National Geographic Society

For the last three years, #NatGeoExplorer Paul Salopek has been walking 4,200 miles across China as part of the Out of Eden Walk — his 24,000-mile trek tracing early human migration paths. “When you walk the world — and I’ve been trekking from Africa to South America for almost a dozen straight years, following the pathways blazed by our prehistoric ancestors out of Africa — you begin to read terrain like a palimpsest. Some places barely offer up a passing word. Others are layered with the whispers of feet and time. China is like this, a densely narrated landscape,” Salopek shares. Explore Salopek’s journey through China: https://lnkd.in/eQMyW2yU. Photo by John Stannmeyer

The Slingshot Challenge is now open for submissions! To participate, entrants ages 13 to 18 years are asked to create a one-minute video outlining an innovative solution to address one of the challenge’s five topic areas: 🌱 Protect nature 💨 Clean the air 🌊 Restore the ocean 🗑️ Reduce waste 🌏 Address climate change A panel of experts will select a small number of submissions to receive funding up to $10,000. Top award recipients will also have the opportunity to attend the National Geographic Society’s iconic Explorers Festival in June 2025! The deadline to apply is February 7, 2025. Learn more at slingshotchallenge.org. The Slingshot Challenge is supported by the National Geographic Society and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. Photo by Ronan Donovan

What does tangible impact look like for our planet and its people? At the National Geographic Society, impact comes in many forms: 🐋 Establishing the world's first-ever sperm whale reserve 🐬 Uniting 11 nations in a global declaration to protect river dolphins and their habitats 🧑🎓 Mobilizing nearly 3,000 students to share their solutions to environmental challenges The National Geographic Society’s 2023 Annual Report is filled with stories just like these, a testament to the impact our global community is making in the face of climate change, biodiversity loss and other urgent challenges. https://lnkd.in/e7BF8VqM This report is the culmination of efforts across our National Geographic community: our #NatGeoExplorers, staff, partners, donors — and all those who support our vision as a global nonprofit. Thank you for helping us drive significant, positive change to meet this moment. Will you join us? https://lnkd.in/eS6wbRhu   #ExploreWithUs

Can you picture National Geographic magazine without an iconic cover photo?  When the magazine launched in 1888, it looked vastly different — more like a scientific journal. But within a decade, National Geographic began to fill its pages with images that sparked curiosity and transported readers to new worlds. Today, evocative and captivating cover photos are synonymous with National Geographic, and it’s particularly meaningful when those photos are taken by a #NatGeoExplorer.  Photography isn’t just part of our history, it’s central to who we are. Storytelling is a pillar of our mission at the National Geographic Society. We’re proud to be among the largest funders of independent storytellers, including world-class photographers who illuminate the beauty and complexity of our planet. They compel us to take notice and, often, take action. On World Photography Day, we honor photography’s power to inform, inspire, astonish and unite us. We celebrate the Explorers behind the lens, and all photographers who impact the world one unforgettable image at a time. #WorldPhotographyDay #ExploreWithUs  The first edition of National Geographic magazine, published October 1888, stands in stark contrast to the July 2023 edition, capturing the sheer awe of the longest single cave drop in the lower 48 states. Photo by Explorer Stephen Alvarez.

When the Taliban recaptured Kabul in 2021 and made it illegal for girls to attend school in Afghanistan, National Geographic Explorer Shabana Basij-Rasikh helped over 100 female students flee the country. These School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA) students were able to continue their studies abroad with Basij-Rasikh's help. In the Pashto language, the word "sola" means "peace," and represents the school's vision for the future of their home country. However, countless girls remain in Afghanistan and in refugee camps worldwide with little to no access to education. This short film was produced by the National Geographic Society's Impact Story Lab, with the goal of raising global awareness of the challenges faced by Afghan girls and women while also helping SOLA students reach other Afghan girls with their stories of hope (in English, Dari and Pashto languages). Watch the full film and learn more on how Basij-Rasikh champions education for girls: https://lnkd.in/dtUYtK92. Learn about our award-winning storytelling team: https://lnkd.in/d8mP3njX.

2892 Miles to Go, an educational program founded by #NatGeoExplorer Ashley Lamb-Sinclair, offers youth the opportunity to collaborate with local leaders, educators, advocates and change-makers to reclaim community histories and stories together. The program is supported by the National Geographic Society and focuses on illuminating unknown or unacknowledged stories around the environmental, social and cultural issues impacting local communities across the United States. Explore more: https://lnkd.in/g2WBDuPe. 📷 High school students hike a nature trail in Sequoia National Park. Photo by Explorer Tailyr Irvine

How do we create lasting impact? Together — with audacious goals and steadfast support from our community. Thanks to your invaluable support, the National Geographic Society achieved significant milestones in protecting the health of our planet in 2023. Led by our team of intrepid #NatGeoExplorers, we expanded marine protected areas to restore the ocean, preserved precious landscapes and cultural heritage sites, safeguarded vulnerable species and inspired people across the globe to care for the world we share. With the strength of our community behind us, and so much at stake, how are we measuring and accelerating our impact? Explore our annual report to find out: https://lnkd.in/ex9grYyj.

What if we could solve the endangered elephant crisis with cutting-edge, robotic technology? #NatGeoExplorer Sangita Iyer is on a groundbreaking mission to protect these majestic species by introducing robotic elephants as a humane alternative to captive ones used in religious spaces and festivals. She hopes their use will revolutionize temple ceremonies and protect endangered Asian elephants from exploitation. Discover more about her important work to transform elephant conservation: https://lnkd.in/eJNWKxxG  This #WorldElephantDay, join us to help fund critical elephant conservation efforts, led by National Geographic Explorers working on the front lines: https://lnkd.in/eb37yViV Photo courtesy of Voices for Asian Elephants

The Santa Cruz long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum croceum) is the 16,000th addition to the National Geographic Photo Ark, now celebrating its 18th anniversary! Photographed by #PhotoArk founder and #NatGeoExplorer Joel Sartore at the University of California, Santa Cruz, this salamander represents one of the first species listed under the Endangered Species Preservation Act. “The Santa Cruz long-toed salamander is emblematic not only of the plight of the world’s amphibian species which are facing rapid decline, but also because it represents a species, like so many others, that we can take action to change its future,” Sartore says. Join us in honoring Sartore’s nearly two decades of dedication to the Photo Ark, using the power of storytelling and science to highlight and protect our planet’s incredible biodiversity. https://lnkd.in/emznXdet Photos of juvenile and adult Santa Cruz long-toed salamander by Joel Sartore

Palau maintains some of the most protected and biodiverse waters in the world thanks to the steadfast efforts of Hotsarihie’s traditional stewards, the Hatohobei people. Hotsarihie, also known as Helen Reef, is a protected reef in southwestern Palau. Traditional Hatohobei stewardship has safeguarded Helen Reef and guided the creation of Palau’s national marine sanctuary, which protects 80% of Palau’s waters from exploitative mining and fishing. Photographer and #NatGeoExplorer Kiliii Yuyan documents Palau’s vibrant reef environment and the people who keep it flourishing. Read of the Hatohobei people’s innovative protections — and more stories that highlight Indigenous contributions to conservation and cultures — in National Geographic magazine’s July 2024 special issue “Indigenous Futures.” https://lnkd.in/e_uAxFbb Photo of blacktip reef sharks swimming in Palau’s Rock Islands Southern Lagoon by Kiliii Yüyan