Luis E. Fernandez is a tropical ecologist and the Executive Director of the Center for Amazonian Scientific Innovation (CINCIA), developing solutions on how to reforest and restore degraded areas in one of the most biodiverse places on earth, the Peruvian Amazon. Luis has spent extensive years studying the effects of artisanal mining in the Amazon. In this conversation we learn what is really happening in the region, how it impacts not just the local communities, but us too, and why technological solutions bring him hope for the near future.

Explore the Artisanal Mining Challenge at artisanalminingchallenge.com

Learn more about Center for Amazonian Scientific Innovation at cincia.wfu.edu/en/

Learn more about the Xploring Podcast & Conservation X Labs at conservationxlabs.com

May the #Xploring continue! 

Dr. Paula Kahumbu leads a powerful Kenyan conservation NGO, WildlifeDirect, focused on community development, children’s education, impact storytelling, wildlife justice campaigns, and action for new legislation and policy.  

Their famous Hands Off Our Elephants Campaign to protect elephants and end elephant trafficking in Kenya has reduced elephant poaching by 80% and began a truly impactful shift at all levels of society from rural communities to business leaders and political decision makers. This kind of shift in behavior change is what we’re diving into in this conversation with Dr. Kahumbu, who shares what her work taught her about changing the hearts of a nation.

Learn more about Wildlife Direct at wildlifedirect.org/programs/

Learn more about the Xploring Podcast & Conservation X Labs at conservationxlabs.com

May the #Xploring continue!

Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Bolt Threads, David Breslauer invents new materials inspired by nature, with a mission to keep our planet healthy and materials innovative. Today, David shares how he started Bolt Threads as a PhD student 12 years ago and what he didn’t know back then about entrepreneurship, VC funding, and more. If you’re a rising entrepreneur, or a scientist curious to learn about different opportunities, this one's for you!

Bolt Threads is a partner with Conservation X Labs on the Microfiber Innovation Challenge, which will award $650,000 in prizes for solutions that will prevent or replace plastic in our clothing & textiles.

Explore the Microfiber Challenge at conservationxlabs.com/microfibers

See more about Bolt Threads https://boltthreads.com/about-us/

Learn more about the Xploring Podcast and Conservation X Labs conservationxlabs.com

May the #Xploring continue!

Asher Jay has created dozens of captivating paintings, installations, animations, photography, and more. She has developed campaigns to influence global action for wildlife conservation for which she was named the United Nations Women Design Star. We talk with Asher about her journey towards transformation, why she doesn’t conform to titles, and how her early beginnings shaped her into the courageous explorer she is today. 

View Asher’s work at http://www.asherjay.com/the-work

Learn more about the Xploring podcast and Conservation X Labs conservationxlabs.com

May the #Xploring continue!

Investigative journalist Ian Urbina has spent more than 5 years at sea to tell the stories of lawlessness and now joins us for a candid conversation about creative journalism, the power of music and the hidden reality of our oceans. We explore the Outlaw Ocean Music Project, which convenes hundreds of musicians from dozens of countries to raise awareness about the abuses that occur on our oceans through music. 

The Outlaw Ocean Project is a non-profit organization solely dedicated to publishing more of these stories, so please consider supporting the work at theoutlawocean.com/. 

Learn more about the Xploring podcast and Conservation X Labs conservationxlabs.com

May the #Xploring continue!