Explorers
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Callie Veelenturf
Callie Veelenturf, a marine conservation biologist and founder of The Leatherback Project, is dedicated to protecting the oceans. During winter 2019-20, Callie carried WINGS Flag…
Arita Baaijens
From December 2019 through January 2020, Arita Baaijens (Flag #2) returned to Papua New Guinea to continue the work she began in 2016 with WINGS…
Terrie Williams
The narwhal is one of the most iconic marine mammals of the Arctic but remains virtually unstudied due to its deep diving habits and polar…
Allison C. Hanes
Filmmaker Allison Hanes carried the WINGS Flag to the Mentawai Islands of Indonesia. She scouted locations for a 90 minute feature film about the shamans…
April Burt
Plastic pollution is having devastating effects on the Aldabra Atoll World Heritage Site and the local wildlife. Conservation biologist April Burt was awarded a WINGS WorldQuest Flag…
Abeer Al-Saud
Explorer, peacebuilder, sustainability expert, and artist Abeer Al-Saud is taking Flag #32 to the “Third Pole” in the Himalayan mountains with renowned National Geographic explorer…
Paula Prist
Dr. Prist is currently a senior scientist at EcoHealth Alliance. She holds a Master´s and Ph.D in ecology from the Department of Ecology of University of São Paulo,…
Mandë Holford
Dr. Mandë Holford is a professor of chemistry at CUNY Hunter College and The CUNY Graduate Center, with scientific appointments at the American Museum of…
Heather Kuhlken
Founder and Executive Director of Families in Nature, Heather Kulken took Flag #29 to study the “Rebel Reef” off the coast of Tela, Honduras. Coral…
2025 Women of Discovery
Dr. Yara Barros
Dr. Yara Barros is a Brazilian conservation biologist and the Executive Coordinator of Project Jaguars of Iguaçu, a flagship initiative dedicated to the conservation of…
Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist, policy expert, writer, and teacher working to help create the best possible climate future. She is co-founder…
Dr. Divya Karnad
Dr. Divya Karnad is an Indian marine conservationist and associate professor at Ashoka University, dedicated to sustainable seafood, fisheries management and marine biodiversity protection. With…
Dr. Nurzhafarina Othman
Dr. Nurzhafarina (Farina) Othman is a conservation scientist and community advocate dedicated to the protection of the endangered Bornean elephant. With a PhD in Bioscience…
Dr. Grace C. Young
Dr. Grace C. Young is a Research Engineer and Lead Scientist at X, Alphabet’s Moonshot Factory (formerly GoogleX), where her team is creating radical new technologies to protect…
All Explorers
Nora Shawki
Nora Shawki is a National Geographic Explorer and Egyptian archaeologist who has been excavating ancient sites in the Nile Delta & Sudan for over a…
Hailey Shchepanik
Hailey Shchepanik, an early career ocean professional, currently an Aquatic Science Biologist and Scientific Diver with Fisheries and Oceans Canada on Vancouver Island, British Columbia,…
Daphne Soares
Born: 1972 Hometown: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Education: Ph.D. in Neuroscience Occupation: Neuroecologist Expeditions: Caves in China, Mexico, Ecuador, and USA Favorite Places: Galloping through an open field and cave…
Cédrique Solofondranohatra
Cédrique is a plant biologist and ecologist researching the effect of cricket frass fertilizer on the growth and survival of seedlings in Madagascar palms. She…
Marla Spivak
Dr. Marla Spivak is a leading entomologist in the movement to protect and enhance the health and diversity of the world’s declining honey bee population….
Eleanor Sterling
Eleanor Sterling, Jaffe Chief Conservation Scientist, Center for Biodiversity and Conservation (CBC), American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) Dr. Eleanor Sterling is passionate about the intersection…
Sunniva Sorby and Hilde Strom
Co-founders of Hearts in the Ice Sunniva Sorby and Hilde Falun Strom are returning to the Arctic with Flag #14. Dedicated to conservation, polar exploration,…
Sunniva Sorby
Sunniva Sorby (Flag #14) and Hilde Fålun Strøm are the first women in history to overwinter in the Arctic without men. They embarked in September…
Jill Tarter
Born: 1944 Hometown: Berkeley, CA Education: Ph.D. in Astronomy Occupation: Astronomer; former Bernard M. Oliver Chair for SETI at the SETI Institute Expeditions: Chasing after signals from distant technologies…