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.
Chunlei Guo
Chunlei Guo is a professor in Optics and Physics at University of Rochester. He is a Fellow of American Physical Society and Optical Society of America. He also serves as the Editor-in-Chief for one of the most widely recognized handbooks in lasers and optics, CRC Handbook of Laser Technology and Applications (2nd Edition).
Often inspired by species in nature, from lotus to butterflies to spiders, his research at Rochester led to the discoveries of a range of highly functionalized materials through laser processing, including the black and colored metals, and superhydrophilic and superhydrophobic surfaces. These technologies have a broad range of applications and have been covered extensively by the media, including the New York Times, CNN, MSNBC, BBC, Discovery, The Economist, Popular Science, Time, ABC, and many more (read here). Over the past few years, he has been working closely with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in developing technologies for global sanitation, water conservation, renewable energy, and sustainability. He discussed his work in the TEDx below.
3 words to describe Nature?
Peaceful. Inspiring. Eternal.
3 things Nature taught you?
Humility
Kindness
Knowledge
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Okavango delta (Botswana)
Himalaya mountain range (Tibet)
Cappadocia (Turkey).
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Calm
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Curious
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Energized
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Passionate
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Awakening
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Reflective
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I like them all.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
A hiking trip with a few childhood friends. We were going further and further along a woody road with no end in sight. We were nervous but all wanted to keep going...
Wallace J Nichols
Dr. Wallace "J" Nichols - called a “Keeper of the Sea" by GQ Magazine, “a visionary" by Outside Magazine, a "water warrior" by AQUATICS International and a "friend of the sea" by Experience Life Magazine - is an innovative, silo-busting, entrepreneurial scientist, movement maker, renown marine biologist, voracious Earth and idea explorer, wild water advocate, bestselling author, sought after lecturer, and fun-loving Dad. He also likes turtles (a lot).
In 2010 Nichols delivered the commencement address at DePauw University where he also received an honorary doctorate in science. In 2011 he was inducted as a Fellow National member of the Explorers Club. In 2014 he received the University of Arizona's Global Achievement Award. And in 2017, he was presented by Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama the Champion of Change Award at the World Oceans Festival on Governor’s Island, New York.
Nichols has authored more than 200 scientific papers, technical reports, book chapters, and popular publications; lectured in more than 30 countries and nearly all 50 states; and appeared in hundreds of print, film, radio, and television media outlets including NPR, BBC, PBS, CNN, MSNBC, National Geographic, Animal Planet, Time, Newsweek, GQ, Outside Magazine, USA Today, Elle, Vogue, Fast Company, Surfer Magazine, Scientific American, and New Scientist, among many others.
His book Blue Mind, published in summer 2014 by Little, Brown & Company, quickly became a national bestseller and has been translated to numerous languages and inspired a wave of media and practical application.
J. is currently Chief Evangelist for Water (CEH2O) at Bouy Labs, a Senior Fellow at the Middlebury Institute for International Studies' Center for the Blue Economy, a Research Associate at California Academy of Sciences and co-founder of Ocean Revolution, an international network of young ocean advocates, SEE the WILD, a conservation travel network, Grupo Tortuguero, an international sea turtle conservation network, and Blue Mind a global "movement of movements" sharing the new story of water.
He co-mentors a motivated group of international graduate students and serves as an advisor to numerous non-profit boards and committees as part of his commitment to building a more creative, stronger, more progressive, and connected environmental community.
J. lives with his partner Dana, two daughters and some cats, dogs, and chickens on California's Slow Coast, a rural stretch of coastal mountains overlooking the Monterey Bay where organic strawberries rule, mountain lions roam and their motto is "In Slow We Trust". The Nichols chose to settle down in this area after trekking the entire 1,800 kilometer coast from Oregon to Mexico.
3 words to describe Nature?
Primal. Creative. Home
3 things Nature taught you?
Humility
Solitude
Confidence
3 most treasured Nature spots?
50 miles offshore and 50 feet deep from Bahia Magdalena, BCS Mexico
The source of Mill Creek in the Santa Cruz Mountains
Greyhound Rock
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Optimistic
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Connected
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Awe
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Hopeful
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Warm
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Nostalgic
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Yes on all!
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
11
Share with us a childhood nature memory.
Backpacking to Deep Lake, in Wyoming, when I was 11 and feeling like I wanted to feel that way a lot more throughout my life. The origins of “blue mind” research, practice, philosophy and the growing global movement.