Explorers

The National Geographic Air and Water Conservation Fund

Mist rolling over Five Colored Lake at dawn, Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province, China

Photograph by Michael S. Yamashita

About the Program

Building on our legacy of supporting groundbreaking research and vital conservation worldwide for more than a century, National Geographic has established The National Geographic Air and Water Conservation Fund. This grant program supports the field research of Chinese scientists who are exploring innovative solutions to water and air quality issues.

Funding will be given to on-the-ground projects in China at the cutting edge of research, technology, and conservation that require seed capital, including those that investigate risky or unproven approaches.

Funded projects will include, but not be limited to, scientific research, community conservation programs, technological innovation, and communication endeavors that directly bear on novel solutions in air and water conservation. Priority will be given to projects with potential for being replicable and scalable for a global audience.

Alibaba Group is a founding partner of The National Geographic Air and Water Conservation Fund.

Out of Eden Walk

Where will Paul Salopek walk on his seven-year adventure? Find out as he updates us from the field.
Mongolia Wolverine Expedition

Follow along as Gregg Treinish skis roughly 400 miles to survey wildlife, with a focus on wolverine.
Desventuradas Expedition

Follow Explorer-in-Residence Enric Sala as he sets off on his first big expedition of the year: to explore the remote islands of Desventuradas, hundreds of miles off the coast of Chile.
A Thousand Miles Across the Ice Age Trail

Sally Younger is undertaking a winter transect of Wisconsin's Ice Age Trail to interpret the land's worth and change.
Omagination

Young Explorer Kelsy Wilson's project provides cameras to Omani women artisans in order to see the evolution of their living craft heritage "through their eyes and in their hands."

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Explorer Videos

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Global Exploration Fund—China

Spotlight

China Exploration Photos

The new National Geographic Air and Water Conservation Fund will support the field research of Chinese scientists who are exploring innovative solutions to water and air quality issues. This gallery features a sampling of previous exploration in China across the scientific spectrum that National Geographic has been funding since 1888.

Celebrating 125 Years National Geographic

Steady Hands and Fins

Photographer David Doubilet photographs stingrays, sharks, and more.
Survival Guide: Dodging Locusts

Swarm behaviorist Iain Couzin has a toxic reaction to a locust at the same time his team runs out of food.

Meet the Explorers

Explorers A-Z

At the heart of our explorers program is the quest for knowledge through exploration and the people who make it possible.
Explorers by Category

Browse our different areas of exploration and discover the fascinating people behind the projects.