Cartel Secrets: Jungle Money Laundering - Kendra McSweeney

The drug trade causes so much harm to people all over the world, but particularly in the areas that are shipment routes between drug producers and their consumers. As drugs move northward from South America toward the United States, the collateral damage is also extended to Central America's forests and the plants and animals that live there. Kendra McSweeney says that drug traffickers now use remote forest Honduras and Guatemala as a way to launder their money: they bribe local officials to buy and clear large swaths of pristine jungle. The traffickers then sell the cleared land to plantation owners who might be looking for extra land to grow their crops, lending their wealth a veil of legitimacy.

Mongolian Must Do: Wrestle a Local - Chris Bashinelli

Food is a visceral part of experiencing another culture, and few people know that better than Chris Bashinelli. He's eaten a buffalo liver on the South Dakota plains and a pig's eye to win a bet on Long Island, but to Bashinelli travel is more than just eating weird foods. The National Geographic Young Explorer hosts Bridge The Gap, a series focused on presenting different cultures to viewers to foster empathy and understanding among different groups. He tells Boyd that it's impossible to escape Mongolia without first wrestling a local, but that it can be done while only sustaining mild injuries.

A Human Powered Trip Around the Planet - Sarah Outen

Between cycling through Russia and rowing solo across the Pacific Ocean from Japan to Alaska's Aleutian Islands, Sarah Outen says both were exhausting and fraught with their own difficulties. But the British adventurer points out that being surrounded by cars on Russia's highways is actually more dangerous than being alone in the Pacific Ocean. Her next challenge is to kayak from the westernmost tip of the Aleutian Islands into the Alaskan mainland before her cross-continent bike ride brings her to the Atlantic Ocean.

Everest's Deadliest Day - Peter Athans

Mount Everest's climbers often say that the two deadliest days on the mountain are the first day and summit day. The first day is so treacherous because climbers are forced to walk through the treacherous and deadly Khumbu Icefall, where an avalanche killed 16 working Sherpas last week. Peter Athans, who has successfully climbed Everest seven times, explains that Sherpas often find themselves working in the mountain's deadly conditions because that's what their families have done for generations. But Athans says that when a Sherpa dies on the mountain, his family can be left in dire financial circumstances. (April, 2014)

Healing Diseases With Snake Venom - Zoltan Takacs

Snakes, spiders and scorpions are often reviled as dangerous, scary creatures. But National Geographic Explorer and head of the World Toxin Bank Zoltan Takacs sees the possibility in their poisons. Takacs explains to Boyd that the CARPET viper is the leading cause of snake deaths in Africa, but it's also used as a popular anticoagulant that helps those who suffer heart attacks recover in hospitals. Other venoms treat rheumatoid arthritis. Takacs' experience with venom is hard earned: he caught his first snake when he was four; he tells the story of the first time he performed emergency "surgery" on a friend who was bitten by a venomous snake.

Wild Chronicles - Dr. Chimpanzee

In this week’s Wild Chronicles segment, Boyd is inspired by Dr. Jane Goodall to share the story of one of his own chimpanzee encounters. The chimpanzee ends up rupturing his eardrum with a piece of grass.

Planned Cities Change to Suit the Needs of Locals - Daniel Brook

As large American corporations like Starbucks, Coca Cola, and McDonalds continue their global conquest, distant cities like Dubai, St. Petersburg, and Beijing lose some of their local flavor. But Daniel Brook, author of A History of Future Cities, assures Boyd that this has always been the case. He says that some of the world’s most recognizable and visited cities were started as copy-cats that mimic other places. But what happens next is the important part: over the decades that follow, planned cities evolved and changed by locals in ways that their planners never could have anticipated.

Satan Came to Eden: A Murder Mystery in Galapagos - Dayna Goldfine & Dan Geller

In the 1930’s a doctor and his mistress retreated from German civilization to live a life of deprivation and hardship on Floreana Island, in Ecuador’s Galapagos Archipelago. They worked hard for their sustenance and shelter, and the doctor, as a devout follower of Fredrich Nietzsche’s philosophy was as happy as a nihilist could be, until other people, inspired by stories about the doctor’s “romantic life” in the islands, followed him there. After years on Floreana a series of suspicious deaths saw the island’s population dwindle from nine, at its apex, down to just five. Directors Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller were able to cobble together the story into a documentary after discovering a trove of hours of original film depicting life on Floreana during its time as a mini metropolis. Their documentary, The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden, guides viewers through the events that led up to and resulted from the spate of mysterious deaths on Floreana.

Perfume and Lettuce: The Passions of a Moon Bear - Michael Brocklehurst

On his recent trip to Laos, Boyd went on a scavenger hunt for lettuce and fruit with moon bears. They are at Free the Bears sanctuary, that takes in orphaned or injured bears who would not survive in the wild. Many of the bears have been recovered from poachers who try to smuggle them into China or Vietnam for their value on the black market. Program manager Michael Brocklehurst describes their value in traditional Asian medicines as “bile farms” where they keep the bears alive to slowly milk their gallbladders for the valuable bile. And while at the sanctuary, Boyd met the first recipient of brain surgery in Laos – of any species -- a moon bear who otherwise would have died if not for the life-saving operation.

Photo Ark: Snapping Every Endangered Species - Joel Sartore

Conservationists often quietly lament that the public appetite to save pandas, tigers, and other beautiful animals that may go extinct despite best efforts to save their wild populations often overshadows achievable successes of less sexy species. But photographer Joel Sartore, known for his Photo Ark project’s efforts to photograph every kind of animal in captivity, recently had a success for a “tiny little brown bird.” His images of Central Florida’s grasshopper sparrow helped publicize the plight of an animal that has only 200 nesting pairs left in the wild. His images helped raise awareness, and money, for the bird and its prairie habitat to hopefully ease the bird back from the brink of extinction.

Lions Face Consequences For Being Lions - Laly Lichtenfeld

Lions once roamed the African savannas, dominating the landscape and enjoyed the cachet of an apex predator – the big cats killed what they wanted and rarely suffered consequences. But in the past couple centuries, the lion’s dominance has dimmed. People have replaced its former foe at the top of the predatory pyramid and punishing the cat any time a lion does what a lion is wont to do – kill prey animals that humans raise as livestock. National Geographic Big Cats Initiative’s Laly Lichtenfeld seeks to help reduce conflict between lions and humans by removing human-raised animals from temptation. The Build a Boma program provides living fences that will effectively remove cows and goats from the lions’ menu and will reduce human frustration the cats.

