National Geographic Society

No matter where on Earth people are, they look up at the same sky. “The night sky is an eternal roof above us. It has been there the whole time and it connects us through the past and future, a variety of ideas, cultures and beliefs we have. It’s like, ’one human, one sky,’” Nat Geo Explorer Babak Tafreshi marvels. The science journalist, editor and photographer is known mostly for the way he photographs the dark sky. Tafreshi has immortalized stunning scenes of the planet’s star-studded roof as it appears on nearly every continent through photographs, videos and immersive media. His growing catalog of visual storytelling is a portal to connect humans to the sky, and each other. Get a glimpse into Tafreshi’s dazzling work: https://lnkd.in/eKfMFSJz. 🌌 Photo by Babak Tafreshi

Which traits are innate and which depend on circumstance? #NatGeoExplorer Christopher Schmitt has been contemplating this question since he was young. Schmitt shares, “I grew up as a visibly gay kid in the Midwest [United States], where I was exposed to a lot of bullying in which others speculated, often cruelly, about how I got to be that way…so [I had] a kind of existential panic around whether this hugely important trait was innate and immutable, or environmental and maybe then changeable.” Now, working with vervet monkeys as a primate geneticist, Schmitt studies how genetic factors underlying traits like body fatness can experience changes as a result of the environment, such as diet or drought exposure. For Schmitt, “it’s immensely satisfying to take these existential anxieties from our queer childhoods and reframe them into a strong theoretical grounding for understanding the biological origins of complex traits. Of course, the monkeys are pretty great, too.” 🐒 Read more at https://lnkd.in/e8P5cWF2. Seen here are Schmitt in the field at Cocha Cashu Biological Station in Peru (Photo by Andrew McFarland), and another of his study species, a wild yellow-tailed woolly monkey mother and infant, photographed at his field site in Beirut, Corosha, Peru (Photo by Sofia Weaver). #PrideMonth

On this day in Base Camp history, First Lady Lady Bird Johnson arrived at the National Geographic Society’s then-new 17th Street building in 1964 to inaugurate the Bell Systems new “picture phone” service. 📺 The historic June 24th call between the First Lady and Bell Telephone Laboratories scientist Dr. Elizabeth Wood in New York was the first of many video calls to come. We continue to transform our Washington, D.C. Base Camp headquarters to lay the foundation for many more “firsts” in our future — explore how at natgeo.org/basecamp. Video provided by the National Geographic Society's Special Collections

To understand how the flooded forest tolerates and adapts to the shifts in annual flooding and to water scarcity during the dry season, ecologist and #NatGeoExplorer Julia Tavares is studying the ways in which trees respond to these extremes. Tavares is examining the traits of individual trees to understand their physiology and ascertain how they can survive in their changing environment. “The research that we are doing here is really, really important because as the climate is changing, especially for the flooded forest, we don’t know how they will cope with future changes,” Tavares says. “So it’s very important that we understand now so we can predict what could happen and give guidance on which areas we should protect.” Tavares is working alongside fellow Explorer Thiago Silva to generate unprecedented data on how the Amazon wetlands function. Their results will allow for predictions of how this understudied ecosystem will respond to the changing wet and dry seasons before they are pushed beyond their ability to survive. This work is part of the National Geographic and ROLEX #PerpetualPlanet Amazon Expedition — a multi-year science and storytelling exploration of the Amazon River Basin, from the Andes to the Atlantic, to further our understanding of this intricate rainforest system and advance solutions to ensure its protection.

“What most people don’t know is that the Emancipation Proclamation didn’t bring freedom to everyone and especially not people enslaved to Indigenous Sovereign Nations in what was known as Oklahoma and Indian Territory,” African diaspora archaeologist and #NatGeoExplorer Dr. Alicia Odewale explains. Odewale researches sites of African heritage in the U.S. and Caribbean region, including her home state of Oklahoma. “My work in Tulsa illuminates the fact that the path to Black Freedom in Oklahoma is a completely different story from the rest of the country as people were still enslaved to tribes struggling for freedom more than a year after ‘Juneteenth’, June 19, 1865. [It also] illustrates that freedom is a struggle and a never ending process.” “While the people I am researching in Tulsa and my own ancestors had been free for decades by the time [Tulsa’s Greenwood District, also known as Black Wall Street] was built, their generation had their own battle for freedom before, during, and long after the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre to overcome the impacts of racism and anti-Black violence. A reminder that we are a strong and resilient people that continues to make history, resist, empower, rebuild and stand together in spite of all the challenges we continue to face.” Want to learn more about Odewale’s project “Mapping Historical Trauma in Tulsa,” led alongside fellow Explorer Parker VanValkenburgh? Stay tuned for next season’s schedule to attend one of Odewale’s National Geographic Live shows, “Black Wall Street: Stories of Resilience”: natgeo.org/natgeolive. Seen here, Odewale in her lab at the Historical Archaeology and Heritage Studies Laboratory, formerly based in Tulsa, now in Houston. (Photo by Bethany Mollenkof)

