Honoring the Explorer of the Year Leon McCarron - GEO's 130th Legacy Event

The Geographical Society of Philadelphia cordially invites you to its 130th  Legacy Event honoring the Explorer of the Year, Leon McCarron.

Tuesday, June 14, 2022, at Penn Museum, 5:30-8:30 PM

Visit the Middle Eastern Galleries, and listen to Leon’s presentation in the Harrison Auditorium followed by the cocktail reception in the Egyptian Gallery.

A world premiere, Leon is sharing his journey exclusively with our guests before the release of his book, film, and multimedia site titled, Wounded Tigris: A River Journey Through the Cradle of Civilization, which will be made public in 2023.

Meet Leon, who will sign copies of his previous publication, "The Land Beyond", available for purchase at the event.

"My presentation will be about Iraq, of course, and about the journey along the river Tigris #ExpeditionDijlah. Thank you to all at the Geographical Society of Philadelphia. I’m looking forward to having a platform to speak about all my amazing colleagues here on the river and the trails." 

Leon has traveled over 30,000 miles all over the world by foot, bike, and boat. On his expeditions, he learns the stories of communities he encounters, which he will share with his audience, including New York Times Magazine which profiled Leon, and his work in April 2022, "Building the First Long-Distance Hiking Trail in Kurdistan". Check out the article on the Abraham Path’s trail-blazing work in Iraqi Kurdistan.

For thousands of years, the Tigris has acted as a lung exhaling life into Mesopotamia. The river irrigated some of the earliest civilizations on earth and with its natural ports and confluence points came major centers of power and influence. Between March 17th and May 26th, 2021, Leon McCarron traveled for 70 days along the full length of the Tigris river, by boat, accompanied by photographer Emily Garthwaite, Swiss filmmaker Claudio von Planta and Iraqi environmentalists Salman Khairalla and Hana Ibrahim.

• Guests are invited to visit the Middle Eastern Galleries with the Museum’s docents from 5:30 to 6:30 PM

• Leon’s presentation will begin at 6:30 PM in the Harrison Auditorium

• After the presentation, the cocktail reception in the Egyptian Gallery will be open to all guests from 7:30 to 8:30 PM. We will also be providing an opportunity to meet Leon, who will be signing his previously published book, "The Land Beyond" available to purchase on-site.

We are excited to honor Leon in what will be a memorable evening in support of the Geographical Society of Philadelphia.

LEON MCCARRON
Originally from Northern Ireland and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and the Abraham Path Initiative, Leon is an adventurer, author, and broadcaster who has written multiple books and traveled the world, providing all of us insights on what it means to be an explorer in the 21st Century. 

ABOUT THE LEGACY EVENT:
Each year since 1891, the Legacy Event honors explorers based on their work in exploring the world and promoting human understanding of diverse cultures. As our mission is to foster exploration and to enhance understanding of diverse cultures, we honor explorers based on their work in crossing borders. The special Cecilia Beaux pin has previously been awarded to Robert Peary, Theodore Roosevelt, Neil Armstrong, Diana Nyad, and Derrick Pitts – to name just a few.

Open bar and small bites catered by CxRA.

Penn Museum: 3260 South Street Philadelphia, PA 19104

Please click the links for Parking and public transportation 

Face coverings are strongly encouraged but optional.

For Sponsorship opportunities and questions please contact Dilek Karabucak, Executive Director, at geosocphil@gmail.com or visit our website at www.geographicalsociety.org

WE THANK OUR SPONSORS FOR SUPPORTING WORLD EXPLORATION, CULTURAL EXCHANGE, AND GLOBAL CITIZENS.