In recognition of his leadership in the protection of Canada’s marine and terrestrial life, we are pleased to present Prime Minister
@JustinTrudeau
of Canada with the Planetary Leadership Award.
Hi! I’m Dr.
@raewynngrant
. I am a large carnivore ecologist,
@NatGeo
Explorer,
#scicomm
creator, & storyteller. I study the movement and behavior of bears and lions in areas with increasing human activity.
When Planetary Award winner
@mbachelet
began her presidency in Chile, 4% of the country’s oceans were protected. Now 43% is protected.
“I would like to call on all leaders to protect our world’s oceans. If Chile can do it, you can do it.”
#natgeofest
Today we celebrate the birthday of the incomparable Jane Goodall! Thank you for years of inspiration and your tireless commitment to protecting the environment.
@janegoodallinst
#BecauseOfJane
What’s happened to elephant sanctuaries after a year without tourism? “Across the industry, people are doing everything they can to hang on,” shared
@NatGeo
#WildlifeWatch
reporter
@NatashalDaly
.
“When an ethnicity or a human group disappears … the loss is immense,” indigenous-rights activist Sydney Possuelo says. “The face of humanity is left more homogenous, and humanity itself more impoverished.” From
@NatGeoMag
:
My name is Yoshi Maezumi (
@yoshi_maezumi
), National Geographic Explorer, scientist, and educator. I am honoured to be among the highlighted Explorers for
#APAHM
. I am a palaeoecologist and erstwhile archaeologist.
Hi, I’m
@Enric_Sala
, Nat Geo Explorer in Residence, here to kick off an Earth Month dedicated to illuminating, celebrating, and inspiring the protection of my favorite place—the ocean.
Photo credit:
@manusanfelix
It's
#WorldChimpanzeeDay
and the anniversary of when
#JaneGoodall
first arrived in Gombe! Jane began her studies 61 years ago, launching her journey as the conservationist whose groundbreaking discoveries shaped our understanding of what it is to be human.
@janegoodallinst
On
#SharkAwarenessDay
, meet this Eastern Pacific black… ghostshark! 👻 Our
@Ng_PristineSeas
team found this rare deep-sea species on one of their past expeditions and were able to spot it through the use of deep-sea cameras from our technology lab.
Happy birthday to pilot, adventurer, and pioneer Amelia Earhart—who was born
#OTD
in 1897! To celebrate the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, National Geographic awarded her the Special Gold Medal in 1932. Photo Courtesy Keystone View Co
Today we’re celebrating a big, iconic species... it’s
#WorldElephantDay
!
Botswana’s Okavango Delta, seen here, is one of the most biodiverse places in Africa and home to the world’s largest remaining elephant population. 🐘
On this day in 1960, a 26-year-old Jane Goodall landed in what is now Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania to begin her groundbreaking study of chimpanzee behavior.
#WorldChimpanzeeDay
#OTD
@JaneGoodallInst
“I would like to call on all leaders to protect our world's oceans,” said former president of Chile
@mbachelet
as she received the 2018 National Geographic Planetary Achievement Award for her ocean conservation achievements.
#NatGeoFest
Thriving in the montane forests of Southwestern China, the golden snub-nosed monkey (rhinopithecus roxellana) can withstand the coldest average temperatures of any non-human primate in the world.
#WorldMonkeyDay
“For me, being part of the Latino community means being proud of my roots, not to forget them. It means never stop marveling at the nature that surrounds us,” shared
#NatGeoExplorer
Catalina Velasco (
@catasubmarina
) in honor of
#HispanicLatinxHeritageMonth
.
“Being the only pup at this den, this little six-week-old girl would always get so excited when one of the adults returned,” shared
#NatGeoExplorer
@donovan_ronan
. “Watch to the end for a pretty funny interaction between mom and this solo pup getting stuck in the den.” 🐺
Founded by Nat Geo Young Explorer Stefano Castro, El Parque Collective provides creative mentorship for historically underrepresented Latinx artists. The group recently held a community exhibit at the Englewood Public Library in NJ, honoring the diversity of the community.
Our
@intotheokavango
team is working to raise awareness and help protect the Okavango River Basin. We were honored to have HRH the Duke of Sussex support our event in London through his work with our partners
@AfricanParks
and
@TheHALOTrust
! Learn more:
ANNOUNCING: Today on
#WorldOceansDay
, National Geographic has updated its Map Policy to recognize the Earth’s fifth ocean: the Southern Ocean.
Follow this thread to dive deep into why. 🌊
Explorer
@Ashadevos
was mesmerized by the creatures of the ocean ever since she was a child. Now, as an ocean educator and blue whale research pioneer, she founded Sri Lanka’s first marine conservation research and education organization,
@OceanswellOrg
.
