Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Welcomes James Currie as Featured Guest for the September Science Speaker Series

August 28, 2025

NANTUCKET, MA— The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA), announces that it will host James Currie as a featured presenter for its September Science Speaker Series. The presentation will take place on Wednesday, September 10 at 7pm via Zoom. The event is free to all.

 

James Currie will present an engaging discussion, “The Last of the Big Tuskers,” focused on African “super tusker” elephants. In the early 1970s, there were estimated to be 1.2 million elephants in Africa. Today, there are approximately 350,000 to 400,000. Even more alarming, is the fact that we are losing Africa’s super tuskers (those elephants with at least one tusk weighing 100 pounds or more) at an astounding rate. Today, only about twenty remain. At the same time, entire elephant populations are increasingly becoming completely tuskless, a sort of human-induced evolution that is being fueled by the insatiable demand for ivory. Currie produced the multiple award-winning documentary on elephants “Last of the Big Tuskers “– filmed in part in 2018 at Great Plains’ ol Donyo Lodge set in Kenya’s Chyulu Hills. This fascinating presentation will give you insights into the immediate need to protect these giants of Africa through some intriguing conservation techniques.

 

Currie is a South African–born wildlife expert, elephant specialist, and Head of Sales & New Development for the Americas at Great Plains Conservation. A life-long conservationist, he is best known as host of “Nikon’s Birding Adventures” (ten seasons on Discovery/NBC), “A Wild Connection,” and the award-winning documentary “Last of the Big Tuskers.” He has also hosted National Geographic’s “Aerial Assassins,” appeared in “Twitchers,” and created two National Geographic video lecture series on birding and African safaris.

 

He has led wildlife and birding tours across the globe for more than twenty years and is a highly sought-after speaker, having presented at the Explorers Club in New York, the National Audubon headquarters, and international travel conferences. He is the author of When Eagles Roar and has contributed to major media outlets including, The Wall Street Journal and “Martha Stewart Radio.”

 

In addition to his media and guiding career, Currie holds a Master’s in Sustainable Environmental Management and has worked extensively to connect conservation with local community development in Africa. Originally from South Africa, he now lives in West Palm Beach, Florida, with his wife and three children.

 

This event is free and will be held via Zoom only. Pre-registration is required to attend:

To register for Zoom, use the registration link below:


https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JAX95jRiR3qgovk7f2FKZQ?_ics=1755871368435&irclickid=~90VKGwndgafhimciklryofgnf8ab847261YXYNONIzohdc~2XROF&_gl=1*18q649z*_gcl_au*MTA5NjI5NDkxOS4xNzU1MjY5NjI5*_ga*MTQ0MjQ3MjM5LjE3Mzc1NzY0Nzk.*_ga_L8TBF28DDX*czE3NTU4NzEzNjgkbzE4JGcwJHQxNzU1ODcxMzY5JGo1OSRsMCRoMA..#/registration

 

The Science Speaker Series is generously sponsored by the Maria Mitchell Association’s lead sponsor, Bank of America. 


The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. The Maria Mitchell Association operates two observatories, a natural science museum, an aquarium, a research center, and preserves the historic birthplace of Maria Mitchell. A wide variety of science and history-related programming is offered throughout the year for people of all ages.

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For Immediate Release

August 1, 2025

Contact: Grace Kotchen

marketinginterns@mariamitchell.org

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