The "War on Drugs" Environmental Impact - John Davis

In the name of national security and the War on Drugs, the United States has erected large walls and fences as physical barriers to entry between itself and Mexico. But John Davis says that the only thing the fences do is disrupt natural migration routes for animals, rather than stop the flow of humans or illegal drugs between the countries. The conservationist and outdoorsman walked from Mexico to British Columbia in an attempt to understand the needs that wildlife have as they try to weave their way between protected areas and human-dominated landscapes.

American Evil: True Tales of Mischief and Mayhem - Paul Martin

Heroes receive all the accolades, but Paul Martin says that history's villains were much more fun to write about. In his new book, Villains, Scoundrels and Rogues: Incredible True Tales of Mischief and Mayhem he describes baddies of all stripes. Martin shares the story of "Axis Sally," an American whose quest for fame had her joining the Nazi propaganda machine in World War II; a wealthy miser who lamed her own son an attempt to avoid hospital fees; and a bumbling counterfeiter who misspelled "Washington," on his one-dollar duplicates.

Snow Leopard Science: How to Study What You Can't Spot - Tatjana Rosen

Snow leopards have low numbers and are one of the most elusive cats on the planet. They're so elusive that in six years of working to protect the large felines, conservationist Tatjana Rosen has only seen them twice in their Himalayan range. Rosen explains the tense triangle between snow leopards, their endangered favorite food source, and local herders.

Wild Chronicles - Saving Gorillas by Visiting Them

In this week's Wild Chronicles segment, Boyd shares the story of his recent mountain gorilla hike in Rwanda. He points out that in Rwanda, gorilla tourism has surpassed agriculture as a money-maker for the country, helping stabilize the region and further ensure a safe future for mountain gorillas.

Kakenya's Dream: Educating Africa's Daughters - Kakenya Ntaiya

National Geographic Emerging Explorer and women's education pioneer in Kenya, Kakenya Ntaiya bucked centuries of tradition when she rejected the young boy who was chosen to be her husband in her remote Kenyan village. She defied the odds and received an education in the United States, and now she seeks to empower the young women who are still forced to leave school in order to take care of household chores and don't receive the same education that young boys do. Ntaiya created a school that boarded the girls so that they can learn to play and believe that they're equal to the boys in their home villages.

Frostbike: Pedaling Through The Winter Months - Tom Babin

Cycling enthusiasts often lament winter as the end of the cycling season. But Tom Babin, winter is just a time you wear more clothes while cycling. He shares a few hard-earned rules of cycling through snow: buy a cheap mountain bike with wide studded tires; don't take corners too fast; and don't dress too warmly, because you'll sweat just as much as you do in warmer months. His new book Frostbike breaks down the rules of winter cycling, as well as how countries around the world pedal through winter.

Carnivore's Dilemma: How Do We Eat Meat in the 21st Century? - Rob Kunzig

American beef consumption peaked in the 1970's. Since then, chicken has become a much more popular source of meat, because people perceive chicken to be better for us. But, National Geographic reporter Rob Kunzig explains that the science is pretty unclear on the health benefits of avoiding beef. He also says that if someone is concerned about animal welfare, eating chicken isn't necessarily better than eating beef either, from his observations visiting a chicken farm. Kunzig said that he has concerns about how the United States produces all meat, but now, "I eat more beef than I did before I reported this story." His article, "Carnivore's Dilemma," appears in the November 2014 issue of National Geographic magazine.

Oil Threatens The Last Wild Mountain Gorillas - Orlando von Einsiedel

Africa's oldest national park has been hiding a secret for the past 89 years. But her secret oil and mineral reserves were recently discovered by SOCO, a United Kingdom-based oil company, that now threaten's the park's very existence. The last 800 of the world's mountain gorillas live in Virunga National Park, and they're protected by committed rangers who are working to keep rebel soldiers and the oil company out of the park. The rebel armies are also fighting a prolonged civil war against the Democratic Republic of the Congo's federal government on the edge of the park's borders. Orlando von Einsiedel directed a new film, Virunga, that tells the story of the fight to save the last home of the world's mountain gorillas and a park from being destroyed for oil. Virunga can be seen on Netflix now.

The Future of Solar Power - Xiaolin Zheng

Solar power is quickly making great leaps in terms of the amount of power it solar cells are able to generate. And National Geographic Emerging Explorer and nanoscientist Xiaolin Zheng is working to broaden solar power's ability to transform our lives. Zheng has created sticky solar cells that adhere to the backs of gadgets and can help "charge the chargers," allowing us to power phones and GPS devices from the woods, for example. She expects these devices to hit the market within a few years.

The Science Behind Consciousness After Death - Judy Bacharach

As technology improves, we're constantly surrounded by innovations that would stun someone who time-traveled from even twenty years ago. One achievement that is frequently overlooked as ordinary medical practices is the ability to bring people back from the dead; people who have no pulse, no brain activity and aren't breathing are not alive. But what happens between the time these people die and they come back to life? Judy Bacharach looks at the science and commonalities between people's accounts of their time away from life, which include knowing what happened in the room while they were dead, and not being concerned with the affairs of the living world. Her book, Glimpsing Heaven is out now.

2015's Top Travel Destinations - Amy Alipio

Forget your bucket list. National Geographic Traveler says the time is now for these 20 destinations. But some of these are not like the others. Traveler features editor Amy Alipio explains how Oklahoma City is an ideal destination for 2015, as are more traditional destinations like Peru's Incan ruins, and France's Mont St. Michel. The article appears in the December/January issue of National Geographic Traveler magazine.

How to Pick a Bottle of Wine for the Holidays - Joshua Wesson

The holidays are a time to get together with friends and family to celebrate. Hosts and guests a lot often spend time pondering which is the best bottle to imbibe at Thanksgiving or other holiday meals. But without proper guidance, it can be hard to know what bottle of wine to offer. Sommelier Joshua Wesson provides guidance to avoid a faux pas in a bottle. For Thanksgiving, he suggests something affordable and refreshing and don't bother trying to pair it to what is being served. He also breaks down the merits of sparkling wine and offers a winning secret to improve the taste of any bottle of red wine.

Home Stretch: Riding Horses From Canada to Brazil - Filipe Masetti Leite

Two and a half years ago, Filipe Masetti Leite set out from Calgary, Alberta on horseback. Today, he sits on a beach in Brazil, writing his memoirs about the epic journey that he undertook with his horses Frenchie, Bruiser and Dude. The team rode through ten countries, befriending poor locals and cartel leaders alike. Masetti Leite describes earning safe passage through some of the hemisphere's most dangerous cities, and the hero's welcome he received upon arrival in Brazil.

