Scott Parazynski
Dr. Scott Parazynski is a highly decorated physician, astronaut, and tech CEO recently inducted into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame. He is a widely sought-after keynote speaker on innovation, risk management, mentorship, and leadership under extreme adversity.
In 1992 he was selected to join NASA’s Astronaut Corps and eventually flew 5 Space Shuttle Missions and conducted 7 spacewalks. Mission highlights include a global ozone mapping flight; leading the first joint US-Russian spacewalk while docked to the Russian space station Mir; serving as Senator John Glenn’s crewmate and “personal physician”; and assembly of the Canadian-built space station robotic arm.
In October 2007, Scott led the spacewalking team on STS-120, during which he performed 4 EVAs. The final EVA is regarded by many as one of the most challenging and dangerous ever performed. The tremendous coordinated effort in orbit and on the ground by Mission Control has been likened to the Space Shuttle and Space Station era’s “Apollo 13 moment.”
On May 20, 2009, he became the first astronaut to stand on top of the world, the summit of Mount Everest. As a life-long explorer, he and a colleague recently set the first bootprints adjacent to the world’s youngest lava lake, inside the crater of Massaya Volcano in Nicaragua.
He is the Founder and CEO of Fluidity Technologies, focused on the development of revolutionary input devices powered by machine learning to intuitively move through physical and virtual space, and the author of Memoir: The Sky Below.
3 words to describe Nature?
Wonder. Fragility. Enormity
3 things Nature taught you?
Humility - the forces of nature far exceed our control and scale, and warrants our fullest respect
Appreciation - life is an unexplained gift that shouldn't ever be taken for granted
Preparation - going into the true wilds requires forethought, rigorous training, and teamwork
3 most treasured Nature spots?
One atmosphere down with a scuba tank on, face to face with a coral reef and all its residents
Outside on a spacewalk, flying through the Aurora Australis, eyes wide open
On the summit of Mount Everest at sunrise, seeing the world drop off in all directions around me, with a sunrise to beat all sunrises...
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
At peace - the calming views of our oceans from space, often with beautiful cloud cover and sunglint, helped me prepare to go to bed when I was up in space.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Connected to our living, breathing planet...
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Awed and frightened - reminding me of our first descent adjacent to the lava lake of Masaya volcano in Nicaragua a few years ago.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Joyful, and reminiscent of my views of orbital sunrises and sunsets up in space...
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Sorrow - I'm reminded of our late, great dog Mare, who would always jump on the bed in the midst of thunderstorms. Weighing in at 100 pounds, his unexpected visits were more alarming than the lightning storms outside!
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Small relative to the power of nature, like when I camped just below the jet stream, screaming across the summit of Everest
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
All of the above.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
The first time I dropped beneath the sea surface with tanks on my back - at age 11 - was an epiphany, being able to gracefully explore in three dimensions a world that I'd only seen in Jacques Cousteau's films. The overwhelming beauty of that dive and the unknown, possibly lurking danger still brings back wonderful memories to this day.
Jeff Corwin
For over two decades, Jeff Corwin has been telling stories of wildlife and nature to global audiences through his many celebrated television series on ABC, NBC, Travel Channel, Food Network, Disney Channel, and Animal Planet. Currently, Jeff is an Executive Producer and host of ABC's Ocean Treks. In April 2020, Jeff created and executively produced the critically acclaimed TV series Alaska Animal Rescue for Nat Geo Wild, which has just been green-lit for a second season! His critically acclaimed NBC documentary and book, 100 Heartbeats, engaged both the readers and broadcast audience on the 21st Century plight of endangered species. Jeff is a leader in conservation, recognized through his work as an Emmy winning television host, producer, journalist, author, explorer and wildlife biologist. His lifelong experience, academic training, and partnerships with top conservationists allow Jeff exclusive access to the compelling stories from the battle to save our natural world. Jeff's quest for adventure has brought him to the frontlines of conservation in over 130 countries. Armed with a spirited wit, Jeff is tenacious, raw, and real, risking it all to share his passion with the world. The fuel that drives Jeff’s life-long career is a love for adventure and discovery, as he is working to change the world one species at a time and leave a vital legacy for future generations. Jeff is also passionate about local sustainability when not in the field, he is likely harvesting honey, eggs, and veggies from his island farm in New England with his wife and two daughters.
