Indholdsfortegnelse for 2021 i The Explorers 50

CORPORATE PATRON OF EXPLORATION Rolex ADDITIONAL EC50 SUPPPORT Fjällräven Richard & Laetitia Garriott de Cayeux Daniel & Lois Kobal FOUNDING CORPORATE SPONSOR OF THE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION INITIATIVE Discovery Communications COMMITTEE FOR THE EXPLORERS 50 PROJECT Joseph Rohde, Chairman Jeff Blumenfeld Marc Bryan-Brown Kim Frank J.R. Harris Alexandra Sutton Lawrence Nancy Nenow Nancy Rosenthal Jalsa Urubshurow Trevor Wallace Richard Wiese Gladys Kalema Zikusoka MEMBERS NOMINATING AWARDEES Bob Atwater Kathryn Britnell Gov. Doug Burgum Greg Carr Julie Chase Jack Daulton Matthew DeSantis Jason Edmunds Scott C. Forsyth Kim Frank Joe Grabowski K David Harrison Timothy Jacob Lisa Keating Lee Langan Alexandra Sutton Lawrence Damien Leloup Rebecca Martin Rob McCallum Kevin McCarey James Bruce McClintock Nancy Nenow Kyle Obermann Shawna Pandya Ann Passer Milbry Polk Maureen Raymo Buffy Redsecker Joe Rohde Faanya…

People have reflected on the question of “who are we?” over centuries of introspection, and that question became the jumping off point for this project: Who are we as an institution? More importantly, who do we want to be? We have over 100 years of exploration legacy behind us, empowered by the most extraordinary accomplishments: first to the North Pole, first to the South Pole, first to the summit of Mount Everest, first to the deepest point in the ocean, first to the surface of the moon—all successes by our members. With that in mind, the question became, what will the future of The Explorers Club and the next 100 years of exploration look like? To answer that question we are proud to launch, The Explorers 50: Fifty People Changing…

JOIN THE “EXPLORERS IMMORTALS” AND ENGRAVE YOUR NAME OR DEDICATION IN STONE ON NEW PAVERS FOR THE LEFRAK TERRACE AT EXPLORERS CLUB HEADQUARTERS. ADORN OUR LANDMARK OUTDOOR SPACE AND HELP PAY FOR URGENT WORK FOR PHASE II RENOVATIONS BY MAKING A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DO-NATION OF $3,750 PER DEDICATED PAVER TO OUR LOWELL THOMAS BUILDING FUND. THE EXPLORERS CLUB WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING WHO HAVE PURCHASED A PAVER: Robert Ashton, James H. Alexander, John G. Alexander, Darlene T. Anderson, Jeanne D. Andlinger, Barbara Annan, Robert J. Aresty, Atlanta Chapter, Robert J. Atwater, Norman L. Baker, Andreas Bender, Josh Bernstein, John Bierley, Bruce Blanchard, John R. Bockstoce, Brian M. Boom, John R. Boreske Jr., Gary W. Bowersox, Lawson W. Brigham, Diane Britz-Lotti, Julianne M. Chase, James M. Clash, Allen S. Counter,…

A BLACK FEMINIST, AN ARCHAEOLOGIST, A STORYTELLER, AND AN ARTIST, AYANA IS THE CO-FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE SOCIETY OF BLACK ARCHAEOLOGISTS AND SITS ON THE BOARD OF DIVING WITH A PURPOSE. AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE, HER RESEARCH AND TEACHING INTERESTS ARE SHAPED BLACK FEMINIST THEORY, HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY, MARITIME HERITAGE CONSERVATION, PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY-ENGAGED ARCHAEOLOGY, PROCESSES OF IDENTITY FORMATIONS, AND REPRESENTATIONS OF SLAVERY. The most meaningful aspect of my work has been working in African descendant communities. In February 2020, I traveled to Port Huron, Michigan, to work with Diving With a Purpose (DWP). I spoke with first graders about recovering a Tuskegee Airman’s submerged aircraft that crashed in the Great Lakes during a WWII training mission. Speaking to students…

MARK IS THE FOUNDER OF WORLD EXTREME MEDICINE, ACROSS THE DIVIDE EXPEDITIONS, MSC EXTREME MEDICINE (EXETER UNIVERSITY) AND THE WORLD’S LARGEST SUBJECT MATTER CONFERENCE. AN INNOVATIVE AND ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADER, MARK’S PASSION IS TO BRING INSPIRATIONAL PEOPLE TOGETHER TO BUILD NETWORKS IN REMOTE, DISASTER, AND HUMANI-TARIAN MEDICINE TO IMPROVE STANDARDS. A FORMER SPECIAL FORCES RESERVE SOLDIER IN-VOLVED WITH EXPEDITIONS FOR OVER 30 YEARS, HE IS AN AWARD-WINNING PHOTOGRAPHER. I have wanted to explore since I was a young child. It has been a burning imperative from the moors of Dartmoor to Patagonia in my late teens. Working as a trekking guide for Lindblad National Geographic Expeditions in North Africa, Syria and Jordan, I embarked on a five-continent expeditionary career, leading to my own expedition company ‘Across the Divide Expeditions.’ To train…

JIM PRIGOFF IS AN IMPORTANT PHOTOGRAPHER OF STREET AND URBAN ART. HE IS CREDITED FOR GIVING DIGNITY AND CREDIBILITY TO AN ART FORM THAT ONCE WAS CONSIDERED TO BE ONLY VANDALISM. A TRIBUTE TO HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH ARTISTS, WHO WERE TEENS WHEN FIRST DOCUMENTED, IS THE FRIENDSHIP HE HAS MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES. HIS CO-AUTHORED BOOK, SPRAYCAN ART, COVERS THE ART MOVEMENT AROUND THE WORLD. IN LOS ANGELES IN APRIL 2010, THE ESTRIA FOUNDATION NAMED HIM AN URBAN LEGEND. Graffiti is as ancient as man/womankind. Markings can be traced back to 60,000 BCE. In notable places like Altimira, Spain, and Lascaux, France, outstanding animal images painted in caves date back to 15,000 BCE. In 1804, French soldiers wrote their names on the ruins at Angkor Wat. In 1609, conquistadores left…