Moonshine in Laos & Boyd's Lessons For Making Like a Local

In this week's Wild Chronicles segment, Boyd explains his travel philosophy of how he tries to connect with people around the world by embracing their local nature, hobbies and food. He has had countless positive experiences over the years following this theory, but he admits that he may have immersed himself too far into the local customs in Laos when he met a man who distills snake and scorpion moonshine.

Antarctic Ice On the Edge of Collapse - Jon Bowermaster

As the planet's climate warms, polar landscapes are among the areas most impacted by the shortening frozen seasons. Kayaker and filmmaker Jon Bowermaster lugged two 3D cameras to the frozen continent to capture the changes happening there, but also to bring the natural beauty to a large group of people who will never make the long trip south. The film, "Antarctica 3D: On the Edge," played at Washington D.C.'s Environmental Film Fest and is making its ways to large format theaters around the country.

Explorer's Grand Slam: Polar Adventurers Need Hugs Too - Cecilie Skog

Eight people have completed the Explorers Grand Slam of climbing the tallest mountain on each continent and reaching both poles. Cecilie Skog is the only woman to do so. The feat is becoming increasingly difficult as the Arctic Ocean's waters continue to open over the North Pole. The Norwegian explorer shares exploits from her various polar adventures, including one in which she contributed to her team's success by swimming across open water to pull her teammates and their equipment to the safety of the ice. She also recommends sharing a hug or giving flowers to combat the South Pole blues.

Learn a Language On the Go - Benny Lewis

Many travelers see languages as a barrier from entering a country and interacting earnestly with locals. But National Geographic Traveler of the Year Benny Lewis sees foreign languages as an opportunity for travelers to ingratiate themselves with locals. His new book, Fluent in Three Months explains how to get talking in foreign tongues faster than through vocabulary flashcards and grammar textbooks. The "Irish Polyglot" also uses Skype as a way to connect with native language speakers around the world who are looking for tutoring opportunities or people who they can practice their English with.

Border Trouble: Riding a Horse From Canada to Brazil - Filipe Masetti Leite

Filipe Masetti left Calgary, Alberta on horseback nearly two years ago, with his sights set on riding into São Paulo, Brazil. The end-date seemed distant then, but when he entered Bolivia this week he only had one more border to cross, which is music to Masetti's ears. After weeks navigating Panamanian border bureaucracy, he bypassed the country, flying his horses from Costa Rica to Peru. And once again, at the Bolivian border, Masetti had trouble. "It's almost like they want you to cross the border illegally," he tells Boyd. Masetti also shares the story of his passage through Honduras, which involved asking a local drug dealer for protection.

The Insects That Are Killing Moose - Jim Robbins

Moose are big, powerful animals that most things wouldn't be able to kill them alone. As it turns out, it can take over a hundred thousand ticks to bring a moose down. Jim Robbins says that is suddenly becoming easier for ticks to do, with milder falls and shorter winters in the northern regions of the United States. There are a large number of causes harming moose, from pine beetles attacking the trees that provide them cover, to brain worms that live in snails. Robbins says that scientists aren't sure what to make of the declining numbers, but the sum of many weather-related changes combine to hurt the moose.

Mission Blue: Sylvia Earle's Ocean Saving Crusade

The ocean is Sylvia Earle’s second home. The former NOAA chief scientist has observed alarming changes within the ocean over many years and believes if we do not create protected areas and stop overfishing, we could “remove every last tuna or whale” from the earth. Though she misses the ocean as it was 50 years ago, Sylvia believes we can help save the oceans and make them better. Through a project called Mission Blue, she shares the crisis facing the ocean, as well as the success stories of species and habitats brought back from the brink in protected areas called Hope Spots around the world.

American Ivory: New Rules in the USA to Stop Elephant Poaching - Bryan Christy

Poaching and Eastern demand for ivory has recently decimated the number of African elephants, but one of the largest ivory-consuming countries has just put in some new laws to help slow its illegal import. Bryan Christy says that the United States government added a requirement forcing shop owners to prove that the ivory they are selling is antique, rather than a recent illegal import. Christy also says that there are new limits on how many elephant trophies sport hunters can import annually.

Kids Blitz Nature To Learn About Biology - Justin O'Neill

In March, the Natonal Parks Service and National Geographic collaborated to host Bioblitz 2014 at San Francisco's Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which is a series of parks clustered around the city and the San Francisco Bay. The event functions both as an active inventory where scientists are able to find and document every species of plant, animal, insect, water-living microbes, and even bacteria in all of the parks. Also, children are active participants in hopes of capturing their imagination and encouraging them to pursue studies in science. National Geographic Weekend producer Justin O'Neill learned just how children are able to help create viable scientific results.

Booming Sushi & Endangered Tuna - Kenneth Brower

Elephants and tigers have faced a well-documented downfall in the face of high demand for their parts. But bluefin tuna has been declining more quietly from the oceans than their land mammal counterparts. Kenneth Brower has followed the largely legal but unsustainable extraction of the fish that can grow as large as 700 pounds as the global demand for sushi has boomed in recent years. His story "Quicksilver Tuna" appears in the March, 2014 issue of National Geographic magazine.

Gringo Trails: Are Tourists Destroying the Planet? - Pegi Vail & Melvin Estrella

Of the many reasons that people travel to faraway lands, there are two groups that seem at odds with each other: the people who wish to leave the familiar behind and seek new experiences in cultures strange to them, while the other group wishes to have a change of scenery, but still enjoy the comforts (and vices) of home. In their new film, Gringo Trails, Pegi Vail and Melvin Estrella examines the pieces of paradise that have become havens for travelers and the fates that befall these remote locations: some are able to harness the dollars of tourists for good, while others become dens of debauchery and have their natural capital strewn with straws and other trash that party-goers leave behind.

Testing the Limits of Human Endurance in Antarctica - Ben Saunders

Well into the 21st Century, humans have mapped most of the Earth's land masses and there very few blank spaces of the map to be filled. So why did polar adventurer Ben Saunders try to finish the 1,795 mile human-powered journey that Robert Falcon Scott died starting? He tells Boyd that he frequently asked himself that question during his 105 days on the exposed ice, but he says he hoped to explore the physical and mental boundaries of humans, rather than any space on the map.

