What do others say about Explore?
Hear the stories and insights from past Explore attendees. View our collection of videos featuring speakers, participants, and exhibitors to get a glimpse of what's awaiting you at the Explore symposium.
Inspiring discovery: Matt Pycroft at Explore 2023.
The idea here is not to come to the RGS Explore festival and leave as a veteran expedition planner... it's a place to fall in love with the idea of doing these things, and that first step towards doing them.
Join Matt Pycroft, Founder of film production company Coldhouse and Vice President for Membership at the Society, as he discusses his role in expanding membership and supporting Members and Fellows.
In this video, Matt underscores the importance of increasing visibility and awareness of the Society's work across geography, science, fieldwork, expeditions, humanitarian issues, and conservation.
Exploring opportunities: Emily and Chloe's experience at Explore 2023.
I think sometimes you have these great ideas and they seem a little bit unattainable, and then you come to a place like this and it's like, other people have done it so why can't you?
Meet Emily Naylor and Chloe Haywood, students from the Expedition Society at Durham University, as they share their motivations for attending the Explore symposium. They highlight the friendly and welcoming environment, the inspiring talks, and the valuable insights gained into potential career paths and organisations.
Discover how the approachability of attendees and ease of making connections at the symposium made their aspirations feel more attainable.
Networking and insights: Ricardo Rocha and Tom Napper at Explore 2023.
Join Ricardo Rocha, a conservation biologist, and Tom Napper, an aspiring expedition artist, as they share their experiences and takeaways from the Explore Symposium. Both attendees are particularly impressed by the networking opportunities and reflect on the historical significance of the venue. Discover how the connections made during the event have the potential to spark future collaborations and projects.
Through the lens: Ana Maria Pavalache and Paul Harris.
Join photographers Ana Maria Pavalache and Paul Harris as they share their experiences. Discover their insights on the importance of following your passion, embracing unique perspectives, and leveraging photography as a powerful storytelling tool.
Rediscovering Attenborough's long-beaked echidna: Dr James Kempton’s Expedition Cyclops to Indonesia and New Guinea.
Join James as he recounts leading Expedition Cyclops to Indonesia and New Guinea, aiming to rediscover Attenborough's long-beaked echidna, unseen for over 60 years, and to explore how the formation of the Cyclops Mountains influenced New Guinea's biodiversity.
Learn how a casual conversation sparked thorough research into the region's history, geography, and biodiversity, inspiring this groundbreaking expedition.
Inclusive exploration: Suresh Paul on sharing expedition knowledge with communities.
Join Suresh as he highlights the importance of promoting inclusion and sharing expedition knowledge with schools, communities, and the general public. Discover examples of co-creating and sharing information from expeditions in Papua New Guinea and the UK, and learn how the scientific community can inspire the next generation by listing educational talks as an outcome of fieldwork.
Unlocking microbial diversity: Bupe Mwambingu on sustainable biotech at Basecamp Research.
Meet Bupe Mwambingu, Biodiversity Partnership Manager at Basecamp Research, a pioneering biotech company dedicated to studying microbial diversity globally. In this video, Bupe delves into the company's innovative approach to collaborating with explorers for microbial DNA collection and their commitment to the Nagoya Protocol's principles of sustainable use, benefit sharing, and biodiversity conservation.
Exploring new perspectives: Spike Reid's insights from Explore 2023.
Join Spike Reid as he shares his experiences and insights from attending the Explore symposium. In this video, Spike discusses the diverse range of expeditions and destinations showcased at the event, and the welcoming community that mentors newcomers.
Discover the outdoors: training and events at Plas y Brenin with Iona and Helen.
Join Iona, an International Mountain Leader and instructor, and Helen, the Events Coordinator at Plas y Brenin, the National Outdoor Centre, as they dive into the centre's mission to teach essential outdoor skills and host events that inspire and support explorers.
Is Explore for me?
Each year, the Explore symposium welcomes a diverse range of people. Discover what you can expect from participating in Explore and find out if the event is for you.
Explore 2024
Attend our Explore symposium on 1–3 November and get ready to embark on your own expedition, fieldwork project or purposeful journey.