Recognized for promoting science and exploration […]
Each year, the Explorers Club (“The Explorers’ Club”, in English) elects 50 people who have contributed to the promotion of science and exploration, but who still need to be recognized by the rest of the planet.
And, in 2024, Brazil is five years old.
This year, the EC50, as the nomination is known, listed five Brazilians who, beyond simply exploring travelers, have changed the world, in areas such as geology, seed dissemination, naturalistic design, sustainability and ichthyology.
“It’s really fantastic. I’m very happy, especially to be the only Brazilian scientist on the list. It’s a great recognition for me and for the funding agencies that have always supported me,” describes geologist Fernanda Avelar Santos, in an email statement. email sent to Travel by fare.
Fernanda researches the detection of pollutants in marine areas, particularly plastic rocks, like those she found on the remote island of Trindade, in 2019.
“The EC50 recognizes people who are doing extraordinary work to advance science and exploration, but remain out of the spotlight,” he says.
Founded in 1904 in New York, the club is a multidisciplinary group that honors scientific research and exploration around the world in unconventional areas of modern exploration, such as space archeology and polar oceanography.
Since 1914, the Explorers’ Club has recognized the world’s greatest explorers with the highest honors in the world of exploration, whose list includes beasts such as Candido Rondon, the only Brazilian in the category, nominated in 1919 (Club Medal) and 1925 (Honorary Member) and figures such as Robert Falcon Scott, Ernest Shackleton, Roald Amundsen, Neil Armstrong and even former US President Theodore Roosevelt.
However, the EC is keen to clarify that this is not just a recognition of the scientific work itself, but of the explorer’s approach to problem solving, field science and his vision of the future.
“This program thrives, not as a monument to individual glory, but as a beacon for the power we have when we stand together,” said Richard Wiese, president emeritus of the club.
In last year’s edition, Karina Oliani from Sao Paulo was also among those nominated by the club.
The first South American to climb both sides of Everest and the first Brazilian to climb the feared K2, she is a doctor specialized in emergencies and rescues in remote areas, and believes that the title was “one of the greatest recognitions that someone from adventure and since the medicine in remote areas can receive”.
In an interview with journalist Eduardo Vessoni, at the time of the nomination, Oliani stated that, in addition to inspiring people, the candidate must send a series of documents (about 50, in his account) demonstrating his results and his training scientific.
Among the actions she has led are the founding of the pioneering Brazilian Association of Medicine for Remote Areas and Adventure Sports (Abmar) and the creation with Andrei Polessi of the Dharma Institute, a 2016 project bringing medicine to remote areas of Brazil.
Brazilians who joined the Explorers Club in 2024
Fernanda Avelar Santos
marine scientist and geologist
The only Brazilian on the 2024 list, this specialist in oceanic islands and marine environments was responsible for one of the most discussed scientific studies last year.
In 2023, during her doctorate at UFPR, Fernanda, whose greatest inspiration is Charles Darwin, discovered the presence of rocks composed of plastic, on the island of Trindade, more than a thousand kilometers from Vitória, in Espírito Santo .
As she explains, the discovery occurred during an expedition that lasted more than 60 days, when she found rocks made of melted plastic, in a 12 m² beach area.
Angelo Rabello
director of the Homem Pantaneiro Institute
Since the 1980s Rabelo has dedicated himself to culture and wildlife protection programs in the Pantanal.
“My main motivation is to work towards finding practical outcomes for conservation. Hope guarantees the future,” said the president of IHP (Instituto Homem Pantaneiro), a non-profit organization working in biome conservation and preservation and local culture.
Luigi Cani
parachutist and stuntman
With over 14,000 parachute jumps, Birdman is known to the general public for his appearances on adventure activity television programs.
However, his entry into the Explorers Club was due to the project in which he launched 100 million seeds, in a devastated area of almost 260 km², in the Amazon, an operation that required four tons of equipment.
“Now that I’m 52 and no longer have the same hunger for danger, I want my projects to make sense and help people and the planet,” says Cani who, during the operation, had to hold his breath for more More of two minutes, he almost broke his wrist and some fingers, but he says “it was worth it”.
Lvcas Fiat
Environmentalist and naturalist designer
In Fiat’s work, design and science meet to address issues such as conservation.
Since 2017, the artist has been discovering rare and new species of praying mantises in the Atlantic Forest, resulting in multimedia exhibitions that combine photography, art, narrative and communication.
“As threats to our world’s ecosystems increase, I feel the need to evoke emotions, aesthetics and imagination to help give voice to rainforests and wildlife,” Fiat told the Explorers Club website.
For him, one of the challenges is to protect the unknown, such as the various animals still unknown in tropical forests.
“Science can project numbers, adopt nomenclature and identify hotspot of biodiversity, but often leaves normal people out of the discussion”, analyzes Fiat.
Luiz Rocha
ichthyologist
This fish specialist from Paraíba, João Pessoa, has more than six thousand hours of diving and studies on the evolution and conservation of coral reef fish.
He is co-director of Hope For Reefs, an initiative of the California Academy of Sciences, and his main work is risky dives in deep coral reefs, in areas ranging from 60 to 150 meters deep.
“When we talk about the ocean, the deeper you go, the more interesting the exploration becomes,” Rocha describes.
The event for the awarding of the title takes place in New York, on April 20th, during the ECAD (Explorers Club Annual Dinner), the annual dinner of the Explorers Club with a menu worthy of a great adventurer (with a courageous stomach and a high budget).
With tickets starting at $950 (approximately R$4,745), the dinner is known for its unusual menu served at the opening cocktail hour “with world-class appetizers to test your mettle.”
In other words, prepare to eat grub, cockroach and scorpion canapés, “a delicious and environmentally friendly food source,” according to the club’s description. On the Viagem em Pauta website (viagemempauta.com.br) you can find more details about the event.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