Lion Rule Number 1: Don't Run Away - Amy Dickman

Don't run from lions. National Geographic Big Cats Initiative grantee Amy Dickman can't stress this enough as "Rule Number One" when dealing with the cats. But that's easier said than done when face to face with one of nature's top predators. Late in 2012, some villagers near her Ruaha Carnivore Project in Tanzania decided they were going to chase a lion from her kill. But the lion proved to be persistent and ended up nearly making a meal of a villager, who escaped, but "now walks with a limp."

Baby Elephant Cuteness - Wild Chronicles

In this week's Wild Chronicles segment, Boyd reflects on how abundant the wildlife in Botswana's Selinda Reserve are compared with when he was there twenty years ago. At the time, hunting was allowed; now, there hasn't been any hunting in the park for seven years. He also reflects on the very cute baby elephant that was just a few hours old that he saw while he was there.

Rat Evolution Happening in NYC - Jason Munshi-South

Charles Darwin had a scientific breakthrough when he observed that the finches he saw in the Galapagos Islands were similar, but had distinctions in their coloring, beak and body shape that prevented Darwin from calling them the same species. Fordham University rodent biologist Jason Munshi-South says that's essentially what is happening to rats and mice in New York City. Munshi-South describes that it doesn't matter how much area an animal has, as long as it has a lot of time in genetic isolation from its neighbors: "It's now to the point where if someone gave us a mouse from New York City, we would have a good chance to guess what park it came from." Munshi-South isn't yet sure whether rats are as isolated as the city's park mice are, but has a study to test the rats for genetic isolation and to see if they're evolving in different directions, as the city's mice are.

Science Expedition Air Rescued By Madagascar's Military - Simon Donato

Scientists aren’t always the most intrepid adventurers. That’s why they need Simon Donato and his team. Donato, who founded Adventure Science, prides himself on getting scientists into some of the most treacherous terrain on the planet. But on their most recent science adventure to Madagascar’s remote “Great Tsingy” region, it was Donato who needed some help. After an eight hour adventure extended into a three day stay in the bush, he called in the Malagasy military who flew him home. But the surprisingly difficult adventure did yield some surprising science: they found dinosaur footprints that belonged to some “velociraptor-type” dinosaurs.

Surfing 80 Waves 80 Feet Tall - Greg Long

Surfing, it seems, has at least one important commonality with fishing: it doesn't matter how size of the wave you caught, it just matters if you have proof. Professional surfer Greg Long's biggest wave, he says, was estimated to be 80 feet tall. But he was obscured by other waves and so he wasn't photographed on the wave, so his recorded personal biggest wave is 68 feet tall. Long was riding one such wave when he was held underwater after falling off his board while surfing at California's Cortes Bank. He was rescued by his support crew unconscious. His ability to hold his breath for minutes at a time saved him, but it wasn't long before Long was back riding big waves.

10-Foot Tall Carniverous Flying Dinosaur "Like a Giant Stork" - Nizar Ibrahim

When paleontologists dig for ancient dinosaur fossils, they aren't disappointed if they trip over a much-less-ancient, but still very old human fossil. Such was the case when National Geographic Emerging Explorer Nizar Ibrahim found "Halloween Man," in a 5,000 year old Saharan burial site. Ibrahim has also discovered a new species of Pterosaur, which was a 10-foot tall flying reptile with an 18-foot wingspan that lived 100-million years ago. Ibrahim is careful to explain that, despite him finding the human skeleton while looking for dinosaurs, they did not live at the same time.

Pirate Arrests & the Mason-Dixon Line - This Weekend in History

In our recurring This Weekend in History segment, Nat Geo Library research manager Maggie Turqman highlights the big, the small and the curious events that have happened over the years on this weekend: November 15, 1763, the day when Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon began surveying a line to divide Pennsylvania and Maryland that would later have broad implications: the Mason-Dixon Line divided the northern non-slave states from the southern slave states, and set the stage for Civil War hostilities. On the same date in 1720, Anne Bonny and Mary Read were brought to justice in Jamaica as pirates. Both had their death sentences commuted for pregnancy. And on November 14, 1840 grandfather of impressionism Claude Monet was born.

Tsunami Risk: Identifying Disasters Before (And After) They Happen - Beverly Goodman

Studying extreme events in our past can warn us of the possibilities for similar diasters in the future. Not known as a tsunami hotspot in the same way that the Pacific Ocean is, the Mediterranean Sea still holds the second largest tsunami risk of all the world’s bodies of water, says National Geographic geo-archaeologist and Emerging Explorer Beverly Goodman. She studies the ocean floors for “tsunami deposits” that indicate that the huge waves have rolled over the seas above. Goodman says that as the waves have rolled through the Mediterranean and Red Sea in the past, it’s an indication that they could do so again in the future.

Extreme Weather Survival Guide - Thomas Kostigen

The sheer variety of extreme weather found in the United States can leave people exposed; sure you may know plenty about hurricanes, but how about blizzards? Thomas Kostigen, author of The Extreme Weather Survival Guide: Understand, Prepare, Survive, Recover, guides us on how to prepare for winter, among other environmental disasters. He highlights how to protect yourself and things that are important to you: your pet, car, home… and grandparents.

Prosecuting Wildlife Trafficking Kingpins - Bryan Christy

Pablo Escobar. Al Capone. Anson Wong. As part of a new initiative to underscore the urgency wildlife trafficking as a criminal act, National Geographic Fellow and environmental crime fighter Bryan Christy is working to make the trafficking kingpins household names. Once Wong becomes synonymous with the world’s most organized mobsters, the public can fully appreciate how sinister the practice really is.

Speed Climbing Iconic Walls Without a Rope - Hans Florine

The "nose" of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park is one of the world's most iconic big wall climbing routes that was first climbed by Warren Harding in 1958. It took him 45 days. As the current record holder Hans Florine explains "A lot has happened since then." Florine teamed up with Alex Honnold in 2012 to complete the 2,950 foot route in 2 hours 23 minutes and 46 seconds. Florine is one of the pioneers of speed climbing and has climbed El Capitan's nose route 97 times. His love affair with the scenery and granite walls in Yosemite continues to motivate him. He set his last El Cap speed record when he was 48 years old. He still free soloes, but counts on his fitness and experience on El Capitan to keep him safe. Plus, he puts it into perspective for non-climbers: He compares a quarter-inch toe-hold on a rock face to a ladder rung for people who don't climb professionally.

