Connecting Explorers Globally; Sharing Stories Locally

An unprecedented gathering took place in March 2007 at National Geographic Society headquarters. Twenty-eight of National Geographic’s scientists and experts—Explorers-in-Residence, Emerging Explorers, and Fellows—convened for a three-day, first ever Explorers Symposium.

Together for the first time, these talented individuals from traditional fields like archaeology, oceanography, and anthropology, as well as nontraditional disciplines like ethnobotany, musical storytelling, and Tibetan studies, led themed panel discussions on their work and presented updates and stories from the field.

“It was an incredible opportunity to hear current updates from all of our explorers and ask questions during the moderated panel discussions to develop content and make connections,” said Mission Programs Executive Vice President Terry Garcia.

Panel discussions covered global topics, including cultural exploration; conservation and rebuilding in communities; education and outreach; Africa: past and present; geography in challenging environments; ocean exploration; the future of exploration; and the ecosystems of Madagascar.

Thought-provoking dialogue flowed out of the presentations, and new insights were shared about the world around us. Emerging Explorer David de Rothschild surprised many when he revealed that the world’s largest garbage heap is not a part of any land-based dump, but is located in the Pacific Ocean. Known as “the eastern garbage patch,” the swirling mass of debris contains approximately 3.5 million tons of trash and is roughly the size of Texas. David’s own astonishment in learning this tragic fact provided the impetus to begin his own environmental outreach project.

Important commentaries on other topics such as the evolving state of conservation were shared by Explorer-in-Residence Sylvia Earle who observed, “The oceans are the stabilizers of our planet, and we need to protect our life-support system.” And NG Fellow Chris Rainier declared, “There is a fire burning around the planet, and with that fire is the loss of language.”

The Explorers Symposium evolved not only from the Society’s passion for diverse fields of study and the fascinating people who work in them, but also from its commitment to raising awareness. By presenting the most timely and important information about our global connections and impact, the Explorers Symposium gives us all the chance to think about our place in the world and how we can work together to inspire others to care about the planet.

Learn more about National Geographic’s explorers at nationalgeographic.org/explorers-program.