A ZOOTECHNICAL VETERINARIAN FROM TULCAN, ECUADOR, DR. ALEMAN LUCERO INITIALLY WORKED IN THE GALAPAGOS. HE HAS DIRECTED A MASSIVE STERILIZATION PROGRAM FOR MORE THAN 10,000 DOGS AND CATS, HAS PROTECTED MANGROVES, AND HAS IMPROVED HUMAN LIVES BY INTRODUCING SUSTAINABLE CRAB PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES. REGAINING MOBILITY SUBSEQUENT TO AN IMMOBILIZING KNEE DISEASE, HE BECAME A RANGER AT MACHALILLA NATIONAL PARK AND CREATED THE CENTER FOR THE REHABILITATION OF MARINE FAUNA, EDUCATION, AND WHALE RESCUE. In my town of Puerto Lopez, thanks to the creation of the Rehabilitation Center, people have become interested in the conservation of sea turtles in Ecuador. They care about the animals individually and talk about that issue as a community. Educating the people in a way that makes them care about their wild neighbors is very important. Now…

A WILDLIFE CONSERVATIONIST FOCUSING ON ENDING WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING BY TRAINING AND SUPPORTING GOVERNMENTS AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR, ONKURI HAS PROVIDED INVESTI-GATIVE SUPPORT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT THROUGH ANALYSIS AND INTELLIGENCE GATHERING ON TIGER, PANGOLIN, IVORY, AND EXOTIC PET TRAFFICKING SYNDICATES. SHE IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON A SMARTPHONE APPLICATION WITH INFORMATION ON 600+ TRAFFICKED SPECIES FOR USE BY BORDER AND TRANSPORT OFFICIALS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. ONKURI STRONG-LY BELIEVES THAT WILDLIFE AND NATURE HAVE A RIGHT TO THRIVE, AND SHOULD NOT HAVE TO ‘PAY’ FOR THEIR CONTINUED EXISTENCE BY BEING USEFUL TO HUMANS. My work has focused on wildlife crime, and my stakeholders have been government officers and corporations, since private individuals typically do not have the power to act against criminals. An important facet is to ensure that people mandated with…

BORN IN HAPPY VALLEY-GOOSE BAY, LABRADOR, BILLY IS A SELF-TAUGHT ARTIST WHO CARVES SERPENTINE, ANHYDRITE, IVORY, ANTLER AND BONE. EXHIBITING SINCE 2007, HE SECURED INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION IN 2010 WITH BILLY GAUTHIER: VISIONS FROM LABRADOR IN VANCOUVER. HIS INNOVATIVE AND PERSONAL STYLE HAS ESTABLISHED HIM AS ONE OF THE DEFINITIVE INUIT ARTISTS OF HIS GENERATION. HIS INTEREST IN CONSERVATION INSPIRED HIM TO BECOME A PEACEFUL ACTIVIST TRYING TO PROTECT HIS ENVIRONMENT, INCLUDING DEMONSTRATIONS AND HUNGER STRIKES PROTESTING THE MUSKRAT FALLS DAM PROJECT AND THE METHYLMERCURY POISONING OF LAKE MELVILLE THAT THREATENS THE TRADITIONAL INUIT WAY OF LIFE. As an artist and culturalist, my work explores the beauty and traditional practices of my Inuit culture and the issues that arise in our homelands. My sculptures are often images of animals, the northern…

A POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW AT VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY’S SPATIAL ANALYSIS RESEARCH LABORATORY, DR. DUNNAVANT WILL JOIN UCLA’S ANTHROPOLOGY DEPARTMENT IN 2021. HIS FORMER RESEARCH INTERROGATED THE HISTORY AND REPRESENTATION OF MINORITY GROUPS IN SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA. CURRENTLY HE WORKS IN THE US VIRGIN ISLANDS INVESTIGATING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ECOLOGY AND ENSLAVEMENT IN THE FORMER DANISH WEST INDIES. JUSTIN IS DEVELOPING HIS SKILLS IN MARITIME ARCHAEOLOGY AND HAS ASSISTED WITH THE DOCUMENTATION OF THE SLOBODNA AND ACORN WRECKS AS WELL AS THE SEARCH FOR THE SLAVE SHIP GUERRERO. My research explores the relationship between the historic transatlantic slave trade and the environment. I unpack the connections between the dehumanizing system of slavery and commodification and environmental degradation of land in the Americas. Tracing these to the fifteenth century, I find the ramifications of these…

AS A SCIENTIST AT THE MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN, ROBBIE HART DIRECTS THE WILLIAM L. BROWN CENTER. THIS TEAM OF RESEARCHERS IS DEDICATED TO THE STUDY OF USEFUL PLANTS, TO UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN HUMANS, PLANTS, AND THEIR EN-VIRONMENT, TO THE CONSERVATION OF PLANT SPECIES, AND TO THE PRESERVATION OF TRA-DITIONAL KNOWLEDGE FOR THE BENEFIT OF FUTURE GENERATIONS. HART’S RESEARCH IS ON HIGH-ELEVATION PLANT ECOLOGY AND ETHNOBOTANY. HE WORKS WITH NEPALI, BHUTANESE, AND CHINESE COLLEAGUES TO ANSWER THE QUESTION OF HOW PLANTS ARE RESPONDING TO CLIMATE CHANGE. Growing up on the Olympic Peninsula, where a long day’s hike can begin at tide pools, pass through moss-draped temperate forests, and end in mile-high alpine meadows, the biological richness of mountain regions was easy to internalize. It inspired my training as an ecologist.…

