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.
- 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.
- 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.
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!