Wednesday, April 17th at 6:30 pm, Lang Auditorium, Westfield Athenaeum. Take a virtual cruise around the island of Spitzbergen, or as much as can be navigated given ice conditions. Walk through the landscape, encounter the wildlife and be on the lookout for the colorful flora that populates the tundra. Visit some of the few and far between settlements whose inhabitants brave this cold and often bleak part of the world and learn about the strong-willed pioneers who jockeyed for first place and even paid with their lives to reach their destination.

Amy S. Dane a native of Longmeadow, MA and suffers from a lifelong travel addiction that has brought her to over 100 countries so far. She enjoys sharing her experiences and love for art and culture by giving informative presentations about her travels and exhibiting her photography at libraries, hospitals and galleries. Visit her website at www.amydaneadventures.com which includes a wide selection of slide shows, newspaper articles, cable television shows and past and upcoming exhibitions. For more information call 413-568-7833 or visit www.westath.org.