A CONSERVATION BIOLOGIST AND PH.D. CANDIDATE AT THE ZOOLIGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON AND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON, JOSH IS THE FOUNDER OF RANGERS WITHOUT BORDERS AND A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE WORLD WILDLIFE FUND #WWFVOICES CAMPAIGN. HE HAS FOCUSED ON CONSERVATION OF THE AMUR TIGER (PANTHERA TIGRIS TIGRIS) IN NE ASIA. HE HAS BEEN A CHURCHILL FELLOW ON ISLAND CONSERVATION POLICY IN NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA, AND FIJI, HAS SERVED AS A POLICY ADVISOR FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM’S DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD & RURAL AFFAIRS, AND IS AN ADVISOR FOR THE QUEEN’S COMMON WEALTH TRUST ON ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY. My work focuses on the intersection of science and conservation and on communicating that to policy makers and the wider public. Our research with Rangers Without Borders aims to document the training needs…

DAWN WRIGHT IS CHIEF SCIENTIST OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS RESEARCH INSTITUTE (ESRI) AND A PROFESSOR OF GEOGRAPHY AND OCEANOGRAPHY AT OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY, ON THE FACULTY SINCE 1995. SHE IS A LEADING AUTHORITY IN THE APPLICATION OF GEO-GRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS) DATA TO OCEAN AND COASTAL SCIENCE. RAISED ON MAUI, HAWAII, SHE HAS COMPLETED OCEANOGRAPHIC FIELDWORK IN THE EAST PACIFIC RISE, THE MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE, THE JUAN DE FUCA RIDGE, THE TONGA TRENCH, AND ON VOLCANOES UNDER THE JAPAN SEA, THE INDIAN OCEAN, AND IN AMERICAN SAMOA. Early in my career I was fortunate to be involved in several important explorations of the fast-spreading East Pacific Rise. This included providing data management and mapping support for the discovery of the Tubeworm Barbecue, which in 1991 represented the closest that any scientific…

DR. GRIOFA IS THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR FOR THE LAS VEGAS RECUPERATIVE CARE CENTER AND ISO-Q FACILITY OVERSEEING HOMELESS DURING THE COVID HEALTHCARE PANDEMIC, WHILE DEVELOPING BIOMEDICAL TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS FOR REMOTE ENVIRONMENTS. HE HAS DESIGNED THE FIRST IRISH EXPERIMENT THAT FLEW ONBOARD THE ISS AND HAS SPENT FOUR YEARS AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER AS A PHYSICIAN AND ENGINEER WORKING ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE. HE IS IRELAND’S FIRST AQUANAUT (NEEMO 21), A NOAA DMO, RES-CUE DIVER AND SENIOR RESEARCHER/ENGINEER FOR THE NASA NEEMO MISSION ONBOARD THE AQUARIUS UNDERSEA HABITAT, AND IS THE DIVE-MEDICINE FACULTY LEAD FOR WORLD EXTREME MEDICINE. I have sought to be involved in spaceflight and exploration since I can remember. Like many of my exploration-bound brethren I have fought hard against odds to seek out new adventures and ensure…

A GEOSCIENTIST, EXPLORER, SPACE ARTIST, AND SCIENCE COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST WITH A PASSION FOR SPACE EXPLORATION, DR. PROCTOR ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO USE THEIR UNIQUE ONE-OF-A-KIND STRENGTHS TO INSPIRE THOSE WITHIN THEIR REACH AND BEYOND. SHE HAS COMPLETED FOUR ANALOG SPACE MISSIONS AND BELIEVES THAT WHEN WE SOLVE ISSUES FOR HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT, WE ALSO SOLVE ISSUES ON EARTH. SHE PROMOTES SUS-TAINABLE FOOD PRESERVATION TECHNIQUES TO REDUCE FOOD WASTE ON EARTH. SHE JOINED JOIDES RESOLUTION EXPEDITION 383, WAS AN URBAN-SUSTAINABILITY-IN-INDIA FELLOW, A NOAA TEACHER AT SEA, AN ASTRONOMY IN CHILE EDUCATOR AMBASSADOR, AND A POLARTREC TEACHER. As a geoscientist, it is generally expected that your research will focus on scientific discoveries in the field over science communication, but I have found true value in thinking about how knowledge is learned and successfully communicated.…

ANDERS JEPSEN IS AN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICIST WITH A SIX-DECADE CAREER AS A FIELD GEOLOGIST, GEOPHYSICIST, AND BUSINESSMAN. HE IS AN AN EXPERT USING REMOTE SENSING TO MEASURE AIR POLLUTION, HE HAS PROVIDED GEOPHYSICAL MAPPING FOR RENEWABLE EN-ERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, HE EXPLORED NEW SOLAR POWER GENERATION TECHNOLOGY,. RECENTLY JEPSEN IS HELPING TO DEVELOP AIRBORNE DRONE CAPABILITIES, COMBINED WITH MAGNETOMETERS, TO PROVIDE EFFICIENT LANDMINE REMOVAL AND LOCATE UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE AROUND THE WORLD. HIS TEAM IS PRESENTLY DEFINING SURVEY PROCEDURES AND DATA ALGORITHMS FOR LOW-COST DETECTION APPLICATIONS. About 70 countries in the world exhibit the presence of war-related material, landmines and unexploded ordnances, that has an enormous impact on people’s daily lives. These are commonly detected and removed by slow, inch-by-inch searching and careful digging using treasure-hunter equipment. Landmine removal progress for…

DR. CHIP THOMAS (AKA “JETSONORAMA”) IS A PHOTOGRAPHER, PUBLIC ARTIST, ACTIVIST AND PHYSICIAN WHO HAS BEEN WORKING BETWEEN MONUMENT VALLEY AND THE GRAND CANYON ON THE NAVAJO NATION SINCE 1987. HE COORDINATES THE PAINTED DESERT PROJECT WHICH MANIFESTS AS A CONSTELLATION OF MURALS ACROSS THE NAVAJO NATION, PAINTED BY ART-ISTS FROM ALL OVER THE REZ AND THE WORLD. DR. THOMAS WAS RAISED IN THE SOUTHERN USA AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES. THOMAS WAS WAS ONE OF A HANDFUL OF ARTISTS CHOSEN TO RECOGNIZE THE UNITED NATION’S 75TH ANNIVERSARY. Dr. Chip Thomas cycled across Africa in the 1990s with National Geographic Fellow Dan Buettner, producing uniquely powerful black and white imagery along the way. He has spent the last 30 years providing medical care for the Navajo…

