Enjoy the the first day of ECAD weekend with symposiums and our famous kick-off party at headquarters.
All programs Friday are held at Club Headquarters
Remembering Forgotten Explorers
9:00am – 10:00am
As we gather for our annual ECAD festivities, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee invites you to join us to celebrate explorers from the past whose extraordinary accomplishments are either unknown or have not been given the recognition they deserve. These are members of the Society of Forgotten Explorers, overlooked pioneers from the past and those who were active before The Explorers Club was founded.
DEI Committee Chair J. Robert “J.R.” Harris will host this event to highlight a few remarkable Society members and introduce the present-day explorers who will tell their stories. Click here to view the Society of Forgotten Explorers.
Featuring:
- Beth Davidow FN’22 – Presenting on Maria Klenova and Ingrid Christensen
- Alexa Elliott FN’24 – Presenting on Isobel Wylie Hutchison
- Erica Moulton MN’21 – Presenting on Louise Arner Boyd and the SoFE badge
EC50 Symposium
10:00am – 12:00pm
Start the weekend with updates from our incredible Explorers Club 50 program – explorers who are changing the world, that the world needs to know about. All are welcome!
- Florence Aghomo, primatologist
- Arzucan “Zuzu” Askin, ocean conservation scientist
- Imani Black, aquaculturist
- Bjork Brynjarsdóttir, systems designer & environmental entrepreneur
- Andrew Budziak, filmmaker & environmental storyteller
- Bayarmaa Chuluunbat, wildlife ecologist
- Brandon Clifford, marine archaeologist
- Kerllen Costa, ethnobiologist & environmental anthropologist
- Hugues de Kerdrel, sailor & marine megafauna specialist
- Lola Fatoyinbo, space & forest ecologist
- Justin Grubb, filmmaker & naturalist
- Andreas B. Heide, expedition sailor & marine biologist
- Vera Knook, river conservationist & engineer
- Tomas Koeck, filmmaker & journalist
- Kelsey Leonard, water justice advocate
- Tshiring Lhamu Lama, snow leopard conservationist
- Ian MacNairn, ethnographer-physician
- Paige Maroni, polar & deep-sea biologist
- Eshadi Mendis, environmental educator
- Gaby Ochoa, shark & ocean conservationist
- Alejandro Perez Matus, marine ecologist
- Tricia Reilly Koch, conservation leader & educator
- Kenna Rubin, oceanographer
- Ana Saldarriaga-Gomez, conservation geneticist
- Ali Skanda, master dhow builder & cultural ambassador
- Sue Smrekar, planetary geophysicist
- Avita Taricuarima, Kukama biologist & traditional knowledge keeper
Grantee Research Showcase
1:00pm – 3:00pm
Presentations from recipients of The Explorers Club Grant Programs – with emphasis on those who have completed groundbreaking grant expeditions from the past year. All are welcome!
Featuring:
- Vanya Dill – Rising Explorer Grant – Volcanism in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt during the Late Devonian and its impacts on local marine communities
- Hollis-Ann Stewart – Pathfinder Grant – The War Dogs of Angola – identification and conservation of African Painted Dogs residing in Luengue-Luiana National Park
- Kim Frank – Kensington Conservation Grant – From Conflict to Coexistence: Asian Elephants Along the Eastern Himalayas
- Aisha Rashid – Rolex Explorers Club Grant – Reproductive Rights in Southern Resident Killer Whales
- Victoria Buckland – Stephenson Exploration Advancement Program – Coral Bleaching: Resilience and Recovery at Aldabra Atoll
- Erin Wall – Fjällräven Field Grant – Singing to be Heard: Humpback Whale Song Development Under Threat
- Elena Ramella Levis & Federico Romani – Impact Grant – Secretary Birds of Tanzania
- Charles Emogor – Impact Grant – Unveiling the Hidden Lives of Nigeria’s Pangolins
- Jamin Greenbaum – Impact Grant – Beneath Antarctica’s Doomsday Glacier
- Asha Stuart – Impact Grant – Himba Migration
New Members Reception
5:00pm-6:00pm
For those inducted into the ranks of membership within the last year, this traditional welcome reception is an opportunity to have a drink at headquarters, tour the building, and meet Club leadership.
ECAD Kick-Off Party
6:00pm-10:00pm
Reunite with fellow explorers at the legendary kick-off party at Club Headquarters. Order a Mosquito Mojito, network with explorers, tour HQ, or plan your next expedition. All are welcome!
Dress Code: Cocktail attire
