Early this year Erika Skogg and Federico Pardo from National Geographic Explorer visited Decorah to investigate possibilities for a photography project to visually preserve Scandinavian culture within the Upper Midwest. A National Geographic Early Career Grant is funding the project. In addition to spending a great deal of time at Vesterheim, the team visited several local residents and the Decorah Genealogy Association. Skogg will return to Vesterheim and Decorah at some point to conduct the actual photography and take in Nordic Fest. The project work will continue through May 2019.