RUBEN ALEMAN-LUCERO, 39 MARGARET O’LEARY AMSLER, 88 JOEY ANGNATOK, 28 CALLIE BROADDUS, 91 BRANDI DECARLI, 52 SUPRAJA DHARINI, 24 JUSTIN DUNNAVANT, 56 SUSAN R. EATON, 96 KAARE SIKUAQ ERICKSON, 35 VICKI LYNN FERRINI, 103 AYANA FLEWELLEN, 20 BILLY GAUTHIER, 51 DOMINQUE GONCALVES, 76 MARC O GRIOFA, 87 MARK HANNAFORD, 27 K. DAVID HARRISON, 59 ROBBIE HART, 68 LATONIA HARTERY, 63 JOHN HOUSTON, 47 ANDERS JEPSEN, 104 SHELTON JOHNSON, 64 AYANA ELIZABETH JOHNSON, 67 INIT KEITH, 107 PETER LALAMPAA, 36 CASUARINA MCKINNEY-LAMBERT, 112 DANIELLE LEE, 23 JENERIA LEKILELEI, 111 BINBIN LI, 108 ONKURI MAJUMDAR, 44 JUAN MARTINEZ-PINEDA, 115 CRAIG MATHIESON, 83 BOLORTSETSEG MINJIN, 43 SONAM PHUNTSHO, 116 JOSHUA POWELL, 75 JAMES PRIGOFF, 32 SIAN PROCTOR, 92 LOSANG RABGEY, 72 SAMUEL E. SULEIMAN RAMOS, 95 MAMY RAZAFITSALAMA, 99 MARIO RIGBY, 48 AVIJAHN…

AN INUK FROM NAIN, NUNATSIAVUT, JOEY IS A UNIQUE BLEND OF SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR, EXPERT KNOWLEDGE HOLDER, RESEARCHER, ROLE MODEL, HUSBAND AND FATHER. JOEY, A COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN, IS TRUSTED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND AN ALL-INUIT CREW ONBOARD HIS 65-FOOT MV WHAT’S HAPPENING. THIS VESSEL IS USED FOR COMMERCIAL FISHING AND FOR MARINE RESEARCH FROM GOOSE BAY IN THE EASTERN SUBARCTIC TO RESOLUTE, NUNAVUT. HE HAS BECOME A RELIABLE RESOURCE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, GOVERN-MENTS, AND ACADEMIA TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH HE LIVES AND WORKS. As an Inuit hunter, trapper and fisherman, I have had the opportunity to explore the Coast of Labrador by snowmobile and boat during all seasons. Over several decades, I have witnessed the ever-changing climate first hand; these changes include shrinking icebergs, changes in sea…

AN INDIGENOUS ANTHROPOLOGIST FROM NORTHERN AL ASK A, ERICKSON SPECIALIZES IN HELP-ING ARCTIC RESEARCHERS WHO DO NOT LIVE THERE TO BETTER GET ALONG WITH PEOPLE WHO DO. HE IS THE OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT MANAGER FOR THE UKPEAGVIK INUPIAT CORPORATION SCIENCE IN UTQIAGVIK, ALASKA. HE WAS RAISED IN SEVERAL VILLAGES ALONG THE BERING SEA COAST INCLUDING SAVOONGA, SAINT MICHAELS, AND UNALAKLEET. HIS FA-THER, JEFF, IS A SCANDINAVIAN FISHERMAN AND SCHOOL TEACHER AND HIS MOTHER, DONNA SAURAQ, IS A CULTURAL LEADER RAISED IN UTQIAGVIK. FOR OVER A DECADE HE HAS BEEN IMMERSED IN ANTHROPOLOGICAL PROJECTS AND STUDYING ALASKA NATIVE HISTORY. The mission of our organization is to utilize our Indigenous and local knowledge to assist Arctic researchers. I help engage Arctic researchers with Arctic residents. As explorers, I believe that it is…

SATEESH IS A CONSERVATION BIOLOGIST WORKING TO IMPROVE KNOWLEDGE OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOR IN ORDER TO MITIGATE HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICT AROUND THE WORLD. THIS WORK HAS INCLUDED ELEPHANTS IN A SMALL VILLAGE OF NORTHERN THAILAND, SAVANNA ECOLOGY IN SOUTH AFRICA, AND JAGUARS IN COSTA RICA. CURRENTLY, HIS RESEARCH FO-CUSES ON ELEPHANT PERSONALITY DIFFERENCES TO UNDERSTAND BETTER HOW DIFFERENT ELEPHANT PERSONALITIES MAY INFLUENCE THEIR MOVEMENT PAT TERNS AND INTER ACTIONS WITH THEIR HABITAT. While I have worked on research projects with volunteers, I found that it is possible to involve and engage anyone in conservation. Doing so with local people is essential for any conservation efforts. What I would like to promote in my future work is inclusion and support for more diverse viewpoints. I hope this will allow more opportunities for people…

JOHN’S LIFE IS A STORY OF THE ARCTIC AND NOVA SCOTIA. HE OWES HIS STORYTELLING TO THE INUIT AMONG WHOM HE WAS RAISED WHILE HIS PARENTS JAMES AND ALMA HOUSTON DEVELOPED WHAT THE WORLD NOW KNOWS AS INUIT ART. AFTER GRADUATING FROM YALE UNIVERSITY JOHN BECAME ART ADVISOR TO THE INUIT COMMUNITY OF PANGNIRTUNG, RE-GAINING HIS CHILDHOOD FLUENCY IN INUKTITUT. HE IS ALSO FLUENT IN FRENCH. HIS FIRST SIX FILMS ARE ALL WINNERS OF INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC AWARDS. HE NOW ALSO PRODUCES WITH INDIGENOUS PARTNERS. My idea is nothing new. Inuit say “Tumivut nanituinnauvut” – “our footsteps are everywhere.” Since long before Columbus “discovered” what he called the New World, there were few places on earth that Indigenous peoples had not already visited or inhabited. Instead of denying or sidestepping…

