The Explorers Club 50 (EC50) may well be the most important initiative our Club has ever undertaken. I do not make this statement lightly. For 118 years now, we have promoted exploration by all means, and as important as it is to get the history right, it is even more important to build on that foundation for the future. Our Club was founded and built in the image of the great European and American explorers of the Heroic Age. Today however, we recognize that many of the greatest contributions to exploration are coming from all parts of the world – places where we have historically failed to focus on. The EC50 program amplifies explorers from around the globe and across a wide field of disciplines that push the boundaries of exploration. Naming these global exploration leaders to the EC50 shines a bright light on their extraordinary work and provides the recognition they so deserve. Indeed, many in the EC50 inaugural class have found their careers uplifted soon after being named an EC50 awardee and having their work celebrated by The Explorers Club, and this year’s EC50 class is every bit as exciting as last year’s! I cannot wait to share their stories, attend their lectures, and welcome them at ECAD and at the Global Exploration Summit (GLEX) in the Azores this July. But mostly, I can’t wait to see the great ways they will help lead the Club, and the world, in the field of exploration.
