Cartography Comes Alive hosted by Mandela at Xplorer Maps

Introducing Cartography Comes Alive, an exciting event series proudly brought to you by Xplorer Maps and hosted by Mandela Leola van Eeden, our Lead Storyteller and the charismatic host of The Trail Less Traveled.

FREE EVENT – Due to limited seating, we encourage early arrival to secure your place at this unique and inspiring experience!

Each month (excluding July and August), Cartography Comes Alive will host extraordinary explorers, captivating storytellers, and knowledgeable educators. They will share their incredible tales with fellow adventure seekers, travel enthusiasts, national park aficionados, and history buffs.

January 24 – ELIZABETH UNGER
Elizabeth Unger, whose work has been featured by National Geographic, will begin the series on Wednesday, January 24th. During her presentation, she will discuss the significant role bats play in Texas’s agricultural economy and food systems, acting as pollinators and natural pest control. Additionally, she will be showcasing her short film, Batsies, which follows dedicated wildlife biologists from Texas State University as they work to save the bats while breaking their barriers. Batsies won “Best Conservation Short” at Jackson Wild 2023.

A passion for wildlife and cuisine has led Elizabeth across seven continents, steeping her in rich anthropological experiences that have shaped her into the storyteller she is today.

Elizabeth holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of North Carolina Wilmington and has worked as a Ph.D. research assistant for big cat and primate projects across Latin America. Elizabeth was selected as one of five North American Regional Finalists for the prestigious UN Young Champion of the Earth Prize.

She’s a two-time Sundance Documentary Film Program Grantee and was selected in 2022 for DOC NYC’s “40 Under 40” list. Her award-winning feature directorial debut, TIGRE GENTE, world premiered at Tribeca Film Festival, screened at more than 35 film festivals internationally, and was broadcast by National Geographic in 2023. Most recently, she served as a unit director for HEART OF INVICTUS, a Netflix docuseries executive produced by Prince Harry.

Be sure to secure your spot early, as seating is limited at this one-of-a-kind event that promises to bring maps to life in a way you’ve never experienced before!

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