BRANDI DECARLI IS THE FOUNDING PARTNER OF FARM FROM A BOX, A CLEANTECH-POWERED INFRASTRUCTURE FOR COMMUNITY-BASED LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION. SHE IS CURRENTLY A SHEEO VENTURE, A BOARD MEMBER OF JORDANIAN AGRITECH ACCELERATOR HASSAD, AND A RISING TALENT WITH THE WOMEN’S FORUM. SHE IS A FREQUENT GLOBAL SPEAKER ON TECH-NOLOGY’S ROLE IN CLIMATE RESILIENCE, ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT, AND WOMEN’S LEADER-SHIP, INCLUDING HER TEDX TALK, “HOW TECHNOLOGY AND TOGETHERNESS CAN TRANSFORM OUR WORLD.” BRANDI IS PASSIONATE ABOUT REJECTING OLD RULES AND DRIVING POSITIVE CHANGE IN THE WORLD THROUGH INNOVATION, COMPASSION, AND CONNECTION. Everyone should have access to healthy food produced in a way that benefits the land and regenerates life. We failed to meet the foundational need of food for almost 700 million people last year. This trajectory will have 840 million people…

BORN AND RAISED IN DETROIT, MICHIGAN, SHELTON JOHNSON ATTENDED CASS TECH HIGH SCHOOL AND GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN. HE SERVED IN THE PEACE CORPS IN KAKATA, LIBERIA, AND WEST AFRICA. THEN HE ATTENDED GRADUATE SCHOOL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN. HE HAS WORKED FOR THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AS A PARK RANGER FOR WELL OVER 30 YEARS, SERVING IN YELLOWSTONE, WASHINGTON, D.C., GREAT BASIN, AND NOW YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK. My work is pushing boundaries because most of my career has been spent in wilderness parks such as Yellowstone and Yosemite. While most African Americans have their National Park Service careers in urban or rural areas, I became the chosen one to interpret the Buffalo Soldiers of the Sierra Nevada, which I used as a tool to connect African…

DR. DONALD WARNE IS THE ASSOCIATE DEAN OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION, THE DIRECTOR OF THE INDIANS INTO MEDICINE (INMED) AND PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS, AND PROFESSOR OF FAMILY AND COMMUNITY MEDICINE AT THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA. HE IS THE SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR TO THE GREAT PLAINS TRIBAL LEADER’S HEALTH BOARD IN RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA. A MEMBER OF THE OGLALA LAKOTA TRIBE FROM PINE RIDGE, HE COMES FROM A LONG LINE OF TRADITIONAL HEALERS AND MEDICINE MEN. The primary focus of my professional career is to improve health in Indigenous populations. I serve as a consultant and/or board member to a multitude of health agencies and advocacy organizations, including the national boards of March of Dimes, Public Health Foundation, and American…

I GREW UP IN BEIRA, NEAR GORONGOSA NATIONAL PARK IN MOZAMBIQUE, HEARING MY FA-THER’S STORIES ABOUT THE PARK AND ITS WILDLIFE, ESPECIALLY THE ELEPHANTS. TODAY, I MANAGE GORONGOSA’S ELEPHANT ECOLOGY PROJECT. MY WORK IS A HOLISTIC BLEND OF ECOLOGY, CONSERVATION, AND HUMAN-ELEPHANT CONFLICT MITIGATION. I AM ALSO A PAS-SIONATE ADVOCATE FOR GIRLS’ EDUCATION, TO HELP PREVENT EARLY MARRIAGE. IN 2019, I WAS NARRATOR AND MAIN CHARACTER OF THE AWARD-WINNING FILM OUR GORONGOSA: A PARK FOR THE PEOPLE. I am one of the first Mozambican women to work in elephant ecology and conservation. My work focuses on the long-term monitoring of Gorongosa’s elephant population and their habitat use (distribution, movement, and range expansion) to understand and mitigate human-elephant conflict (HEC). The project trains members of the Coexistence team in HEC solutions.…

MARGARET “MAGGIE” O’LEARY AMSLER IS A MARINE BIOLOGIST. HER RESEARCH INITIALLY FOCUSED ON THE ANTARCTIC KRILL. MORE RECENTLY SHE CONCENTRATES ON SUBTIDAL BEN-THIC ECOLOGY, INVASIVE CRABS, AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF OCEAN ACIDIFICATION. MAGGIE HAS SPENT OVER 8 YEARS (30 EXPEDITIONS) IN ANTARCTICA ABOARD RESEARCH VESSELS OR AT RESEARCH STATIONS. SHE HAS MADE OVER 500 POLAR SCUBA DIVES AND 33 SUBMERSIBLE HOURS LOGGED DOWN TO 1000M IN POLAR WATERS. I have a deep commitment to sharing scientific discoveries with the general public as well as the professional community. To me, science is an art form, a way of thinking and doing. I use Antarctica as my medium, a canvas to invite and engage understanding of the process of science. I weave science stories through every image of penguin antics, diving under…

A SCUBA INSTRUCTOR WITH A BIOLOGY EDUCATION FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO, SAMUEL RAMOS CREATED A SCUBA SCHOOL CALLED AMBIENTE MARINO WITH WHICH HE EXPLORES HIS COUNTRY ABOVE AND BELOW THE WATER. BRINGING HIS STUDENTS TOGETHER WITH OTHER DIVERS, THEY BEGAN TO REMOVE GARBAGE THAT THEY SAW ON LAND AND ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA. THEY CREATED SOCIEDAD AMBIENTE MARINO (SAM), A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT HAS ALLOWED THEM TO CONTINUE EXPLORING AND LEARNING ABOUT THEIR COUNTRY AND THE CARIBBEAN, WHILE ALSO GIVING OTHERS THE CHANCE TO DO SO. Over the years, the work done by many volunteers at Sociedad Ambiete Marino has positively impacted the coral reefs offshore of the Municipality of Culebra Island. This is a model for other islands in the Caribbean as well as for…

