filled with exhilarating tales and astonishing photography, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC 125 YEARS is an engrossing visual chronicle of the last 12-and-a-half decades through the eyes of the explorers, writers and photographers who captured it all. Readers will be able to dive deeper into the iconic yellow border and get a behind-the-scenes look into the stories that have shaped the world, including Hiram Bingham’s discovery of the lost city of Machu Picchu, the arctic explorations of Richard Byrd, Jane Goodall’s legendary chimpanzee research and the epic dives of Jacques Cousteau and James Cameron.

Laid out chronologically, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC 125 YEARS explores the history of the Society from a small group dedicated to spreading geographic knowledge of the world and all that’s in it to the international nonprofit and media company it is today. Each era of the Society’s history is highlighted, featuring the most significant expeditions, field research and photography. Personal stories from legendary explorers such as Luis Marden, who discovered the remains of the H.M.V.S. Bounty, and marine biologist Sylvia Earle, as well as writers and photographers in the field fill each chapter, along with quotes from important figures associated with the Society, including paleontologist Louis Leakey, underwater explorer Robert Ballard, geneticist Spencer Wells and many more.

The more than 600 images by world-renowned photographers from the Society’s history illuminate the legendary storytelling of National Geographic. Readers can revisit Japan with Eliza R. Scidmore’s hand-tinted images of Japanese life in the early 20th century; remember the haunting eyes of the Afghan Girl in Steve McCurry’s iconic photograph; and take a trip to the American West with images made by William Albert Allard over his 50-year career. Other featured photographers include such renowned masters as David Doubilet, Chris Johns, Emory Kristof, David Allan Harvey, Sam Abell, Brian Skerry, Paul Nicklen, Frans Lanting, Annie Griffiths, Mattias Klum, Jodi Cobb and Joel Sartore.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC 125 YEARS also looks into the future of exploration, celebrating not just where we have gone but where we can go next. The book celebrates the history of National Geographic and showcases the quest for knowledge and adventure that has driven the Society’s mission for well over a century.

About the Author

Former National Geographic librarian and archivist Mark Collins Jenkins is the author of many books, including “On Assignment with National Geographic: The Inside Story of the National Geographic Society,” “Worlds to Explore: Classic Tales of Adventure from National Geographic,” “Vampire Forensics” and “The War of 1812 and the Rise of the U.S. Navy.” He lives in Fredericksburg, Va.

About National Geographic Books

National Geographic Books is a global publisher of 125 new books annually in Adult and Children’s combined, as well as a publisher of digital content and services with more than 50 partners who translate our books.

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’s mission is to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 400 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; school publishing programs; live events; interactive media; merchandise; and travel programs. For more information on National Geographic Books, visit facebook.com/NatGeoBooks and nationalgeographic.com/books.

###

View the original article here