National Geographic Live!

November 19, 12:40 PMSeattle Events ExaminerMaria Christensen

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Photograph by Mark Moffett

Every year the crème de la crème of National Geographic - explorers, photographers, naturalists, filmmakers, scientists - go on tour to offer a spectacular series of live presentations. Beginning in February they are back in Seattle at Benaroya Hall, and 2009 promises yet another awe inspiring season, with lectures and images about such far-flung places as Shangri-la, Borneo and our own hearts and minds.

National Geographic Live! is a five-part series and season tickets are a cost-effective way to enjoy them all, with tickets running from $75 to $395, depending on seating area and membership status. Be aware that season tickets often sell out. There are two different series available - each presentation is offered twice - so check the website for dates and times. If only a few, or even just one, of the presentations appeal to you, tickets for single events will go on sale January 5th, 2009. Mark your calendars.

Below is a summary of the upcoming season.

Army Ants, Orchids, and Dancing Frogs
Monday, February 2 and Tuesday, February 3, 2009
"Mark Moffett’s mission is to find stories that make people fall in love with the unexpected: insects, frogs, and other of nature’s small wonders.Join this intrepid and eccentric ecologist as he shares the beauty and marvels of life in the treetops."

Open Heart, Open Mind
Sunday, February 22 and Monday, February 23, 2009 
"Lisa Ling is a special correspondent for the National Geographic Channel and the Oprah Winfrey Show.Through her reporting for Oprah and National Geographic, Lisa encourages us to cultivate a global perspective, opening our hearts and minds to the tough issues beyond the safety of our personal lives."

Celtic Heart, Celtic Soul
Monday, March 23 and Tuesday, March 24, 2009
"Heading off to photograph Scotland more than 15 years ago, photographer Jim Richardson didn’t realize the true journey he was just beginning—or that he was actually going home."

Secrets of Shangri-la
Monday, April 13 and Tuesday, April 14, 2009 
"Since the fifth century, when a Chinese poet wrote of a hidden utopia for faithful Buddhists, people have fantasized about those magical places where people live long lives in health and harmony— and adventurers have sought to find them.
...
In 2007 Peter Athans, renowned mountaineer and veteran of seven Mount Everest summits, joined forces with fellow climber Broughton Coburn to explore a series of caves in the remote Himalayan kingdom of Mustang... Athans and Coburn returned in 2008 with a multidisciplinary team to properly document, study, and begin to preserve the treasures."

Borneo: Paradise Under Siege
Monday, May 11 and Tuesday, May 12, 2009
"One of the most highly regarded natural history photographers and filmmakers, whose advocacy on behalf of biodiversity earned him a medal from the King of Sweden and designation as a 2008 Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, Mattias Klum has a special passion for Borneo.
...
With stunning images and his trademark charisma and humor, Klum, one of National Geographic’s most popular storytellers, brings Borneo’s majestic ecosystem to life. He also presents simple suggestions about how we might reconsider our choices as consumers and increase the odds that the remaining wild parts of Borneo might survive for generations to come."