‘Experience the wonder anew’ in National Geographic’s next chapter
The National Geographic Society’s CEO reflects on its long history of global exploration and invites a future inspiring the Explorer in us all.
A flash of movement. A mob of tiny faces, bright against the sun-baked sand. You can’t help but root for meerkats; they have the swagger of creatures 10 times their size. But beneath their charm is a fragile choreography of survival. This month’s meerkat feature, photographed by National Geographic Explorer Thomas Peschak, examines the intricate social structure that gives their species a fighting chance.
This is what we’ve always done at National Geographic: invite the world in, one unforgettable story at a time, no matter how complex, iconic, or obscure the subject. Five years into my role, what continues to move me is how these stories make us feel.
Explorer David Doubilet said, “If you want to protect nature, you first have to love it. And if you want to love, you first have to understand it. But there’s something else too—you first have to see it.”
That ethos of seeing, understanding, and protecting has guided us since our founders began publishing this magazine in 1888. Their conviction that knowledge should be broadly shared spurred thousands of Explorer-led expeditions and ever more innovative ways of amplifying those Explorers’ findings. We packed lecture halls and film screenings, launched TV specials and our own global channels. We streamed world-class storytelling into classrooms and onto smartphones while building one of the largest social media communities on Earth. Technology has evolved, but our purpose has never wavered: to illuminate and protect the wonder of the world.
Our next chapter invites you to Washington, D.C., to experience the wonder anew. Opening this summer, the transformed National Geographic Museum of Exploration will transport visitors into the field with our Explorers. Feel their curiosity, step inside their imagination, share their determination, and discover the tools that shape their journeys. See filmmaker and photographer Sandesh Kadur’s custom-built 4x4, equipped to help him navigate the harshest terrains. Admire astrophotographer Babak Tafreshi’s telescope, the instrument that inspired his mesmerizing photography. And learn the backstory of a remarkably complete Spinosaurus skeleton, a marvel unearthed by paleontologist Nizar Ibrahim.
Stories do more than reveal; they stir something deeper. Whether we’re captivated by a plucky meerkat or by artifacts from nearly 140 years of global discovery, the world opens up to us when we explore. Come see for yourself.
