Nat Geo Nights!

Last night we went to another Nat Geo Nights, called Field Notes: Peru, at the National Geographic Museum. During the event, part of a series of happy hours hosted by Nat Geo, geothermal scientist and National Geographic young explorer grantee Andrés Ruzo told the audience about being the first to investigate the mysterious boiling river in Peru. Here, Andrés is flanked by his wife, Sofia Ruzo, and Ambassador of Peru Carlos Pareja.

Sandhya Narayanan, an anthropologist and 2014 young explorer grantee, told the audience about her studies on how languages and cultures interact and have changed over time on the Peru-Bolivia border, while world-renowned National Geographic magazine photographer Charlie Hamilton James spoke about his work and how it sometimes puts him in unintended and revealing situations — like the time he accidentally bought an illegal cocoa plantation in Peru. Here, Narayanan with Nat Geo’s Chris Thornton and Mallory Benedict.

Guests enjoyed Peruvian Pisco Sour cocktails and cuisine from Nazca Mochica and learned about fascinating geological mysteries, innovative ancient societies and modern conservation challenges in Peru from National Geographic photographers and explorers. Here, Nat Geo’s Alan Turchik with filmmaker Bertie Gregory.

The next Nat Geo Night on May 18 will be called Expedition Raw, and will feature National Geographic explorer stories of how they survived survived extreme environments and wild animals, and made unexpected discoveries. Here, Gabrielle Rovegno and translator Hally Sablosky.