The stars align when Explorers come together! This week, #NatGeoExplorers from around the globe return to Base Camp in Washington, D.C., to convene for our annual Explorers Festival. It’s an inspiring week of innovation and collaboration – and, to hear about the latest discoveries, insights and solutions for creating a more sustainable future. Tune in to our Instagram and Facebook Stories as we share updates from #NatGeoFest. Photo by Mark Thiessen

Niue, the small island nation of the Pacific, is home to some of the most stunning reefs on the planet – reefs that have sustained and nourished the Niuean people for generations. Now, in the face of a rapidly warming climate, this tight-knit community is taking action to protect their ocean and their way of life. From National Geographic Society Pristine Seas comes “Protecting Paradise: The Story of Niue,” a new documentary film out now on National Geographic TV.

Across expertises in oceanography, marine/coastal ecology, climate science, ocean exploration technology, community-based conservation and other related fields — our goal at the National Geographic Society is to inspire people around the globe to better understand and protect the world’s ocean. The stories surfaced by our #NatGeoExplorers aim to understand and conserve marine and coastal systems, and inspire us to find solutions to protect them. As of today, we have helped protect millions of square oceanic miles through our Explorer-led programs. Meet some of our Explorers leading this work: 🌊 Aristide Takoukam Kamla has worked on the conservation of the African manatee and other large aquatic wildlife in Cameroon, his native country, since 2008. He is a marine researcher, conservationist and Nature, Environment & Wildlife Filmmakers (NEWF) Fellow as part of our Explorer-led program, Africa Refocused. (Photo by Jahawi Bertolli) 🌊 Sruthi Gurudev, an eco-journalist, writes about ocean conservation, creating a network of empowered youth around the world. At 22 years old, she proves that age doesn't matter when it comes to protecting the ocean. (Photo by Jennifer Adler) 🐋 David Gruber is the founder and president of Project CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative), a nonprofit, interdisciplinary scientific and conservation initiative. They are on a mission to listen to and translate the communication of sperm whales. (Photo by Michael Lees) #WorldOceanDay

Filmmaker, photographer and #NatGeoExplorer Nova West routinely sails the ocean documenting exciting deep-sea research — from shipwrecks to inquisitive marine creatures — while aboard the E/V Nautilus, a deep-sea exploration vessel led by Nat Geo Explorer at Large Bob Ballard. The most challenging part of their job? Not the wild landscapes they work in, West shares, but working around people’s perceptions: “While on expedition you never know where you’ll go or who you’ll encounter, which can add an extra layer of considerations as a nonbinary explorer. Regardless, telling the stories of our wild planet always keeps me grounded and focused on ways I can be a role model and open doors for others.” Currently, West is focused on their filmmaking project, “Out in the Wild” and hopes it’ll mark a new era of holistic wildlife storytelling. “[My project] specifically focuses on sharing the untold stories of queerness in nature, which is an entire spectrum of behaviors and traits that have historically been omitted from wildlife filmmaking.” More about West’s work: https://lnkd.in/eZBDmPBG Here, with the E/V Nautilus in the distance, Nova preps their camera while on assignment in Lānaʻi, Hawai'i. Photo by Marley Parker/Ocean Exploration Trust #PrideMonth

Welcome the 15 newly-named #NatGeoExplorers as recipients of the 2024 Wayfinder Award presented by Kia! 🎉 From an Indigenous ecologist working to restore the American bison on tribal lands to a conservation scientist advocating for the protection of the Arabian Sea’s coastal habitat and species, the 2024 recipients are recognized for pushing the boundaries in science, conservation, education, technology and storytelling — all to propel the National Geographic Society’s mission forward of illuminating and protecting the wonder of our world. Thank you Kia America for sponsoring this year's awards! Meet the recipients: https://lnkd.in/eK_dh7Vb Photo of Rinzin Phunjok Lama by Tashi R. Ghale