Few can boast a single-minded, almost religious passion guiding their life's work. J. Michael Fay, an ecologist with the Wildlife Conservation Society and Explorer-in-Residence for National Geographic, is one of these people. Driven by an unyielding drive to document and preserve one of the last pristine places on Earth—large swaths of Africa—Fay has risked everything to convince us of its value.

In 2000, during the "Megatransect" project, Fay walked 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) through the heart of Africa to document the largest unspoiled area on the continent. As a result, Gabon established its first system of national parks.

Inspired by this success, Fay then set his sights on all of Africa. He recently spent eight months on the "Megaflyover" project, flying low over 60,000 miles (97,000 kilometers) of Africa to capture a hundred thousand digital images—creating an unprecedented record of the environment and sparking further action for conservation.

Think Big
Using his life's work as an example, Fay inspires us to dream beyond our current titles or roles to consider what we might achieve if we were willing to see ourselves as powerful.

The Megatransect: Walking Across the Heart of Africa
Using slides, video, and sound recordings, Fay shares his remarkable walking expedition across equatorial Africa and explains how attention generated by the expedition led the country of Gabon to establish its first system of national parks.

The Africa Megaflyover
In this visually rich presentation, Fay explores how the images and information he collected can change the way Africa and the rest of the world perceive and use their natural resources.

"I received a great deal of positive feedback following the presentation. Personally, I appreciated Mike's ability to converse and interact with folks from all backgrounds and ages. His willingness to answer questions and satisfy everyone's inquiries was outstanding."
— Alaska Forum on the Environment