Masungi Georeserve presents the first ‘Explorer Encounters’ conference

[Editor’s note: This is a press release from Masungi Georeserve Foundation Inc.]

MANILA, Philippines – Supported by the National Geographic Society-Asia and the Forest Foundation Philippines, Explorer Encounters​ is Masungi Georeserve Foundation’s contribution to mainstreaming environment conservation in the Philippines by providing a unique platform for discussions, knowledge-sharing, and community building.

This landmark event brings seasoned National Geographic explorers and local storytellers together in the Philippines to share their work and experiences with professionals and future leaders.

Advancing Conservation through Storytelling

Envisioned as a yearly gathering of local and international experts, organizations and leaders, the first iteration of Explorer Encounters will bring together 80 conservationists, storytellers, and advocates. It will be held in Manila House in Bonifacio Global City ​on Saturday, 1 September 2018​. Registration starts at 2:30 PM for invited participants.

The Explorer Encounters aims to:

• Train conservation professionals and future leaders through practical workshops and expert talks on how to advance their conservation goals through storytelling
• Allow participants to form networks within and between the conservation and communications fields to inspire future collaborations and alliances
• Mainstream a conservation mindset in the Philippines With these in mind, ​the organizers have invited speakers, workshop facilitators and performers aligned with the event’s causes.

With these in mind, ​the organizers have invited speakers, workshop facilitators and performers aligned with the event’s causes.

Meet the Storytellers

Representatives from the National Geographic Society – Asia includes world-class explorers such as:

• Prasenjeet Yadav​, a molecular biologist turned photographer from India who early in his scientific career realized that his real passion lay in telling stories;
• Hannah Reyes-Morales​, an international photographer born and raised in Manila who is curious about the stories people tell themselves in the midst of adversity such as human trafficking at sea and forced marriages in Cambodia;
• Dr. Alessandro Ponzo​, an ethologist who founded the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute (LAMAVE), a non-profit organisation dedicated to the conservation of marine megafauna such as shark, turtles, rays, whale sharks, and their habitats, and;
• Yannick Kuehl​, senior director for programs and explorer development in Asia-Pacific.

Our workshop facilitators will include Pia Faustino​ of Thinking Machines, Issa Tobias​ of Google Philippines, Vince Cinches​ of Greenpeace Southeast Asia, and Sally Snow​ of LAMAVE.

International photographer Paco Guerrero, ​founder and executive of GRID Magazine will host the event while multi-awarded journalist and documentarist Atom Araullo​ has been tasked to moderate the explorer talks.

To know more about our speakers, you can download their profiles here.

About the Explorer Encounters Organizers:

Masungi Georeserve Foundation Inc.​ is a conservation and geotourism organization protecting sixty million-year-old limestone formations and the life within it in Baras, Rizal. Through opening its doors to the public for limited visits in 2015, it is able to pursue three-fold advocacy of environmental conservation, education, and sustainable development.

Forest Foundation Philippines​ provides grants to organizations that empower the people to protect the forests. Bonded by a mutual affinity for the protection of the country’s lush forests, the Forest Foundation Philippines was established in 2002 under two bilateral agreements between the governments of the United States of America and the Philippines through the US Tropical Forest Conservation Act (TFCA).

The National Geographic Society​ is scientific and educational organization that pushes the boundaries of exploration to further our understanding of our planet and empower us all to generate solutions for a more sustainable future. Each year the Society gives more than 450 grants to scientists, educators, and storytellers around the world.