Blue Zones founder and author Dan Buettner will be in Albert Lea Thursday to speak about his upcoming quest to Icaria, Greece, where there’s a possibility he will discover the fifth and possibly last Blue Zone in the world.

Buettner, a Minnesota-native who has appeared on prime-time shows such as “Late Show with David Letterman,” “Good Morning America,” “Primetime Live,” “Oprah” and “Today” for his research on longevity, has traveled all over the world and met the world’s longest-lived people. He’s learned that all of those people, no matter where they live, all follow certain simple principles that put them on a path to a longer life.

He describes the encounters in a book titled “The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who Have Lived the Longest.”

So far, he’s identified four Blue Zones, or places where people live the longest, most-fulfilling lives.

Now he’s traveling to Greece along the northern Aegean Sea to see if there is another.

His quest begins April 20 and goes through May 1.

During the school day on Thursday, Buettner will lead assemblies for students in fourth through eighth grade, where he will invite them to participate online in a live expedition of the quest and help his team of scientists unlock longevity’s secrets.

Blue Zones Health Initiative Director Joel Spoonheim said during Buettner’s last quest, 100,000 people across the world participated online.

Each day of the quest students will be able to direct Buettner’s team and a film crew as they search for clues that explain why the people in Icaria are living such long and healthy lives.

There will be daily content, including videos, written dispatches, photographs and other opportunities where the students can vote to direct the team’s decisions.

Participating in the quest online is free, Spoonheim pointed out. Teachers and students can use it at school, or other youth groups or adults can use it at home.

That evening, Buettner will share information about the quest in a public community meeting at the Albert Lea High School Auditorium. It begins at 6:30 p.m.

What: Learn about the upcoming Blue Zones quest to Icaria, Greece

Where: Albert Lea High School Auditorium

When: 6:30 p.m. Thursday

He will share ways families can get involved in the quest.

“This is a great way to begin learning about how a Blue Zone in another part of the world is achieving such remarkable results,” Spoonheim said.

People in Albert Lea will be able to travel virtually to the Blue Zone and look at ideas to start implementing into their own lives.

Local makeover co-chairman Chris Chalmers said he’s looking forward to inviting people to follow along with the quest.

“It really is an international experience,” Chalmers said.

He hopes it can be an opportunity for families and for community members interested in learning about other cultures, he said.

Buettner’s quest coincides with the pilot City Health Makeover being done in Albert Lea by Blue Zones and AARP.

In January, Buettner announced Albert Lea had been chosen for the 10-month makeover designed to improve the health and longevity of the city’s residents.

The goal of the makeover is to add at least two years of projected life expectancy to each person who participates.

Information about the quest and the makeover are available online at www.bluezones.com.