Hand Raising Gorillas, Then Setting Them Free - Damian Aspinall

Damian Aspinall believes that zoos have a higher responsibility to the animals that they house than just the function of educating the public. Aspinall, whose father created a wildlife sanctuary outside of their home in the English countryside, is leading a large reintroduction program that has put 80 gorillas back into the wild. He explains his reintroduction methods, as well as shares a story about his strong bond with one male gorilla, who, after five years of living in the jungle, embraced Aspinall, who had been searching for him, and introduced him to his new wild family.

Setting Bats Free Inside For Photography - Susan McGrath

Most times wild animals wander into a home, they're quickly ushered out by broom or animal control. But rarely are they brought in for the sake of photography, the way that Merlin Tuttle did in National Geographic magazine's March 2014 article "Call of the Bloom." Susan McGrath tells Boyd that the bats were pleasant house guests and described their unique sonar relationship with a specific flower.

Wild Chronicles - Abducted By Sled Dogs in the Arctic

In this week's Wild Chronicles segment, Boyd tells the tale of his own experience dogsledding. He was abducted by a team of dogs on Baffin Island, when they bucked their driver. The dogs took Boyd safely home, while the Inuit driver was forced to walk 45 minutes back to their camp.

Little Changes: Evolution For Children - Tiffany Taylor

Evolution is a tricky but very important scientific process that can be fraught with misunderstandings. So evolutionary biologist Tiffany Taylor is setting out to resolve the problem by tackling it early. Her children's book Little Changes breaks down the concepts into a story so that children will start to absorb the concepts without even knowing that they're learning. Her next book,Great Adaptations is currently in production.

Genetically Modified Underwear: Growing Cotton in India - Andrew Flachs

Genetically modified organisms aren't always dangerous when consumed by humans. But, when genetically modified crops are used to enforce a strict set of farming practices, after which the farmer cannot grow other crops or revert to older practices that might be less taxing on his land, problems could arise. National Geographic Young Explorer Andrew Flachs studied farming practices in India's Telangana region where cotton is grown.

Carrying Scientists Into Sinkholes to Study Frogs - Joe Riis

Tepuis are high table-top mountain plateaus that exist in the jungles of South America. The ecological islands have high populations of plants and animals found nowhere else. To study frogs, photographer Joe Riis, biologist Bruce Means and mountain climber Mark Synnot made an expedition to one tepuis. The trip involved lowering the 71-year old Means into a deep sinkhole, and tethering the non-climber frog expert to a series of shrubs to anchor his escape. Riis captured the expedition in his film "Return to the Tepuis".

Saving Leatherback Turtles On the Local Level - John and Hilda Denham

John and Hilda Denham had traveled broadly around the world before first visiting Costa Rica. But when John saw the leatherback and green sea turtles pull themselves onto the beach to give birth, he was taken by their vulnerability to crabs, gulls and poachers. To try to help, even on a local level, he bought a swath of jungle next to a turtle nesting beach and established the Pacuare Nature Reserve. Twenty-five years later, they are able to save 98% of the turtle nests adjacent to their property. For their success in helping leatherback numbers stabilize and their efforts to teach local school kids about the animals, they've been awarded the 2013 Sustainable Travel Leadership Award, established by United Airlines and National Geographic.

Exploring Mexico's Underworld - Guillermo de Anda

To keep secret the religious practice of human sacrifice, the Mayans held ceremonies in hard to reach underwater caves and cenotes, which are sinkholes. National Geographic Emerging Explorer Guillermo de Anda and his team are exploring the dark depths of the ocean surrounding the Yucatan Peninsula to find out more about this ancient Mayan ritual. Guillermo’s experiences cave diving show that not all archaeology involves sifting through dust and can actually be quite risky.

Wrestling Irish Seals - Michelle Cronin

With a team of six other scientists, grantee Michelle Cronin wrestles seals in Ireland so she can find out where they swim and what they eat. Cronin hopes to understand their diet in order to protect the seal from conflict with local fishermen.

Rosetta: Harpoon a Comet at 25,200 MPH - Matt Taylor

Many around the world have been captivated by the Mars Curiosity Rover, leaving tire tracks on a distant planet for the first time. But Matt Taylor works on a different space mission - one he says is even cooler than Curiosity. He helped the European Space Agency send Rosetta into space, which is a mission to land a probe on a comet traveling 25,200 miles an hour. As Taylor explains it, the space craft will "harpoon" the comet and reel itself in to gently "kiss" its surface and screwing into the rock. Taylor says Rosetta will help teach us about the ingredients present when the universe began.

No Sibling Rivalry As Twins Ride the Iditarod - Kristy and Anna Berington

Having a partner can help competitors survive the Iditarod dog sled race. That's partly why Kristy and Anna Berington back each other up while running a team of 14 dogs through 975 miles of grueling Alaskan wilderness. The twins explain that racers always train their dogs to run fast, but have less success in convincing their canine team to stop. The Beringtons say that runaway dog teams are a fairly common occurrence and even non-related racers will assist when needed.

Wild Chronicles - Healing Rwanda

In this week's Wild Chronicles segment, Boyd describes his recent trip to formerly war-torn Rwanda. He learned about the measures the country took to overcome their recent genocidal past, and the nation-building measures they take now such as the mandatory monthly "clean up day" that each citizen must participate in.

Mindsuckers: How Parasites Make Animals Harm Themselves - Carl Zimmer

Ladybugs are pretty bugs, with their bright colors and spots that capture the attention of children everywhere. But the good looking insects that play in our gardens are actually voracious predators munching on aphids. But even hungry ladybugs have to watch their backs, explains Carl Zimmer, as they're important vectors for a type of parasitic wasps that borrow their bodies and their less important organs to grow their larvae. Once the larvae burst out of the ladybugs' body, the colorful predators will then stand guard over the wasp cocoon until the wasp is ready to move out into the world. Zimmer describes a whole world of parasites that cause their hosts to display odd behaviors in the November 2014 cover story of National Geographic magazine, "Mindsuckers".

Why Chimpanzees Wage War - David Watts

Chimpanzees are some of man's closest relatives, but National Geographic grantee and Yale primatologist David Watts says that we shouldn't fool ourselves into thinking that they approach the world in the same way we do. Their aggressive behaviors and motivations come from a very different place than ours do. He says that aggression is a daily event in the lives of chimps, inside social groups. But he points out that the displays of aggression that tend to get the most attention are those between separate social groups. Watts explains why chimps do war, and it's not to protect their interests abroad. He also offers hope for our species: while chimpanzee violence is not something they can escape, "humans can. Antagonistic groups have made peace with each other, and even formed alliances against others, which is beyond the capacity of chimpanzees."

