We’re still celebrating the success of last month’s big events: the WINGS Women of Discovery Awards on October 9th, and the Global Explorers Forum on October 11th. The momentum that built across our global network of WINGS Explorers throughout the autumn made for truly inspiring gatherings.
It was an honor to celebrate this year’s Fellows at the Gala: Dr. Yara Barros, Dr. Divya Karnad, Dr. Nuzhafarina Othman, and Dr. Grace C. Young. And we’re emboldened by the success of this year’s Forum, which featured not only presentations from the 2025 Fellows, but a fantastic series of short talks from other WINGS Explorers sharing their latest research.
Read on for a peek at Flag Carrier Nora Shawki‘s recent expedition to Aswan, Egypt, and to celebrate two Explorers who have been honored with recent awards: WINGS Fellow Dr. Laly Lichtenfield and her organization African People & Wildlife for receiving the IUCN Tech4Nature Award and Flag Carrier Callie Veelenturf and her team for receiving a 2025 World Future Policy Award for their groundbreaking work on Panama’s Law 287!
And please consider joining WINGS’ 2025 GivingTuesday initiative, either by making a donation or by signing up to participate as a peer-to-peer fundraiser. You’ll find more information on this effort and how you can get involved below.
As we near the end of 2025, we continue to be grateful for your ongoing support of our global community of scientists, explorers and conservationists. Your commitment helps us double down on our support for women leading critical research and exploration when it matters most.
Yours in Exploration,
Meredith Ayan
Reflections on our October events
Women of Discovery Awards
This year’s Women of Discovery Awards Gala on October 9th was a huge success! We celebrated the incredible achievements of our 2025 Fellows: Dr. Yara Barros, Dr. Divya Karnad, Dr. Nurzhafarina Othman, and Dr. Grace C. Young. We are truly grateful to those who joined us for this wonderful evening, enabling us to continue to support groundbreaking discoveries in science, exploration, and conservation.
Global Explorers Forum
On October 11th, WINGS hosted its annual Global Explorers Forum, bringing together trailblazing Fellows, Flag Carriers, and thought leaders to share discoveries and solutions for a sustainable future. Emceed by 2019 WINGS Fellow Dr. Mandë Holford, the event featured this year’s WINGS Fellows presenting groundbreaking research, as well as an incredible series of five-minute, rapid-fire presentations from 15 WINGS Explorers. We heard about everything from fear reactions in narwhals to searching for the next generation of antiobotics to the war dogs of Angola.
Global Explorers Summit
On October 10th, we held the second-annual Global Explorers Summit, a private event for WINGS Fellows and Flag Carriers. The day included presentations with tips on fundraising and storytelling, as well as opportunities for networking among the Explorers. It was wonderful to bring together our Fellows and Flag Carriers in a more informal setting to allow them to get to know and learn from each other. We’re already hearing about future planned collaborations coming out of these new relationships!
Explorer Feature: Nora Shawki
WINGS Flag Carrier Nora Shawki recently traveled to Aswan, Egypt to conduct the Unfinished Obelisk Graffiti Project, a comprehensive survey and documentation of graffiti at the unfinished obelisk quarry site. Using GPS mapping and high-resolution photography, she recorded known graffiti as well as new markings found in restricted areas not available to visitors, creating a detailed visual archive to enhance understanding of the site’s historical context.
The project assessed tourism’s impact on the quarry’s archaeological integrity and environment, while studying the inscriptions and symbols to understand ancient trade practices, labor, and communication among workmen and visitors. Nora collaborated with local historians and archaeologists to interpret the graffiti’s significance within ancient Egyptian culture, and engaged with local communities to foster awareness and appreciation for Egypt’s cultural heritage.
Learn more about Nora and her work here.
African People & Wildlife Honored with IUCN Tech4Nature Award
We’re thrilled to share that African People & Wildlife (APW), co-founded by 2019 WINGS Fellow Dr. Laly Lichtenfeld, has been honored with the IUCN Tech4Nature Award in the NatureTech Stewards category. Presented at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, the award recognizes APW’s groundbreaking Sustainable Rangelands Initiative, which combines modern geospatial technology with Indigenous knowledge to support pastoralist communities in northern Tanzania.
Through this innovative program, habitat monitors use mobile applications to track pasture health and share real-time data with village leaders, empowering community-led decisions on land management. The results speak for themselves: participating communities have restored over 20,000 acres of degraded land and improved management across 800,000 acres in more than 50 villages.
“This Tech4Nature Award belongs first to the communities who walk these lands every day,” said Neovitus Sianga, APW’s Director of Community Conservation and Environment, upon accepting the award. His words reflect APW’s core principle that meaningful conservation grows from local leadership—a value that continues to guide their work creating a future where people and wildlife thrive together.
Congratulations to Dr. Lichtenfeld, the entire APW team, and the communities leading this vital conservation work! You can read more about the award here.
Callie Veelenturf honored with a 2025 World Future Policy Award
We’re also excited to celebrate Callie Veelenturf, a 2020 WINGS Flag Carrier, and her team for receiving a 2025 World Future Policy Award for their groundbreaking work on Panama’s Law 287!
This visionary legislation recognizes Nature as a subject of rights, granting legal personhood to forests, rivers, and ecosystems—acknowledging their right to exist, flourish, and be restored. Panama’s Rights of Nature law represents a bold step forward in environmental governance, placing the country at the forefront of a global movement toward living in harmony with Nature.
During the award ceremony, Callie reflected on the law’s inspiration—drawn from success stories in Ecuador, Bolivia, and New Zealand, and fueled by the Panamanian people’s passion for their country’s awe-inspiring biodiversity: “This framework and its success stories are my greatest, most tangible, sources of hope #ForNature.”
Law 287 has already been enforced in high-profile environmental litigation and is transforming how Nature can be protected. As Callie powerfully stated: “We are part of, not separate from, Earth’s ecosystems, and it’s time that our legal systems reflect our interconnectedness.”
Congratulations, Callie, on this well-deserved recognition! Your leadership continues to inspire us all.
Learn more about this year’s WFPA winners here.
Support WINGS on GivingTuesday!
Since 2003, WINGS has empowered 200+ women scientists, explorers, and conservationists across 100+ countries to push the boundaries of what’s possible—from uncharted territories to groundbreaking research. We’ve published findings from more than 50 women-led field expeditions that are changing how we understand our world.
This GivingTuesday, you can be part of their next breakthrough, with two easy ways to support WINGS:
1. Donate today to support extraordinary women making extreme discoveries.
2. Amplify your impact by signing up as a peer-to-peer fundraiser to inspire your network to join you in supporting women-led science and exploration.
Every contribution—and every fundraiser—brings us closer to a world where women’s groundbreaking work receives the recognition and resources it deserves.
Learn more about our GivingTuesday effort and register to participate here.