#EarthDay
Our
@NG_PristineSeas
team is honored to be one of the six finalists in
@macfound
's
#100andChange
competition, which grants $100M to a project that is working to create a more just, equitable, and resilient future. The winner is announced later today, and we wish good luck to all!
We are deeply saddened by the passing of National Geographic Explorer Isaiah Nengo, a brilliant paleoanthropologist, mentor, and valued member of our Explorer community. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues.
We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of National Geographic Explorer at Large and conservation biologist Thomas Lovejoy.
More about his legacy:
Video by
@PopiBorboroglu
,
#NatGeoExplorer
and founder of
@Penguins_GPS
. 🐧
Popi has catalyzed major movements for the protection of the ocean with a special emphasis on penguins — helping educate and improve penguin colony management around the world!
Paleoanthropologist
#MaryLeakey
is renowned for discovering early human fossils that changed the conversation about evolution. She would've been 106 today!
#otd
As apex predators, sharks play a vital role in helping to manage healthy ocean ecosystems. Go on a journey underwater with this
@NG_PristineSeas
expedition footage to learn more about how marine protected areas can help keep sharks safe.
#SharkFest
Growing up in Panama, wildlife biologist & Emerging Explorer Ricardo Moreno of
@YaguaraPanama
became passionate about the jaguar conservation. His work seeks to foster a better coexistence between this animal and humans.
#InternationalJaguarDay
Photo courtesy: Ricardo Moreno
“We live on a water planet, and the more we know about this water world, the better off we’ll be.” Nat Geo Explorer and photographer
@brian_skerry
has spent his career underwater — photographing marine life with the intention to inspire ocean conservation efforts.
Today we mourn the passing of astronaut Michael Collins (
@AstroMCollins
), who piloted humanity’s first voyage to the moon.
Photo by: Otis Imboden/National Geographic Creative
What is
@NG_PristineSeas
founder
@Enric_Sala
's favorite shark? 🦈 "Hammerheads are distinctive, and tiger sharks are so powerful and elegant," he shared. "But my heart beat the fastest when a whale shark, the largest shark in the ocean, swam right past me in Costa Rica."
“I’ve come to realize that my disabilities are like superpowers. If harnessed properly, they enable me to explore nuances, whether of a physical space, a word in a foreign language, or a feedback loop in a marine social-ecological system” -Explorer Emi Koch.
#DisabilityPrideMonth
National Geographic Explorer, marine biologist, and founder of
@oceanswellorg
,
@AshadeVos
pioneers long-term blue whale research in the Indian Ocean. Listen to this clip from
#NatGeoFest
where she shared about her work — and how we can all take part in saving our ocean.
“I’m Dr. Danielle Lee (
@DNLee5
), an Asst Prof. of Biology at Southern Illinois U. Edwardsville & a
#NatGeoExplorer
. I’m interested in the natural history, ecology, & behavior of nuisance rodents. I use various techniques to study rodents’ behavioral responses to novelty.”
“Never before had man traveled so far, so fast, or looked so closely upon another celestial body.” Former National Geographic Society President Melvin M. Payne describes the historic
#Apollo8
mission — which was launched on this day 53 years ago.
What is
@NG_PristineSeas
founder
@Enric_Sala
's favorite shark? 🦈 "Hammerheads are distinctive, and tiger sharks are so powerful and elegant," he shared. "But my heart beat the fastest when a whale shark, the largest shark in the ocean, swam right past me in Costa Rica."
Happy birthday to "Her Deepness"
@SylviaEarle
, Explorer in Residence, famed oceanographer, record-setting diver, and advocate for ocean health. 💙 Thank you for inspiring us all to leave this world better than we found it!
@missionblue
Moments ago at this year’s UN Ocean Conference, Nat Geo named former President of Costa Rica
@CarlosAlvQ
and President of Colombia
@IvanDuque
the 2022 Planetary Leadership Awardees!
#UNOC2022
Today is our 134th birthday!
The National Geographic Society was founded in 1888 with the intention… “that we may all know more of the world upon which we live,” in the words of our first president Gardiner Greene Hubbard.
BREAKING NEWS: Today, Tristan da Cunha, the most remote inhabited island on Earth becomes the world’s biggest sanctuary for wildlife in the Atlantic, encompassing almost 700,000 sq km of ocean. Read more: [] Photo by: Dan Myers
"One of the boldest, most important lessons to share: Disrupt the imagery and narrative of what a scientist looks like." - Danielle Lee, biologist and National Geographic Explorer.
#BlackHistoryMonth
#WomenInSTEM
#WOCinSTEM
Join us in wishing Explorer at Large Bob Ballard a happy birthday! As an oceanographer, he is best known for his discoveries of hydrothermal vents, the R.M.S. Titanic, and many other contemporary and ancient shipwrecks around the world — inspiring generations of ocean explorers!