Vacationing in North Korea - Vicky Mohieddeen

North Korea is an isolated and closed society whose relationships with most other nations are touchy, at best. Naturally, it's a surprise to many that the country would host Western tourists. But tour operator Vicky Mohieddeen helps guide people through the country. She explains that she's had very few people denied visas, and that it's "extremely rare for foreigners to be detained" there, but there are many rules that are important to follow. Mohieddeen explains that the pace of life in Pyongyang is very different from most other Asian cities of a similar size: people work 6 days each week, and there isn't much of a consumer culture that brings people out to shopping districts. She also says that try as North Korea's government might try to project an image of prosperity, it's hard to hide the lack of development when they stay in hotels that don't have indoor plumbing or have regular power outages.

How Good is an Elephant's Memory? - Joyce Poole

Elephants are renowned for their memory. National Geographic Explorer Joyce Poole tells Boyd that their memory is legendary, and it's just as strong as their ability to socialize. The animals will regularly visit the bodies of dead elephants from their herds, to the point that they will wear walking-paths through vegetation to these grave sites. Poole also tells the story of one wild elephant she studied named Vladimir, with which she developed quite a friendly working relationship that lasted over twelve years. She has now created an app to remotely track elephants through the observations of Maasai locals and visitors, where they upload images and herd locations and numbers for Poole to study.

Budget For Conservation - James Watson

Countries have endless amounts of money in the name of national security and military budgets. But if nations around the world put just 2.5% of their annual military budgets toward conservation and the proper management of parklands, Wildlife Conservation Society's James Watson argues that we could save much of the world's biodiversity. Watson argues that proper management of parks is urgent, as opposed to what happens to parklands in much of the world, where parks are established and then left just as lines on a map, without any actual government protection.

Orangutan Family Portrait & Saving the Forest For The Apes - Willie Smits

Orangutans in Borneo face a malicious threat: their forest homes are being fragmented for palm oil plantations, so different populations of the great apes are being separated in chunks of isolated treetops. Orangutan conservationist Willie Smits explains that they'll survive in pockets, but the isolation threatens their genetic diversity, leaving them vulnerable to disease. But Smits has been working with locals to help them protect the forest from encroachment from palm oil companies. He has also released 600 orphaned orangutans back into the forest. His research station is currently home to another 1,000 orphaned orangutans, who, with luck, will be released back into the forest.

Voluntourism: Enriching Lives by Giving Time Abroad - Kip Patrick & Elizabeth Zipse

National Geographic Traveler "Traveler of the Year" honorees Kip Patrick and Elizabeth Zipse spent 18 months traveling the globe, and on their voyage, at least one day each week, they volunteered to help the people whose country they were visiting. They explain that there are plenty of volunteer opportunities available, from teaching Buddhist monks English in Laos, to picking up trash on the way to Mount Everest's base camp. Patrick and Zipse explain that they don't only volunteer when the travel -- at home, they still give time each week to help where they can. They created an organization, called 1 of 7, that details volunteer opportunities abroad and explains their travel ethos.

Bleak Outlook for Himalayan Glaciers - David Brashers

In the second segment of his interview, David Brashears explains that when he's choosing a team of people to summit one of the world's highest mountains, he picks people with different strengths. That way, they have a team mentality, and they rely on each other for survival, and the only way they'll leave a teammate on the mountain is in a life and death scenario where it's impossible to save everybody's life. But Brashears says that the draw of the Himalayas isn't necessarily the summits of the world's tallest mountains. His company, Glacierworks, seeks to understand how the warming climate affects the Himalayan glaciers and what the future looks like for the people who inhabit the valleys in the shadows of the world's tallest peaks.

1996 Blizzard on Everest: The Rescue - David Brashears

On April 18, 2014, 16 Sherpas were killed in a tragic avalanche on Mount Everest, which is the deadliest day in the mountain's history. The previous mark for the mountain's highest death toll in a single accident happened in 1996, when eight climbers were trapped in a snowstorm and died. Climber and filmmaker David Brashears was on the mountain that day. He helped shepherd frostbitten and disoriented survivors high off the mountain in the storm's aftermath. Knowing that it would end his pursuit of the summit, and put the film in jeopard, Brashears gave much of his bottled oxygen to the effort to rescue the climbers trapped in the blizzard. He explains that today, Everest's base camp is a different place: it's crowded, there are dozens of teams all pushing through short weather windows to the summit. He explains the difference in Everest's culture between the way commercial outfitters pursue the summit today and back in the 1980's and 90's.

Attack of the Wasps: Why They Attack Bees and Humans - Gard Otis

Smaller creatures have to learn to find ways in the animal kingdom; if they can't physically dominate their environment, other, occasionally strange, survival behaviors develop or the animal is wiped out. Entomologist Gard Otis studied bees in Vietnam and observed that they regularly treat the outside of their hives with animal dung after they had been attacked. He also shares about how the smaller bees thwart wasp attacks, and why wasps attack people.

Darting Monkeys While Dodging Snakes - Mary Pavelka

Howler monkeys aren't known for their intelligence. Spider monkeys are much brighter, but harder to study. National Geographic grantee Mary Pavelka explains the ups and downs of studying primates in Central America. Pavelka tells Boyd that the hardest part of studying the monkeys in the treetops is keeping an eye out for the poisonous snakes on the ground as well.

Exploring Japan By Rail - Ramsey Zarifeh

Tokyo isn't all there is to Japan. In fact, travel writer Ramsey Zarifeh encourages people who visit the country to quickly visit Tokyo and then use the country's very prompt rail system to get far away from the metropolis. He tells Boyd about the country's mountains, hot springs, and one troublesome geyser that almost caused an international incident between Britain and Japan by dousing a civil servant's dog.

1001 Inventions: The Enduring Legacy of Muslim Civilization - Salim Al-Hassani

In Western schools, many world history classes gloss over the period of time following the fall of the Roman Empire by calling them the "Dark Ages." But Salim Al-Hassani explains to Boyd that the Muslim world was bursting with innovations that helped the Europe usher in its Renaissance period. Al-Hassani edited the book 1001 Inventions: The Enduring Legacy of Muslim Civilization.