3 words to describe Nature?
Dynamic. Diverse. Interconnection
3 things Nature taught you?
Resiliency
Discipline
Humility
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Sitka Alaska
Tasmania Australia
Masai Mara Kenya
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Small but peaceful
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Excited to explore
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Insignificant
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Hopeful
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Trepidation
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Somnolent
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I am an ocean person; I live on a small island off of New England. When I am home, I fish and dive just about every day.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10 being most important
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Finding my first serpent, a garter snake in my grandparents' backyard at age 6, my heart nearly exploded with excitement. I knew then that I would spend the rest of my life working with wildlife and nature.
Becca Skinner
Becca Skinner was born into a family of adventurers and was raised in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and the high plains of Wyoming. This environment fueled a lifetime passion about wild places and exploring.
While studying Social Work and Technical Writing at the University of Wyoming, she won a National Geographic Young Explorer's Grant to document post-tsunami Sumatra, Indonesia.
That trip sparked a leave from school, which led to 32,000 miles of living out of a car, traveling and photographing around the West. She now resides in Bozeman, Montana, working as an adventure and conservation photographer and writer. Make sure to follow her in instagram
3 words to describe Nature?
Calming. Grand. Curiosity
3 things Nature taught you?
How to be more curious
To to be more self reliant
How to have a paradigm shift
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Tule Elk reservation
Paradise Valley, MT
Open Sage Country in WY
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Small
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Strong
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Motivated
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Relaxed
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Calm
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Grateful
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mountain
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Growing up, my parents would take us into the Wyoming desert for vacation. We spent days in open sagebrush country, just walking to look at whatever there was to look at. I remember once watching a herd of pronghorn run across the horizon line at dusk. The dust they were kicking up was pink with the fading sun, and I thought it had to be one of the most special moments of my life.
Chris Burkard
Chris Burkard is an accomplished explorer, photographer, creative director, speaker, and author. Traveling throughout the year to pursue the farthest expanses of Earth, Burkard works to capture stories that inspire humans to consider their relationship with nature, while promoting the preservation of wild places everywhere.
Layered by outdoor, travel, adventure, surf, and lifestyle subjects, Burkard is known for images that are punctuated by untamed, energized landscapes and peak moments of adventure. He has accumulated an audience of over one million followers to become a globally recognized social influencer.
Burkard is often central in synthesizing the creative projects he is involved in, across stakeholders. His holistic and visionary perspective has earned him opportunities to work on global, prominent campaigns with Fortune 500 clients, appear as a TED speaker, develop specialty product lines, teach national and international photography workshops and publish a collection of books, including a children’s book. Along with his team, Burkard is based out of his full-scale production studio and art gallery near his hometown in Central Coast California.
At the age of 30, Burkard has established himself as a global presence and influencer, accomplishing a prolific portfolio, connecting people from around the world and producing some of the most recognized creative work of our time.
3 words to describe Nature?
Beautiful. Vast. Wild.
3 things Nature taught you?
Patience
Freedom
Joy
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Yosemite
Highlands of Iceland
Pacific Ocean
I owe a lot to each of these places.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Calm
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Excited
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Disbelief. . . I cant even believe they are real. Did a trip flying around the volcanos in the Aleutian Chain. Still think I'm coming down from that experience..
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Excited, most of my favorite moments of my life have occured in that 30 minute window before and after sunset!
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Relaxed. Time for a good book.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
I don’t enjoy wind. It’s the most jarring of the elements. I'm more tired after being outside in the wind all day then if it was raining, sunny, or snowing.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
The ocean will always be where I am most comfortable. I grew up in a small beach town on the California coast more known for it's clam chowder then waves but I spent my whole childhood in the ocean. It will always be an important part of my life.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
9. Only thing above is my family.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I was lucky enough to grow up on the central coast of California which lends itself to a life lived outdoors. My first memory of being outdoors is for sure days spent on the beach with my family in Pismo. That’s where my fascination with the ocean began and why I started trekking up and down the coast in search of waves, which eventually led to searching along coastlines around the world!. I remember my mom paddling me out on a boogie board pushing me off into the water and saying the ocean is your friend. I was always scared but I loved the beach.