FAWN SHARP IS PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL CONGRESS OF AMERICAN INDIANS AND THE 5TH TERM HEAD OF STATE AND CEO OF THE QUINAULT INDIAN NATION. A HUMAN RIGHTS ATTORNEY RECOGNIZED BY THE UNITED NATIONS AS A GLOBAL AUTHORITY ON INDIGENOUS RIGHTS, PRESIDENT SHARP RECEIVED HER JURIS DOCTORATE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON. PRIOR TO SERVING AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, SHE SERVED AS A JUDGE FOR BOTH THE QUINAULT NATION AND WASHINGTON STATE AND HELD POSITIONS WITHIN THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY. When our ancestors signed the Treaty of Olympia in 1855 with the United States of America, the federal government recognized the Quinault Nation as a sovereign state in perpetuity. We would always have a relationship with the United States that was between equals, sovereign to sovereign. I understood that my…

DR. INTI KEITH IS A SENIOR MARINE BIOLOGIST AT THE CHARLES DARWIN FOUNDATION. SHE LEADS THE MARINE INVASIVE SPECIES PROGRAM AND THE LONG-TERM SUBTIDAL ECOLOGICAL MONITORING PROGRAM IN THE GALAPAGOS MARINE RESERVE. INTI HAS WORKED AROUND THE WORLD TAGGING SHARKS, MONITORING SEA TURTLES, AND SURVEYING CORAL AND ROCKY REEFS. HER CURRENT INTERESTS LIE IN UNDERSTANDING THE HEALTH OF MARINE ECOSYSTEMS IN THE EASTERN TROPICAL PACIFIC AND IN EVALUATING THE IMPACTS OF ANTHROPOGENIC DRIVERS ON THIS INCREDIBLY BIODIVERSE REGION INCLUDING CLIMATE CHANGE, INVASIVE SPECIES, INCREASING TOURISM, ILLEGAL FISHING, AND PLASTIC POLLUTION. Due to the confluence of warm and cold currents, the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) has a unique biophysical environment with high levels of productivity and a diversity of ecosystems with distinctive biological communities. The region’s Galapagos Islands, an archipelago that…

CASUARINA MCKINNEY-LAMBERT IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE BAHAMAS REEF ENVIRONMENT EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION (BREEF), A NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO PROTECTING THE BAHAMIAN MARINE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH HANDS-ON EDUCATION, OUTREACH, RESEARCH, AND POLICY. SHE WAS A FOUNDING BOARD MEMBER OF ONE ELEUTHERA FOUNDATION AND BAHAMAS PROTECTED AREAS FUND. SHE SERVES ON THE FISHERIES ADVISORY COUNCIL, THE NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE, BIODIVERSITY, NATIONAL MARITIME POLICY COMMITTEES AND ON THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS TECHNICAL COMMITTEE. SHE IS A MEMBER OF THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY SMALL GRANTS PROGRAMME AND THE UNITED WORLD COLLEGE NATIONAL COMMITTEE IN THE BAHAMAS. I was born in an archipelagic nation of over two thousand low-lying islands surrounded by ocean. We are particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise and the impact of increasingly strong hurricanes. The Bahamas has some of the last remaining…

SONAM PHUNTSHO IS CHIEF OF DIVISION OF TELECOM AND SPACE, DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOM, MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & COMMUNICATIONS FOR THE ROYAL GOVERNMENT OF BHUTAN. AMONG HIS MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS, HE PARTIC-IPATED IN LAUNCHING THE FIRST SATELLITE FOR BHUTAN, BUILDING THE FIRST NATION-WIDE HIGH-SPEED FIBER OPTICS BACKBONE NETWORK, ESTABLISHING AN EMERGENCY COMMUNI-CATIONS NETWORK FOR DISASTER COMMUNICATIONS USING SATCOM NETWORK, AND ESTAB-LISHING A HIGH-SPEED NATIONAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION NETWORK. HE IS THE RECIPIENT OF THE AUSTRALIAN LEADERSHIP AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP. Bhutan embraced modernization starting in the early 1960s after a long period of self-imposed isolation. Road networks were built followed by an analog telecommunication network in the 1970s. Bhutan introduced the Internet and TV in 1999. Since, Bhutan’s progress has accelerated. I am inspired by the vision of His Majesty The…

The process of editing materials submitted by the honorees was condensed over a busy few weeks. Each individual was asked to respond with several photos, biographic information and two 250-word essays. Some added a bit more. The editorial task was to condense this material to the constraints of the publication space and to select images that spoke of the individual. The biographic description was limited to around 90 words, the supporting text to less than 300 words. We reviewed the submitted material, attempting to use much of the text as-was while creating a cohesive voice for the book. Once placed into the honorees’ space in the book, the condensed text was again reviewed and proofed. A three-person team assembled the book: Log Editor, myself; Log Chapter Editor, Martha Shaw; Log…