Free Diving With Great White Sharks - Ocean Ramsey

Great white sharks are portrayed as the perfect ocean killing machine. They're goaded into frenzies by cage diving companies for the enjoyment (and fear) of their clients. But shark conservationist Ocean Ramsey says that they're not always on the prowl for a meal. She became famous for a video of her trailing from a great white shark's dorsal fin, in an attempt to show that, while she doesn't advise it, the sharks are often just trying to swim. They're often just as leery of meeting us in the ocean as we are of them.

Guerilla Geography: Walking Across Cities - Daniel Raven Ellison

Guerilla geographer and National Geographic Emerging Explorer Daniel Raven Ellison is exploring our relation to the urban spaces in which we live by walking across major cities, including Mumbai, Mexico City and London.

Greater London National Park: Letting Cities Go Wild - Daniel Raven Ellison

New York City seems to be about as far away conceptually from the wilds of Alaska's protected national parks as possible. But National Geographic Emerging Explorer Daniel Raven Ellison explains that this doesn't necessarily have to be the case. Ellison has created the Greater London National Park*, working to procure a national protection for the plants, animals and people who make their lives inside of Europe's largest city. He hopes that people can reconnect with nature and, instead of thinking of it as a distant place far removed from the city, embrace an eco-friendly lifestyle in the place that people live and work everyday.

Take A Vacation With Your Dog - Kelly Carter

The opportunity to travel can be a mixed blessing for pet owners. The stress of leaving their furry family members behind in a kennel can leave vacationers torn. But Kelly E. Carter says that people no longer need to choose; we can now vacation with our pets. The author of National Geographic's The Dog Lover's Guide To Travel says that hotels and even restaurants the world around cater to travelers and their four-legged companions. She and her dog Lucy joined Boyd in the studio to share pet travel tips.

Cyborgs: What We Have in Common With Darth Vader - Amber Case

Cyborgs hold a special place in our cultural imagination. The Terminator, Robocop and Darth Vader are all examples of cyborgs in popular culture. But National Geographic Emerging Explorer and cyborg anthropologist Amber Case says that we are all cyborgs. She tells Boyd that smart phones are essentially "external brains," that meld humans into a type of technology enhanced human-machine hybrid.

Star-Eating Black Holes - Michael Finkel

If Earth were hurtling on a collision course with a black hole, we would never know. Their gravitational force is so strong that neither light nor planets can travel fast enough to escape. But Michael Finkel author of "Star Eater," in the March 2014 issue of National Geographic magazine, says that black holes are so small and the universe is so large that there are better things to worry about. He also explains to Boyd that black holes have such a strong gravitational pull that time is just another variable thrown off by the force.

Swarm Theory: How Birds, Fish and Bugs Swarm Together - Iain Couzin

National Geographic Emerging Explorer Iain Couzin studies collective behavior, from insect swarms to schools of fish to groups of humans. His study of locust swarms surprisingly revealed that the insects are often more intent on devouring each other than on eating crops.

Turbulent Flight Around The World in a Single Engine Plane - Barrington Irving

On his record solo circumnavigation of the world, new National Geographic Emerging Explorer Barrington Irving flew a single engine plane around the world when he was just 23 years old. Irving's plane had no de-icing fluid and survived a sand storm 17,000 feet above Saudi Arabia. He speaks with Boyd about giving up the opportunity to play football at the University of Florida in order to pursue his flight dreams.

Unquenchable Thirst: Over-Tapping the Colorado River - Osvel Hinojosa Huerta

The once mighty Colorado River that etched the Grand Canyon over 40 million years has been tamed by man’s insatiable thirst. National Geographic Emerging Explorer Osvel Hinojosa Huerta tells Boyd that the water that allows the American West to grow has been over allotted and not enough is left for nature.

Wild Chronicles: Annals of Risk - Underwater Cave Diving

In this week's Wild Chronicles segment, Boyd shares the story of his own experiences diving in underwater caves. He says that in open water scuba diving, you're able to let your air tank go down to nearly empty, although you're not supposed to. The repercussions of running out of air, or even losing you way in an underwater cave system, are much more severe than risking decompression sickness from surfacing too quickly in open water.

Black Carbon, Snow Pace Glacial Melt - Dr. Tami Bond

Everybody knows that snow is white. But that's precisely the problem facing the glaciers on Greenland and in the Himalayan Plateau: the once white snow, in many places, is black. Because of the color change, it's melting much faster than it otherwise would, from the extra focus of the sun's rays. Dr. Tami Bond has received one of the MacArthur Foundation's "Genius" Grants for her research on black carbon, the microscopic agent that floats through the atmosphere and ultimately lands back on earth, sometimes settling on top of glaciers. Dr. Bond is studying ways to cut down on atmospheric black carbon. And, she says, that while it may be expensive to cut down on, "the cost of fixing an environmental problem always has to be compared to the cost of not doing anything."

ISIS: Robbing Muslims of Their Cultural Identity - Salam Al-Kuntar

The Middle East has recently been ravaged by religious-driven conflict, scarring generations of people who are just trying to live. But a historic hallmark of the religious warfare in that region for centuries has been the "destruction of cultural heritage for its symbolic meaning." Syrian anthropologist Salam Al-Kuntar explains that ISIS' insistence on destroying relics and monuments devoted to Muslim leaders that don't conform with their worldview, and that's intended to "obliterate the meaning of people's lives, including their connection to their history."

The World's Best Boxers: Ghana's Fighting Bukom Neighborhood - Joe Haldemann

Kenyans are known internationally as long distance runners. Canada has hockey, Australians swim, and New Zealand plays rugby. And while these countries have relatively small populations for their outsized sport successes, their people to sport notorieity ratio is dwarfed by that of the boxing fame enjoyed by Ghana's Bukom neighborhood in Accra. Joe Haldemann recently spent the summer there, living amongst Bukom's boxers trying to understand their boxing recipe. He explains that it can be understood historically: the once wealthy port neighborhood lost many of its jobs, leaving behind crowds of people competing for space and resources. Among idle young men, fights often happen. The British introduced the ring, and a long while later, Joshua Clottey is the welterweight world boxing champion, while two of his brothers fought professionally in other weight classes. Haldemann is making a documentary about Bukom's success in the "sweet science".

Music: History, Storytelling & Musical Commercialism - Ethan Johns

Ethan Johns is a musician, producer and student of history - he lives a short distance from Stonehenge, in southern England. For him, music and history are both very present in his life. It seems like a natural fit, then, that his new album, "The Reckoning," transports listeners to the late 1800's following the deeds and misdeeds of a pair of brothers living on the American frontier. And while many of Johns' songs on The Reckoning might not immediately strike listeners as "happy melodies," he explains that "there's hope and redemption all throughout the record."

