Magazine Highlights February 2020

Look for the February issue online now and on print newsstands Jan. 28.

THE LAST SLAVE SHIP

By Joel K. Bourne Jr., Sylviane Diouf & Chelsea Brasted; photos by Elias Williams; paintings by Sedrick Huckaby

  • FINDING CLOTILDA: The Clotilda illegally delivered 108 Africans to Alabama in 1860, making it the last known slave ship to reach U.S. shores. Once the Civil War ended and these slaves were set free, they put down roots upriver from Mobile, Alabama. They created a tight-knit, self-reliant community that came to be known as Africatown. This feature tells the story of their descendants, who are fighting to save their legacy.
  • TUNE IN: Drain America’s Last Slave Ship airs on National Geographic on Feb. 9 at 8/7c.
  • AVAILABLE:
    • Interviews with award-winning author Joel K. Bourne Jr. and award-winning historian and curator of the African Diaspora, Sylviane Diouf
    • Interviews with photographer Elias Williams, who specializes in portraits of underrepresented people
    • Portraits and detailed paintings of the slaves brought over on the Clotilda and their descendants

REDEFINING BEAUTY

By Robin Givhan, photos by Hannah Reyes Morales

  • MODERN BEAUTY: The power of social media and the economics of fashion are helping to create a big-tent culture in which every woman can be celebrated as beautiful. This feature explores the past, present and future of what defines beauty around the world and how this definition will continue to evolve.
  • AVAILABLE:
    • Interviews with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robin Givhan
    • Striking images of models, actors and women around the world

FLAMINGO BOB

By Christine Dell’Amore, photos by Jasper Doest

  • BECOMING A “SPOKESBIRD”: Rescued by a veterinarian in Curaçao, the charismatic bird has become a local celebrity and spokesbird for environmental awareness. Local veterinarian Odette Doest rescued Bob in 2016 after the American flamingo slammed into a hotel window. By grabbing people’s attention with the tall, colorful bird, Odette hopes to increase awareness of environmental issues in the Caribbean, particularly plastic pollution, coral reef degradation and habitat loss. This feature explores how a gravely injured bird became a pampered pink celebrity.
  • AVAILABLE:
    • Interviews with National Geographic Senior Animals Editor, Christine Dell’Amore
    • Interviews with Flamingo Bob’s caretaker, veterinarian Odette Doest
    • Colorful and fun images of Flamingo Bob

PRAIRIE DIVIDE

By Hannah Nordhaus, photos by Amy Toensing

  • REWILDING A PRAIRIE: Two​ ​hundred​ ​years​ ​ago,​ ​bison,​ ​black-footed​ ​ferrets,​ ​pronghorn​ ​antelope,​ ​grassland​ ​birds​ ​and countless​ ​other​ ​species​ ​thrived​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Great​ ​Plains.​ ​Today,​ ​however,​ ​the​ ​“American​ ​Serengeti”​ ​is​ ​one of​ ​the​ ​fastest​ ​disappearing​ ​areas​ ​in​ ​the​ ​American​ ​West​ ​due​ ​to​ ​climate​ ​change​ ​and​ ​hunting.​ ​Because of​ ​this​ ​decline,​ ​​American​ ​Prairie​ ​Reserve​​ ​has​ ​launched​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​most​ ​ambitious conservation​ ​projects​ ​in​ ​U.S.​ ​history.​ This feature will explore plans to return the grasslands of central Montana to the wild splendor of the past and some of the resistance the group has met along the way.
  • AVAILABLE:
    • Interviews with National Geographic Storytelling Fellow and Explorer Hannah Nordhaus
    • Breathtaking images of native animals and the prairie landscape

A JOURNEY WITH SPICE

By Mike Ives, photos by Ian Teh

  • IN SEARCH OF CARDAMOM: Why have an increasing number of adventurers been heading to Hoang Lien National Park close to Vietnam’s border with China? This particular old-growth forest is home to black cardamom, a precious and essential spice in pho and other Vietnamese dishes. This feature introduces readers to farmers in this region and their work harvesting cardamom.
  • AVAILABLE:
    • Vibrant images of cardamom and the forests where it is harvested
    • Interviews with Hong Kong-based journalist Mike Ives

MEDIA CONTACTS

Anna Kukelhaus Dynan, Anna.Kukelhaus@natgeo.com, 202-912-6724

Kelsey Taylor, Kelsey.Taylor@natgeo.com, 202-912-6776