Explorers

Chunsheng (Richard) Yao

Program Officer

Chunsheng (Richard) Yao is the Program Officer of the Air and Water Conservation Fund. He graduated from Department of Resources and Environment, Beijing Normal University, with a major in Geography. He earned two master degrees. One is from the Institute of Remote Sensing Applications, Chinese Academy of Sciences, studying Geographical Information System (GIS) and the other is from EU Erasmus Mundus Master Program of Environmental Science, Policy and Management (MESPOM), focusing on environmental management and policy.

Mr. Yao’s work is focused in the environment and development field, including international development agencies, NGOs, and enterprises. He served as Program Officer of the Cultural and Education Section of British Consulate-General for Skills for Social Entrepreneurs Program, and of the Global Environmental Institute for Rural Energy and Climate Change Project, promoting market-based business models to solve various environmental problems. Prior to this, he served as Program Manager for the UNESCO China Education for Sustainable Development Program and actively promoted environmental education and education for sustainable development in primary and secondary schools, universities and the society.

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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Global Exploration Fund—China

Celebrating 125 Years National Geographic

Jane Goodall

Over the course of 50 years Jane has witnessed the lives of three generations of chimpanzees.
Explorer Moment

Ed Viesturs shares an early morning view from Everest.

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.