Bolivia's Citizen Biologists - Erika Cuellar

Conservation remote locales is often left to those who take it upon themselves to monitor a region's wild plants and animals. To this end, National Geographic Emerging Explorer Erika Cuellar trains residents of Bolivia's Gran Chaco region as biologists, who are trained in conservation techniques and then act as guides and naturalists who can advocate for the region's protection.

Uncovering the Dangerously Guarded Secrets of Bahamaian Blue Holes - Kenny Broad

National Geographic Explorer Kenny Broad endures the dangers of Scuba diving in caves as deep as 300 feet below the surface in the name of science. Broad stresses that on land, he's much more accident prone than underwater, but says that he takes the risks that he does to study "blue holes" on Bahamian islands to learn about our past. Broad explains that one mystery that still leaves him guessing is the fact that humans only very recently settled the Bahamas, despite the fact that humans had been living on the North American mainland, just 60 miles away, for thousands of years.

Confronting "The Price" of Losing Rhinos to Poaching - Melinda MacInnis

After taking a trip to Swaziland, where she met conservationist Ted Reilly, who helped rebuild Swaziland's rhinoceros populations after a particularly brutal poaching episode, animal enthusiast Melinda MacInnis was moved to publicize their global plight. Her forthcoming documentary "The Price" follows the demand for rhino horn through a dozen countries, starting with its use in traditional Chinese medicines and continuing into a commodity controlled by organized crime organizations worldwide. MacInnis plans to release "The Price" in 2015.

Mountain Women Shredding "Pretty Faces" - Lynsey Dyer

Big mountain skiing requires the ability to eyeball a slope, a cliff or a hole in the snowpack from afar and be able to gauge the required speed or identify necessary turns to avoid disaster. It doesn't have the controlled, predictable conditions of an Olympic ski jump or half pipe. Professional skier Lynsey Dyer tells Boyd about her biggest big mountain air, as well as discusses her all-woman ski film Pretty Faces. The film was crowdsourced, gathering footage from women skiers on mountains everywhere. Dyer also founded She Jumps, an organization that seeks to promote an outdoor lifestyle for young girls everywhere.

Biking 11,000 Miles in 22 Countries in 365 Days - Felix Starck

Some adventures require years of preparation and planning. If you ask Felix Starck, cycling around the world isn't one of those adventures. Starck came up with the idea to ride his bike around the world in January, 2013; he left five months later. He pulled his bike back into Herxheim, Germany 365 days, 22 countries and more than 11,000 miles pedaled later. Starck says that the toughest part of the ride was "all of Asia," and one of his favorite parts of the ride was pedaling up one of the world's steepest roads in New Zealand. Starck plans to turn his year pedaling into a documentary.

The Future is Now: Vacuuming Robots & Smart Air-Conditioning - Chad Jenkins

Boyd feels ripped off by the future. When he was a child, he was flying cars and promised robots to do household chores. But National Geographic Emerging Explorer and roboticist Chad Jenkins explains that machines are more helpful than we may realize. From self-regulating air conditioning and heating to robots that move around the house and vacuum, robots are smarter than they ever have been. But Jenkins is working toward a future in which humans will be able to teach robots tasks to repeat. He says that since robots don't have free will, we only need to fear the humans programming the machines that can help us avoid a future predicted by another National Geographic explorer: the Judgment Day depicted in James Cameron's The Terminator.

Manta Rays: Pandas of the Sea - Andrea Marshall

National Geographic Emerging Explorer Andrea Marshall lives just feet from the beach in Mozambique where she dives every day to study manta rays. Living in Paradise would seem to be perfect, but Marshall says the smallest amounts of human pressure can demolish a vulnerable animal. A small local fishery has reduced the manta ray population by 88% in recent years, and she's dedicated to rehabbing the numbers of these "pandas of the sea."

Galaxy Collapse: A Fairly Common Event - Brendan Mullan

In what sounds like an apocalyptic scenario, the collision of galaxies can be a fairly mundane event, says National Geographic Emerging Explorer Brendan Mullan. The astrobiologist hails the study of stars and planets as an accessible "gateway drug" to science, and he also breaks the news to Boyd that getting a PhD is tougher than it sounds.

Ugly Fruit: Part of the Solution to Global Hunger - Tristram Stuart

World hunger and conversion of forest into farmland are two major crises facing our planet today. National Geographic Emerging Explorer Tristram Stuart believes eating ugly food can help solve both. He describes that one third of world food production is wasted before reaching consumers because it does not fit commercial beauty specifications. The UK campaign on "ugly fruit" is encouraging people to solve issues of food waste. It can help both the farmer growing the food, the hungry people in Africa and the environment, and that “the solution to this problem is delicious.”

Perception is Reality: Art as Perspective - Raghava KK

From tablet magazines to Twitter, our everyday experiences with media are becoming more interactive through digital technology. Raghava KK, a 2013 National Geographic Emerging Explorer, is using EEG technology to make otherwise two-dimensional paintings multiple dimensions of possibility for the consumer. He explains how his art changes based on the viewers’ thoughts.

India's Monsoon Wildlife: Nesting Tiger, Swimming Elephant - Sandesh Kadur

National Geographic Emerging Explorer, photographer and filmmaker Sandesh Kadur returns, bringing stories of what happens to animals in India's famous Kaziranga National Park during the seasonal monsoon floods. He tells Boyd that elephants swim across miles of water, braving exhaustion and villagers; tigers build nests in trees; and rhinos head for the hills and hope to avoid poachers while they are displaced by high water.

Madagascar: Don't Eat Endangered Animals - Chris Golden

Many meats are said to taste like chicken. One of the few people qualified to approximate the flavors of the many animals that run around Madagascar's jungles is National Geographic Emerging Explorer Chris Golden. His tips: flying fox is delicious; lemur eyeballs are not. Also, don't eat endangered animals.

Lions & the Samburu: Enemies Become Allies

A recent trend of conservation in Africa involves reducing conflict between the wildlife and locals who live in the area. National Geographic Emerging Explorer Shivani Bhalla and her Ewaso Lions team recruits Samburu warriors, like Jeneria Lekilele to track the cats and share the information with local herders so they can bring their cattle elsewhere. Bhalla finds that when fewer cows get killed, fewer lions tend to die in retribution.