In the reptile world, there are many bizarre shapes and colors, but some of the most striking variations are found in the chameleons. 🦎
#NatGeoExplorer
and
#PhotoArk
founder
@JoelSartore
documented this veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus), in Lincoln, Nebraska.
“Hi everyone, my name is Justine Hudson (
@justinehud
), and I'm a biologist studying marine mammals in the Canadian Arctic. I'm a professional beluga snot collector interested in using hormones to better understand the life histories of Arctic marine mammals.”
Big news! 🦴 The fossil of a giant flying reptile known as a pterosaur was recently found on the Isle of Skye in Scotland during National Geographic Society-funded fieldwork.
This huge winged creature lived around 170 mil years ago and had an estimated wingspan of >2.5 meters.
Happy
#WorldPenguinDay
! In 2019, our
@ng_pristineseas
team spotted these chinstrap penguins going for a swim while exploring the Antarctic Peninsula. They worked in partnership with the governments of Argentina and Chile — who now have proposed a marine protected area here.
Want to hear from some of the world’s most innovative scientists, conservationists, explorers, and storytellers from around the world? To keep up with
#NatGeoFest
, tune into our livestream tomorrow at 1PM on
Each year, the National Geographic Society presents its most prestigious awards to trailblazers who are making astounding contributions to science, conservation, education, technology and storytelling.
Follow this thread to meet the nine 2020 honorees:
You can only imagine that we here at the National Geographic Society love our pets!
In honor of today’s
#InternationalDogDay
, follow this thread to meet some of our furriest and most adventurous Nat Geo friends. 🐶💛
“I’m Tyus Williams (
@sciencewithtyus
), a wildlife ecologist with a specialization in carnivore ecology. I’m intrigued by how predators interact with their environment and influence the wildlife species around them. I’m also a science communicator!”
Did you know that Spinosaurus, the largest predatory dinosaur known, was aquatic? Explorer and paleontologist
@NizarIbrahimPhd
and a team of scientists recently discovered a fossil tail suited for swimming.
Meet
@rosemmorton
, a surgical nurse, documentary photographer, and National Geographic Explorer. In honor of
#APAHM
and this week’s
#NursesWeek
, Rosem shared about her work — both in the hospital and behind the lens.
A new study in
@nature
from Explorer in Residence
@Enric_Sala
provides a blueprint for ramping up ocean protections by at least 30% by 2030. The solution: creating Marine Protected Areas that would boost biodiversity and more.
#30x30
Explorer Maurice Oniango may be scared of serpents, but his passion for conservation spurred his photo-documentary project about snakes and human-wildlife conflict. He works to demystify superstition and highlight conservation efforts for Kenyan snakes.
#SerpentDay
“I am walking the world,” shared
#NatGeoExplorer
@PaulSalopek
in his latest
@OutofEdenWalk
dispatch—where he meets a teacher named Xu Ben Zhen who helped build the Burma Road more than 80 years.
“Hey y’all, I’m Alex (
@n8ture_al
). As an undergrad, I researched oldfield mice using early successional habitats. I have studied bat diversity and abundance in Sabah, Malaysia, and currently I solve human and mammal pest wildlife conflicts.”
Did you know? Foxes like this juvenile gray fox have hooked claws that make them excellent tree climbers, capable of reaching heights of nearly 60 feet! Video by
#NatGeoExplorer
and
#PhotoArk
founder
@JoelSartore
at
@WRCMN
.
#OTD
in 1960, Jane Goodall first stepped foot in what is now Gombe Stream National Park. In celebration of this momentous day and Jane’s continued efforts for the conservation of this endangered species, today marks
#WorldChimpanzeeDay
.
@JaneGoodallInst
📷: Hugo van Lawick
“My name's Asia Murphy
@am_anatiala
, and I spy on wildlife. I put up trail cameras in forests and learn about how many animals are in an area, what kinds of habitats they like, how they coexist with each other, and what times they're active...all from the pictures I get of them!”
“I’m Kaylee Arnold (
@Black_Ecologist
). I used to research the behavior ecology of whales & dolphins off the coast of Italy & California. Now I'm a disease ecologist focused on understanding the impacts of human-altered landscapes on disease transmission b/w humans & animals.”
“My name is Joelle Jenkins (
@NappyHairRevel
). I’m a senior at
@UNC_Colorado
and a McNair Scholar, and my research looks at the varying identities Black individuals hold and how that may impact their consideration of natural environments (CNE).”
Join us in wishing a happy birthday to the incomparable Jane Goodall! Her years of tireless commitment to protecting the environment are a source of hope and inspiration.
@JaneGoodallInst
Photo by: Michael Nichols
It's
#WorldChimpanzeeDay
and the anniversary of when
#JaneGoodall
first arrived in Gombe! Jane began her studies 60 years ago, launching her journey as the conservationist whose groundbreaking discoveries shaped our understanding of what it is to be human.
