THE EDGE OF UNDERSTANDING
What a fantastic National Geographic Summit yesterday at Muziekcentrum het IJ in Amsterdam. Themed as The Edge of Understanding, it featured inspiring presentations by six National Geographic Explorers, storytellers, and researchers. With Eva zu Beck, Steve Boyes, Kerllen Costa, Justin Jin, Samuel Ramsey and Sophie Darlington.
Closing the event was Sophie Darlington, a top wildlife camerawoman and film director. She started out in Tanzania working for the world-famous Hugo van Lawick, one of my heroes. Hugo photographed and filmed in Tanzania for over thirty years, in the 60s and 70s with his then-wife Jane Goodall.
Sophie is a role model for women in wildlife camerawork. In 2025 she became a member of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), the first dedicated wildlife cinematographer invited in.
I once saw her at work in Ndutu, Tanzania, trying to film wildebeest crossing Lake Ndutu. I still don’t know if she succeeded. I did, with photos, not then, but in the year after.
AN ODE TO JANE GOODALL
It was wonderful that she closed the Summit with moderator and National Geographic Explorer Alice Aedy with a toast – with Jane’s beloved glass of whisky – to superwoman Jane Goodall.
A tribute to a woman who continues to inspire generations to protect nature. A special moment that shows exactly what it is all about: hope, dedication, and the power of one person to bring about real change.