Blog Post

Day 3 of the Explorers Festival Wraps Up with Conversations that Celebrate Community and Catalyze Change

The final day of Explorers Festival wrapped up with groundbreaking news from Everest, the stories of women working in the field, and how new narratives of storytelling are the key to building a sustainable future.

The heart of National Geographic is its community, and on the final day, speakers shared stories from the peak of Mount Everest to the depths of the ocean. The morning captured the spirit of National Geographic, pushing the boundaries of science and exploration all while connecting with others through profound stories.

Here are the morning’s highlights:

  • We heard from the National Geographic Everest Expedition Team, who returned home recently after installing the two highest operating weather stations on the planet. These weather stations will help uncover the impact of climate change on the people in the region. The panel was moderated by National Geographic Society Senior Program Manager Aurora Elmore and featured Everest expedition members Ananta Gujarel, Tracie Seimon, Paul Mayewski, Tom Matthews, Baker Perry and Tyler Dinley. You can read more about their accomplishments on Everest here.

Photo Credit: National Geographic Society

  • National Geographic Explorers Guillermo de Anda and Archana Anand reminded us how vast and rich the ocean is, while National Geographic Fellow Brian Skerry showed how whale culture and our culture may not be so different after all. National Geographic Explorers Asha de Vos and Paula Kahumbu merged conservation and community together. From field to stage, these stories highlighted the efforts of conservationists to protect our planet.
  • An all-women panel took to the stage to share their stories about conservation, communities and being a woman in the field. Explorers Liliana Gutierrez, Rebecca Kochulem, Intan Suci-Nurhati and Erika Cuellar joined moderator and National Geographic Society Chief Storytelling Officer Kaitlin Yarnall to discuss the ways being a woman in the field has elevated their work. Through connections with communities, empathy and fearless perseverance, each woman shared a powerful story.
"Curiosity and research doesn't have a gender.Erika Cuellar, National Geographic Explorer"
  • The stories we tell are important, but equally as important is how we tell them. National Geographic Explorers Gautam Shah and Chris Golden, and National Geographic Fellow Anand Varma spoke with moderator Gael Almeida and shone a new light on ways we can tell stories to reach audiences and catalyze change. From reframing conservation as a public health crisis to utilizing mobile games to capture the attention of a new generation, establishing a unique narrative for nature is critical to conservation.

Photo Credit: National Geographic Society

If you want to rewatch any of the past livestreams, click here, or read the recap for Day 1 and Day 2. Thank you for joining us this week, and we hope you’ll follow along next year!

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About National Geographic Society

The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. Since 1888, National Geographic has pushed the boundaries of exploration, investing in bold people and transformative ideas, providing more than 15,000 grants for work across all seven continents, reaching 3 million students each year through education offerings, and engaging audiences around the globe through signature experiences, stories and content. To learn more, visit www.nationalgeographic.org or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.