THE EXPLORERS CLUB 46 EAST 70TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10021 WWW.EXPLORERS.ORG | 212-628-8383 AFRICA Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka gladys@ctph.org ALASKA Mead Treadwell meadwell@alaska.net ATLANTA Steve Pigott jagter@msn.com AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND Todd Tai todd@mivision.com.au BHUTAN Matthew DeSantis matt@mybhutan.com CANADA George Kourounis chapterchair@explorersclub.ca CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA OPEN CHICAGO/GREAT LAKES Robert A. Shuchman, PhD shuchman@mtu.edu EAST & SOUTH ASIA Steven R. Schwankert steven@sinoscuba.com FLORIDA Joseph Dituri, PhD joe@gallantaquatic.com GEORGE ROGERS CLARK Cindy Irvin cirvin100@yahoo.com GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND Mark Wood, Chair mark@markwoodexplorer.com Rory Golden, Vice Chair rgolden@eircom.net www.britishexplorersclub.org GREATER PIEDMONT Phil Bartlett mfbartlett@gmail.com HAWAII Mark Blackburn mblackburn@aol.com HONG KONG Angelica Angles aangles@explorershk.org NEW ENGLAND Gregory Deyermenjian paititi@alumni.clarku.edu NORTH PACIFIC ALASKA Joshua C. Lewis & Victoria M. Becwar-Lewis npac1@me.com NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Lesley Ewing lesleycoastal@gmail.com NORWAY Synnøve Marie Kvam Strømsvåg explorers.norge@gmail.com PACIFIC NORTHWEST John…

A COMMITTED SEA TURTLE CONSERVATIONIST ALONG THE INDIAN EAST COAST FOR THE LAST 18 YEARS, SHE IS EXEMPLARY FOR HER MULTI-DISCIPLINARY APPROACH. SHE HAS A TEAM OF 363 ‘SEA TURTLE PROTECTION FORCE (STPF)’ MEMBERS FROM 222 MARGINALIZED ARTISANAL FISHING VILL AGES IN TAMIL NADU, ANDHRA, AND ODISHA. THEY HAVE PROTECTED TENS OF THOU-SANDS OF OLIVE RIDLEY NESTS IN HATCHERIES, WHICH HAS RESULTED IN THE SAFE RELEASE OF MILLIONS OF HATCHLINGS BACK TO THE SEA. STPF MEMBERS EDUCATE OTHER FISHERS IN THEIR VILLAGES ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSERVING TURTLES, RETRIEVING GHOST NETS, REDUCING POLLUTION, AND CARING MORE FOR THEIR OCEAN ENVIRONMENT IN GENERAL. Through establishing the STPF program, the TREE Foundation (Trust for Education and Environment) has given artisanal fishers a secure long-term alternative income to fishing that allows them to…

“GOFF” STROGOFF IS A FORMER SHARK, TURTLE, AND SEA CUCUMBER FISHERMAN WHO BE-CAME AN ENIRONMENTAL FILMMAKER, PHOTOGRAPHER, AND ADVENTURER. HIS LIFE CHANGED WHEN THE BRITISH NGO BLUE VENTURES STARTED WORKING IN HIS SMALL FISHING VILLAGE AND HE LEARNED ABOUT CONSERVATION AND MARINE PROTECTION. IN 2014, BY CHANCE HE MET AN ENVIRONMENTAL FILMMAKER WHO TAUGHT HIM TO FILM AND PHOTOGRAPH. HE NOW TRAVELS TO SOME OF THE MOST REMOTE PLACES IN MADAGASCAR AND DIVES DEEP INTO UNCHARTED CAVE SYSTEMS, FILMS THE RELOCATION OF MADAGASCAR’S LARGEST LEMUR, AND GOES UNDERCOVER TO EXPOSE THE ILLEGAL TORTOISE AND TURTLE TRADES. The most meaningful aspect of my work is to document the realities of what is happening to the environment in Madagascar. By opening peoples’ eyes, change and solutions can be found. This is what…

THE SON OF PASTORALIST KINEMPE LALAMPAA AND NOOMUNGEN LALAMPAA, PETER HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING RAISED IN A HUMBLE BACKGROUND OF PASTORALISM IN SAMBURU, KENYA, WHERE THE MAIN STAY IS DEPENDENCE ON LIVESTOCK. DURING THESE HERDING AC-TIVITIES, PETER CONNECTED WITH NATURE AND DECIDED TO PURSUE A CAREER IN CONSERVA-TION. HE CONVINCED HIS PARENTS TO ALLOW HIM TO ATTEND SCHOOL TO ACHIEVE A DEGREE IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AT KENYATTA UNIVERSITY. HE JOINED GREVY’S ZEBRA TRUST THEREAFTER AND RECEIVED A MASTERS WITH UNIVERSITY OF KENT, DURRELL INSTITUTE OF CONSERVATION AND ECOLOGY. My initial role with Grevy’s Zebra Trust was training field staff including scouts, ambassadors, and warriors. The data that they collected informed conservation action for the endangered Grevy’s zebra in northern Kenya. I was able to drive community campaigns to create…

MARIO RIGBY IS AN EXPLORER AND ADVOCATE OF INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY IN THE OUTDOORS. HE ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO EXPLORE SUSTAINABLY. BORN IN TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS, HE SPENT HIS CHILDHOOD IN GERMANY AND THEN MOVED TO TORONTO, CANADA, AS A TEENAGER. IN 2018, MARIO COMPLETED A TWO-YEAR TREK CROSSING AFRICA BY WALKING AND KAYAKING FROM CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA, TO CAIRO, EGYPT. THIS EXPEDITION ALLOWED HIM TO CONNECT WITH COMMUNITIES AND SHARE THEIR STORIES. HIS GOAL WAS TO INSPIRE PEOPLE LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY TO BE BRAVE AND GET OUT TO SEE THE WORLD. HIS STORIES ARE GRIPPING AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING AS HE LEARNS ABOUT HUMANITY AND OVERCOMING FEAR. My ultimate vision is to push the advancement of humanity with adventuring and storytelling through sustainable, human-powered expeditions that promote social and environmental…