@janegoodallinst
“Hi, I’m Jazmin (Sunny) Murphy (
@highscicomm
). I’ve conducted research on the cognitive and behavioral ecology of coyotes, primarily using camera traps and tracking. Now, as a writer, I hope to stir up the same enthusiasm I feel for these topics in the public, especially BIPOC.”
“I’m Dr. Nyeema Harris, an Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at
@UMich
. Trained as a carnivore ecologist and disease ecologist, I now seek to understand the biogeography of ecological communities through a number of approaches.”
BREAKING! The Florida Wildlife Corridor Act was signed into law, providing $400m to safeguard the state’s diverse wildlife thanks to efforts by Explorer
@CarltonWard
, with Florida Wildlife Corridor,
@PathOfPanther
, and many others.
“I’m Dr. Christopher Schell (
@cschell_canids
) an Assistant Professor at
@UW
.
I’m an urban ecologist whose research integrates evolutionary theory with ecological application to disentangle the processes accentuating human-carnivore conflict.
Coyotes are my specialty!”
Who says you can’t have some fun while out in the field?
#NatGeoExplorers
and conservation biologists Daniela Cafaggi and
@GaneshMarin
are seen here setting up a camera trap in the Cajón Bonito.
After ambitious commitments to ocean conservation at
#COP26
in Glasgow, Costa Rican President
@CarlosAlvQ
has signed a decree expanding Cocos Island National Park by almost 53,000 square kilometers.
“I’m Christine Wilkinson (
@ScrapNaturalist
) a conservation biologist at
@UCBerkeley
&
#NatGeoExplorer
. I study how spotted hyenas and other large carnivores interact with people & livestock, & how they move through developed landscapes.”
Photo by: Jessica Ortiz
#NatGeoExplorers
@BakerPerry1
and
@TkrMatthews86
, supported by local Peruvian Quechua team members and Bolivian climbing experts “the Cholitas Escaladoras,” reached the summit of Nevado Ausangate – the highest peak in southern Peru.
“They handle old age much better than we do,” says Nat Geo Explorer and
@KibaleChimps
field director Emily Otali. “They just power along, it’s amazing.”
ANNOUNCEMENT: We have eight new Emerging Explorers who will transform their fields and further the understanding of our world. Meet this year’s eight changemakers
“When it comes to fire, everything seems to be stacked against koalas,” shared
@NatGeo
reporter
@natashaldaly
as she covered 2019’s Australian fires — investigating its impact on koala populations.
#WildKoalaDay
Proud to support biodiversity surveys that document
@GorongosaPark
's species and identify new ones (like this katydid!). Learn more:
#CampaignForNature
Bats may look scary, but there are three important reasons why we all should appreciate them more—as explained by Explorer at Large
@RodrigoMedellin
, known as the Bat Man of Mexico.
#BatWeek
Explorer
@Brian_Skerry
was inspired at a young age by the mysteries of the ocean. As a wildlife photographer, he’s now spent over 10,000 hours underwater — covering stories like the alarming decrease in the world’s fisheries and the protection of special underwater ecosystems.
“Hi! I’m
@kenleecalhoun
, a
#NatGeoExplorer
&
@UCBerkeley
PhD student at studying the impacts of California
#wildfires
on mammal species. I hope this work can help enhance the resilience and the conservation of deer & other wildlife species under California's changing climate.”
Big news! Today at
#UNGA
, philanthropic organizations launched the “Protecting our Planet Challenge,” the largest ever philanthropic commitment to nature, pledging more than $5 billion to
#30x30
and supporting Indigenous stewardship of their territories.
“If you want somebody to change their mind, it’s no good arguing. You’ve got to reach the heart.” - Jane Goodall (
@JaneGoodallInst
) Photo by: Michael Nichols
We are pleased to announce the National Geographic 2021 awardees! These incredible individuals are committed to innovation and excellence.
Meet our four honorees...
Join us in wishing a happy birthday to the incomparable Jane Goodall! Her years of tireless commitment to protecting the environment are a source of hope and inspiration.
@JaneGoodallInst
Photo by: Michael Nichols
Explorer Kartik Sawhney on
#DisabilityPrideMonth
: “People with disabilities continue to be one of the most underrepresented and marginalized groups, and COVID-19 has made it even more pertinent with community members around the world struggling to access basic rights.”
“I’m Gabi Fleury (
@fleurygs
)! I’m a conservationist and technologist whose research focuses on mitigating predator and livestock conflict in Southern Africa. I’m applying to PhD programs this year and preparing to go on a Fulbright to Botswana!”
#BlackinSTEM
#BlackMammalogy
Prince Harry joined the mission to protect the Okavango region by clearing mines with
@theHaloTrust
, a key
@intotheokavango
partner. Learn more about this critical ecosystem and efforts to protect it: