Washington, D.C. – Her Excellency President Hilda C. Heine, First Gentleman Thomas Kijiner, Jr. and delegation, were invited to visit the National Geographic Headquarters in Washington, D.C. on May 30, 2024.
President Heine, First Gentlemen and delegation were welcomed by Mr. Enric Sala (National Geographic’s Explorer in Residence and Founder of the Pristine Seas program), and his team members, who provided a private tour of the National Geographic Exploration Lab and shared exclusive footage from the 2023 Pristine Seas Expedition in the Marshall Islands. The Pristine Seas project is a global initiative by National Geographic to explore and protect the last wild places in the ocean. The 2023 expedition to the Marshall Islands focused on documenting and preserving the rich marine biodiversity in the country – mainly in the remote atolls of Bikar and Bokak.
Following the lab tour, President Heine and delegation met with National Geographic CEO Jill Tiefenthaler and her senior management, where highlights from the 2023 Pristine Seas Expedition to the Marshall Islands were discussed including results and recommendations and plans moving forward.
President Heine took the opportunity to express her fondness for National Geographic (as a result of being exposed to the National Geographic magazines during her childhood years), and also shared her admiration for the organization’s work especially with Bikar and Bokak, where only a few are fortunate to visit. In light of ongoing challenges when it comes to monitoring and enforcement in remote parts of the Marshall Islands, President Heine urged National Geographic to continue its support for RMI’s first national sanctuaries. She looks forward to welcoming back Enric Sala and his team to Majuro later on this year in October, where their Bikar and Bokak Film will be premiered.