SCOTT THOMPSON’S LIFE HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT BEING A RESIDENT OF THE WORLD. AFTER COLLEGE, HE BECAME A GOLF PRO IN GENEVA WHERE THE CONSULATE GENERALS TAUGHT HIM WHAT THE REST OF THE WORLD IS AND HAS DONE. RETURNING TO CALIFORNIA AFTER THREE YEARS IN OSLO, NORWAY, HE FOUNDED THE SAN FRANCISCO SPORTS COUNSEL. THIS LED TO RUNNING THE 2008 INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S GAMES BRINGING 1650 YOUNG ATHLETES FROM 82 CITIES AND 41 COUNTRIES. IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT CREATING A NEW COMPANY AND LIFESTYLE COULD HELP THE WORLD: HE CO-FOUNDED FARM FROM A BOX. The work that Farm from a Box offers should have impact for centuries. To grow food in a manner that allows people to maximize yields in a small area using sustainable power and careful use of precious…

AVIJAN SAHA IS FROM SILIGURI, WEST BENGAL, INDIA. HE LOVES TO WORK IN JOURNALISM AND POINT OUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL MATTER THAT DEFINES OUR TIME. HIS SPECIAL INTER-EST IS IN ELEPHANTS. HIS FATHER, HIS HERO, BOUGHT HIM HIS FIRST CAMERA AND SAID, “JUST GO ON AND TRY TO MAKE A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE HUMAN AND NATURAL WORLD.” HIS HOMETOWN IS SURROUNDED BY SEVERAL FORESTS, THE HOME OF MANY ENDANGERED SPECIES. DOCUMENTING EVERY SITUATION THAT RELATES TO ELEPHANTS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING WITH ELEPHANTS, AVIJAN’S PHOTOGRAPHS ARE PUBLISHED WIDELY. I have been working in a landscape called Terai, a mosaic and fragmented region covered by forests, tea gardens, human habitations, and industries. It is also a renowned zone with a history of elephant concentration. Every year more than ten people die…

BORN IN A TIBETAN REFUGEE SETTLEMENT IN INDIA AND RAISED IN CANADA, DR RABGEY HOLDS A PH.D. FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON AS THE FIRST TIBETAN WITH A GRADUATE DEGREE IN FEMINIST ANTHROPOLOGY. WITH HER SISTER DR. TASHI RABGEY, SHE CO-FOUNDED MACHIK, A NONPROFIT GROUP WITH A MISSION TO GROW A GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF CARE FOR A STRONGER FUTURE FOR TIBET. IN THE LAST 20+ YEARS, MACHIK HAS SUPPORTED EDUCATION FOR THOUSANDS OF RURAL STUDENTS AND YOUTH IN TIBET AND IN DIASPORA. GENDER EQUITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A KEY FOCUS OF MACHIK My work with Machik pushes the boundaries of exploration. Traditionally, and for a long time, the notion of explorers did not include groups such as Tibetan women. My sister, Dr. Tashi Rabgey, were born in a refugee settlement.…

YU JIAHUA, BORN IN CHINA’S SICHUAN PROVINCE ON THE SLOPES OF THE 4,969M JIUDING MOUNTAIN, IS A MEMBER OF THE QIANG ETHNIC MINORITY. AS A TEENAGER AT THE ONSET OF CHINA’S CULTURAL REVOLUTION, HE LEFT SCHOOL DUE TO POVERTY AND HUNTED WITH HIS FATHER TO SUPPORT HIS FAMILY. LATER HE RAISED YAKS. GRIEVED BY THE LOSS OF MOUNTAIN WILDLIFE, HE TOOK THE INITIATIVE TO STOP POACHING. YU JIAHUA ORGANIZED SICHUAN’S FIRST CONSERVATION GROUP WHICH NOW INVOLVES 13 VILLAGES RECRUITING 500 LOCAL RANGERS TO PROTECT 200KM2 OF WILDERNESS AROUND MT. JIUDING. I was born in the 1950s. In those times life was very hard. If one wanted to live a bit better they needed a special skill. When I was 14, I learned how to hunt from my elders which gave…

A GEOSCIENTIST, JOURNALIST AND POLAR EXPLORER, SUSAN FOCUSES ON THE WORLD’S CHANGING OCEANS--FROM ANTARCTICA TO THE ARCTIC—IN THE SNORKEL ZONE, A UNIQUE LAND-SEA-ICE-AIR INTERFACE WHERE CHARISMATIC ANIMALS AND SNORKELERS COMMINGLE. SUSAN STUDIES THE INTERPLAY OF PLATE TECTONICS, OCEANS, GLACIERS, CLIMATE, AND LIFE IN POLAR REGIONS. SHE HAS PARTICIPATED IN EXPEDITIONS TO THE FALKLAND ISLANDS, SOUTH GEORGIA, ANTARCTICA, SVALBARD, GREENLAND, ICELAND, NORWAY, LABRADOR, AND NUNAVUT. SUSAN IS FOUNDER AND LEADER OF THE ALL-FEMALE, SEDNA EPIC EXPEDITION AND HAS BEEN INAUGURATED INTO THE WOMEN DIVERS HALL OF FAME. My passion for scuba diving ended abruptly in Belize when I suffered a diving trauma. I emerged three days later, from a hyperbaric chamber as a non-diver. But I soon made the transition from scuba diver to snorkeler and fell in love with the…

DR. BINBIN LI IS AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT DUKE KUNSHAN UNIVERSITY, KUNSHAN, JIANGSU, CHINA. SHE FOCUSES ON PROTECTED AREAS AND ENDANGERED AND ENDEMIC SPE-CIES CONSERVATION. HER STUDIES INCLUDE GIANT PANDA HABITAT AND UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACTS OF OIL PALM AND RUBBER PLANTATIONS ON BIODIVERSITY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA. SHE ALSO EMPOWERS YOUNG WOMEN TO PARTICIPATE IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND CONSERVA-TION WORK, AND SHE IS ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN SCIENCE COMMUNICATION AND NATURE EDU-CATION. SHE IS A POPULAR WRITER AND NATURE PHOTOGRAPHER WITH MORE THAN 400,000 FOLLOWERS IN SOCIAL MEDIA. Biodiversity is the foundation for ecological balance and the sustainable development of human society. However, biodiversity conservation may be treated as the opponent of development and cause huge conflicts. My work helps to identify key areas to set aside that better protect threatened and…