Our Story
the EC50
Each year The Explorers Club recognizes 50 extraordinary people who are doing remarkable work to promote science and exploration, but remain under the radar and out of the limelight. These 50 individuals are exploring, inspiring, and creating the future—the future of the planet, life upon it, and the boundless possibilities that await us all.
Countries represented by honorees
Applicants since the EC50 program launch
Club programs featuring EC50 Honorees to date
The age of the oldest laureate
MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE
Exploration has never been about standing still. It is, at its heart, an act of optimism—a belief that understanding our world can improve it. The Explorers Club 50 exists to honor individuals who embody that belief, not only through extraordinary accomplishment, but through purpose. The Class of 2026 reflects a profound truth of our time: discovery matters most when it serves humanity.
These honorees are not content to simply observe the world’s challenges from a distance. They are scientists, conservationists, technologists, storytellers, and leaders who venture into difficult places—geographic, intellectual, and moral—because that is where progress is made. Their work confronts climate change, biodiversity loss, human health, inequality, and access to knowledge. But just as importantly, they understand that discovery alone is not enough.
What sets this class apart is their commitment to communication. They translate complex science into language people can feel, see, and understand. They recognize that data does not change the world—people do. By making science relevant to everyday lives, they build bridges between knowledge and action, curiosity and responsibility, hope and solutions.
The EC50 is not about celebrating saviors of the planet. It is about recognizing collaborators—individuals who work across borders, disciplines, and cultures to build a more informed and compassionate global community. These honorees remind us that exploration today is as much about listening as it is about leading, as much about inclusion as innovation.
In a world often defined by division and uncertainty, the Class of 2026 offers something essential: clarity of purpose. They show us that making the world a better place does not require all the answers, but it does require courage, integrity, and the willingness to share what we learn.
The future will be shaped by those who explore with empathy, who lead with evidence, and who communicate with humanity at the center of their work. This class does exactly that—and in doing so, they remind us why exploration still matters.
Yours in Exploration,
Richard Wiese
Explorers Club President & EC50 Chair
Redefining Exploration
Through the EC50 program, The Explorers Club has redefined what it means to explore; what it means to challenge ourselves; what it means to dream.
In each class of fifty explorers, we aim to paint a picture of the great diversity within modern exploration. Not just in age, gender, race, or demographic background, but also in the explorer’s approach to problem-solving, field science, and their vision of the future.
The goal of this program is not only to recognize explorers from new and different realms of experience, but, by doing so, to create new conversations, new perceptions, and new alliances that infuse the familiar world of our Club with new curiosity and wonder. And not just wonder about the possibilities of exploration, but wonder about the possibilities within ourselves.
