“Of all the questions which can come before this nation, short of the actual preservation of its existence in a great war, there is none which compares in importance with the great central task of leaving this land even a better land for our descendants than it is for us.” ― Theodore Roosevelt There are...
Though the causes of past extinctions within human history are still shrouded in some mystery, the modern stretch of the sixth mass extinction is undeniably a human affair. As we reach out across the planet and attempt to exploit it, for better or worse, the cost of our activities appears ever more burdensome. What could be driving...
When you hear the term “sixth mass extinction,” what images come to mind? Elephants and lions being hunted down for the traditional medicine market? Sea turtle eggs being poached from the beaches of Costa Rica? Overfishing and reef destruction? The rainforest? With all of the recent and developing news concerning loss of ecosystems and species,...
Jon Waterhouse and The Network of Indigenous Knowledge (NIK) recently went to Yakutia in eastern Russia to help distribute the tools and knowledge necessary for water testing. NIK is about connecting people who are, by nature and place, environmental stewards of their homelands, and in this case, connecting with the peoples of the Sakha Republic...
“Snows of the Nile,” a short film by National Geographic Young Explorers Grantee Neil Losin and fellow filmmaker and explorer Nate Dappen has received third place in the Action4Climate documentary contest. The film was one of 230 contest entries from 70 countries. To celebrate the award and the culmination of their work on it, Neil and Nate are releasing it free-to-watch...
National Geographic Emerging Explorer Barrington Irving has a lofty idea of what it means to teach—he teaches by example, high among the clouds, and all over the world. As the youngest person to ever fly solo around the world, he knows how to rise above challenges and break into new territory. Barrington Irving‘s Flying Classroom recently landed in...
London: A city of remarkable historical, cultural, and natural dimensions. Though people the world over know it as the grand capital at the heart of the U.K., not many realize that approximately 47 percent of London is green space. It’s home to the world’s largest urban forest, and gardens account for 24 percent of its...
Jessica Vitale is tracking and studying hyenas in the Okavango River Delta. These animals, so often portrayed negatively in popular culture, are actually quite admirable for several reasons, including their social flexibility (even in relation to other species), and their playful tenacity in the face of savage survival. By Jessica Vitale Greetings from the Okavango!...
Did you miss the Okavango Google Hangout? If you weren’t able to tune in live, you can now watch the full replay! The Okavango expedition is headed by four prominent National Geographic Explorers—Gregg Treinish, Steve Boyes, Shah Selbe and Jer Thorpe—and its aim is to lay the groundwork for future conservation projects in one of...
Eric Chen is the grand prize winner of the 2013 Google Science Fair for his work on new influenza treatments. As part of his prize, he received a National Geographic Expedition to the Galápagos Islands to encounter all that nature has to offer. For this young biochemist, visiting the cradle of the theory of evolution was a dream come...
Rafael Reyna is a biologist fighting to protect the vanishing animals of eastern African rainforests. He studies them through a variety of methods in the hope that the information he gathers can help save them from extinction at the (often unwitting) hands of mankind. Written By Rafael Reyna El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, México Uganda’s...