Antarctica lives in our dreams as the most remote, most forbidding continent on Earth. Yet it is also a fragile place, home to an incredible variety of marine life along its edges — several species of penguins; tens of thousands of seals, humpback and killer whales; and dozens of different seabirds including giant, soaring albatrosses. Don’t miss the premiere of “Antarctica 3D: On the Edge,” a new film showcasing this land of sea and ice, plus a presentation by Antarctica researcher Steve Emslie, at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh, Thursday, Feb. 25.
In “Antarctica 3D,” you will embark on a virtual journey to Antarctica, from the tip of South America by sailboat and then along the 900-mile-long Peninsula by sea kayak, foot, small plane and dive gear. You will see this one-of-a-kind place and enjoy a unique perspective on our planet’s most remote land, and the incredible wildlife that call it home. The 40-minute film, narrated by Tilda Swinton with new music by Natalie Merchant, will be shown in the Museum’s WRAL 3D Theater at 7:30 p.m. and followed by Q&A with Emslie. [Watch the trailer at https://vimeo.com/107620668]. A 20-minute version of the film joins the Museum’s regular lineup of 3D movies Saturday, Feb. 27.
Before the film, at 6:30 p.m., Emslie will present “Life on the Ice: Penguins Past and Present,” in which he will share 25 years of his experiences and observations while working in Antarctica. In fact, he will have returned from Antarctica just prior to this lecture. Learn about his research on penguins and other seabirds, what he’s learned about life “on the ice,” and the changes he’s observed firsthand due to a warming climate.
Since 1991, Emslie has spent 17 seasons on the ice, and has been a professor of Biology and Marine Biology at UNC-Wilmington since 1998. He has an interdisciplinary background in archaeology, ornithology and paleontology and studies fossil and living birds as well as paleoecology. He is an author or co-author of more than 100 scientific publications, as well as a variety of popular articles. His research in Antarctica is funded by the National Science Foundation.
Tickets are $5 to the general public and free for Friends of the Museum. Tickets are available online at naturalsciences.org or at the Museum Box Office. Museum doors open at 5:30 p.m. Before the movie and lecture, you can learn about Antarctic wildlife and how the animals protect themselves from the cold from Museum educators, or enjoy beverages and freshly-popped popcorn.