Geography Presentation

A geographic presentation of up to 3 hours at a venue of the winner's choice. The winning bidder may choose one of these regions as the topic: 1) Africa, 2) Silk Road and Central Asia, or 3) Pacific Ocean and Islands (this last option would have to be held later in 2027). Africa: a continent of stark contrasts - over fifty countries, countless ethnic groups, and more human diversity than any other continent. The presentation will look at the soils, climates, flora and fauna, and human migrations across the continent. Much of the presentation will be based on the presenter’s experiences traveling through Africa, but this is no travelogue. Silk Road and Central Asia: learn about the peoples of the Steppe Route (who adapt to seasonal pastures and built empires with horses) and the Silk Road (who depended on the hardier Bactrian camel to build their empires) and how Buddhism, Christianity and Islam spread across both networks. Pacific Ocean and Islands: Steve will draw on 24 months of experience on the islands and tell the story of how humans crossed thousands of unchartered miles to the far reaches of the Pacific. How did the waves of migration lead to their current diversity of languages, religions, and cultures? Even today, the people split their lives between Stone Age ways and modern technology.