National Geographic Society

“I'd like to be remembered as someone who really helped people to have a little humility and realize that we are part of the animal kingdom, not separated from it.” — Dr. Jane Goodall DBE, UN Messenger of Peace and founder of The Jane Goodall Institute Jane used everything in her power to draw attention to conservation efforts and show us that every one of us makes a difference every day. Her legacy will forever change how we see the world and our place within it. Explore more about her life and work with the National Geographic Society: https://lnkd.in/e5wDwy3K.

Today, the National Geographic community mourns the loss of renowned primatologist and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall. Jane's legacy is one of compassion, hope and an unwavering dedication to protecting the planet. Her groundbreaking research on chimpanzees at Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania challenged the conventional scientific beliefs of her time and helped bridge the gap between humans and the rest of the animal kingdom. Beyond her scientific contributions, she was a tireless advocate for conservation and animal welfare, founding The Jane Goodall Institute and the humanitarian youth program Roots and Shoots. Jane's message of hope and belief in everyone's unique ability to make an impact will endure for generations. As she said, "What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make." https://lnkd.in/eTEyG8zj Photo by Michael Nichols

The National Geographic Society and the Chubb Charitable Foundation are launching Blue Boundaries, a landmark partnership aimed at driving transformational change through science, exploration, conservation and protection of Earth’s ecosystems at the convergence of land and water. This partnership is made possible by a seven-year, multi-million-dollar grant from the Chubb Charitable Foundation that will focus on safeguarding three of Earth’s most vital ecosystems — freshwater wetlands, coastal systems and reefs — through scientific research and conservation, compelling storytelling and experiential education. This significant investment represents the largest single grant in the Society’s 137-year history. Led by a cohort of #NatGeoExplorers, Blue Boundaries will encompass scientific research, conservation work, education initiatives and impact storytelling to address the planet’s most pressing challenges. Working in partnership with local communities, Explorers will help co-create innovative and scalable solutions that are informed by science and grounded in local knowledge. https://lnkd.in/eh7VQjHG

After decades of exploration, the deep seafloor is still the least understood habitat on Earth. Currently, a mere .001% of the deep seafloor has been visually observed. Ocean researcher and #NatGeoExplorer Katy Croff Bell has been working to make the deep sea more accessible to scientists worldwide. Bell is on the cusp of debuting a revolutionary low-cost, deep-submergence imaging and sensing system. It “will be a total game changer,” Bell says. Not much bigger than a scuba tank, the tool is being built to withstand the pressure that exists 20,000 feet below the water’s surface, allowing it to reach 98% of the ocean floor. Sensors and 4K cameras on the new device will help scientists better understand measurements and samples collected from the seafloor. Bell and her colleagues at the Ocean Discovery League, a nonprofit she founded in 2021, have identified thousands of locations that would greatly diversify and increase the number of visually observed sites on the seafloor. She will also be working with other Explorers to deploy the new tool on research assignments in all five of the world’s ocean basins as part of the National Geographic and ROLEX #PerpetualPlanet Ocean Expeditions. Explore more: https://lnkd.in/eu7pDS_6. Photo courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration (1) and Becky Hale (2)

#NatGeoExplorer Paul Salopek recently said goodbye to Japan as he continues on the 38,000-kilometer (23,612-mile) Out of Eden Walk storytelling journey tracing the ancient pathways of human migration. "Japan I found steeped in yearning. Yearning, to be sure, might be the universal human condition: inescapable, without any particular geography," Salopek reflects in his latest dispatch. Read more from Salopek's 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) "through a landscape of desire:" https://lnkd.in/eUq3fgtG. Photo by Paul Salopek

The National Geographic Society Exploration Technology Lab develops and deploys research and storytelling technologies that facilitate access, and yield critical insights, into some of the most extreme environments on Earth. Numerous #NatGeoExplorers have been supported by equipment provided by Iridium through the lab. One such Explorer and adventurer is Wasfia Nazreen whose High Karma team works to raise crucial funding to rebuild Thame, a village at the heart of the Khumbu region near Mount Everest that is home of many legendary Sherpa climbers, that was destroyed by flash floods in the summer of 2024. Seen here, Nazreen at K2. We're grateful for Iridium and their support for Explorers in the field like Nazreen. Critical and cutting-edge technology made possible by them is invaluable for Explorers around the planet. Photo by Mingma D. Sherpa

A decade ago, we learned about a groundbreaking discovery that changed our understanding of human evolution. In September 2015, the world met Homo naledi — a new human relative found by #NatGeoExplorer in Residence Lee Berger and his team in South Africa's Rising Star cave system. Homo naledi is unique, exhibiting a mix of primitive and modern anatomical traits that raised questions about its place in our family tree. More recent findings of potential burial sites and engraved symbols on the cave walls suggest the small-brained hominin was capable of mortuary practices and meaning-making, representing some of the earliest expressions of these practices recorded to date. This finding redefines when and where the behaviors we consider quintessentially human first took hold, suggesting they weren't exclusive to our big-brained hominin cousins. Explore more about the decade-long legacy of this find, and what Berger and his team are continuing to uncover: https://lnkd.in/eNUnux7e. Photo by Robert Clark

For photographer and #NatGeoExplorer Lucas Ninno, a childhood spent exploring Brazil's rivers and savannas forged a powerful bond with nature that still guides his work today. Ninno's latest work focuses on the Cerrado, an incredibly biodiverse biome in Brazil's savanna that is often overlooked. The swathe covers 772,000 square miles (2 million square kilometers) of Brazil as well as parts of Bolivia and Paraguay, and serves as a crucial water source for Indigenous and local communities and wildlife. It is considered the world’s richest savanna when it comes to biodiversity, yet it receives a fraction of the protection of the Amazon and is being deforested at an even faster rate. Ninno's work builds a photographic library that serves as a bridge between humans and nature, and includes the eyes and feathers of a macaw, swaths of Cerrado greenery, portraits of the Krĩkati Indigenous community — who call themselves Põocatiji, which means, "the people who dominate the Cerrado" — and 27,000-year-old cave paintings. Explore more: https://lnkd.in/e6BxrdBq. Photos by Lucas Ninno

Marine biologist and #NatGeoExplorer in Residence Enric Sala is on a mission to protect 30% of our ocean by 2030. "The ocean provides us with the oxygen we breathe, moments of wonder, jobs and food for people around the globe — making it essential to protect,” Sala says. Currently, only about 8% of the global ocean is under some form of protection, and less than 3% is in highly or fully protected areas. Sala founded National Geographic Pristine Seas in 2008, an initiative that explores and documents marine ecosystems to help protect the world’s most vital ocean areas. When he first founded Pristine Seas, his goal was to help create five marine protected areas. To date, the team has inspired 30 marine protected areas, covering nearly 7 million square kilometers (more than 2.7 million square miles) of ocean — an area the size of the Amazon rainforest. Explore more: https://lnkd.in/dCSTnPX6. Photo by Enric Sala

What do you get when you combine giraffe feeding with nonstop storytelling? An informative (and tall) tell-all with photographer and #NatGeoExplorer Joel Sartore — sharing all things Photo Ark, future adventures and advice for the next Explorer. 🦒 #PassTheFlag