June 13-17 marks one of the most anticipated weeks of the year at National Geographic: Explorers Week!

Explorers Week brings together some of the world’s top researchers, advocates, and storytellers. While they come from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, each is an exemplary explorer of our world and beyond.

To tell the whole story of the new Emerging Explorers we have included a supplementary MapMaker Interactive map. Simply click here or on any of the images below to take a look!

Meet the 2016 National Geographic Emerging Explorers:

Asha de Vos is the first and only Sri Lankan to get her Ph.D. in marine-mammal related research. Today, she is following her dream of becoming a marine biologist, studying what she calls the “unorthodox” blue whales of the North Indian Ocean.

• How big are “big blues”? Size yourself up and see!
• What makes Sri Lanka’s blue whales “unorthodox”?

 

During Marina Elliott’s excavation of a cave system in South Africa with National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Lee Berger led to a landmark discovery a new species of human ancestor, a hominin called Homo naledi!

• What is a hominin? How is H. naledi contributing to the fossil record?

 

A year with the Wildlife Conservation Society gave Emerging Explorer Gao Yufang the inspiration to pursue a career in conservation. Gao now works with the elusive snow leopard in the Mt. Everest [Qomolangma] National Nature Preserve.

• How do Gao and other researchers track snow leopards?

 

Panut Hadisiswoyo protects orangutans in Sumatra’s lowland rain forests in the Leuser Ecosystem.

• How have orangutans adapted to Indonesia’s dense rain forests?

 

Naftali Honig works with canines to fight crime in the Congo. Besides just sounding cool, Naftali’s work is helping illuminate the illegal trade wildlife.

• What animals are at risk in West Africa’s illegal wildlife trade?

 

Emerging Explorer Arthur Huang  is building our future with the remains of the past—literally! Arthur is using our trash to create new high-performance materials. He hopes to design material that can be safe enough to be used in human transportation such as space travel.

• How are other engineers and architects using “transient materials” in design and construction?

 

Astrophysicist Jedidah Isler has looked to the depths of our galaxy and beyond through her study of supermassive, hyperactive black holes.

• What are quasars, and why is one thought to be the “biggest thing in the universe”?

 

Yukinori Kawae is rehashing some of the longstanding questions about the Giza Pyramids and hopes that his research and recent book will inspire increased interest in the topic from people in his home country of Japan.

• How would you explore a pyramid? Find out for yourself with our fun game.

 

Co-founder of OpenROV and Emerging Explorer David Lang is almost more excited about the discoveries of others than his own. He hopes his low-cost underwater drones can connect the global ocean explorer community.

• How do scientists use ROVs to explore the ocean?

 

Along with researching converting potent greenhouse gasses into biofuel, Jeffrey Marlow founded “Mars Academy,” an educational outreach organization aimed at igniting the spark of exploration in young students around the world.

• Explore the Red Planet with a rover and map!

 

Thandiwe Mweetwa is doing critical research to help save lions in the Luangwa River Valley in Zambia.

• How is Nat Geo’s Big Cats Initiative encouraging conservation?

 

Wasfia Nazreen was the first Bangladeshi to climb the Seven Summits. Now, she’s using her passion for climbing as a declaration and celebration of hope for women in Bangladesh and around the world.

• What are the Seven Summits?
• How is Nat Geo Explorer Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner pioneering the sport of mountaineering for women?

Genevieve von Petzinger is decoding geometric rock signs in sites across Mediterranean Europe in an attempt to learn more about the origins of human communication and language. Genevieve hopes to team up with fellow Emerging Explorer David Lang and his ocean drones to discover more rock art hidden in underwater caves which were exposed during the Ice Age.

• Who were the first cave artists?
• What ideas did cave art communicate?

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Explorers Week brings together the 2016 class of Emerging Explorers, as well as explorers from around the world to share ideas, stories, and research with each other and the world.

For a full schedule of events, click here. Join us June 13-17 on nationalgeographic.org to watch a livestream.

Note: Weekly Warm-Up is on hiatus for the summer. If you have an idea for a classroom warm-up idea, a recommendation for a good read, or want to share one of your MapMaker Interactive maps, let us know at education@ngs.org!