Explore This!

“Being a nice person is something worth being remembered for.” Yvette, a South African conservationist, reflects on her work in grassland conservation and the quieter, less visible impacts that define much of her career. She discusses fieldwork, long-term monitoring, and the personal motivations that sustain her work, as well as how patience and perseverance have shaped her approach over time. Yve...

“When communities are displaced, they can become enemies of what they once protected.” Ugandan journalist and National Geographic Explorer Frederick Mugira shares how growing up with water scarcity shaped his lifelong commitment to environmental journalism. He discusses walking long distances to fetch water as a child, how those experiences influenced his career choices, and why he chose storytell...

“I’m not 50 per cent Algerian and 50 per cent French — I’m 100 per cent of both.” Visual storyteller Cléa Rekou reflects on her journey from studying finance and working in tech to becoming a photographer exploring identity, violence, and memory. Born in France to an Algerian father and French mother, Cléa discusses growing up with a complex sense of belonging, her long separation from Algeria due...

“When you give opportunity, people see they can build a future at home.” Energy and development practitioner Ibrahim reflects on his journey from studying abroad to returning home to Mali to build community-led energy and economic development projects. He discusses founding the Mali Focus Centre, the challenges of starting from scratch, and how access to electricity can transform livelihoods, redu...

“Doubt doesn’t mean you’re on the wrong path.” Dominique reflects on her path into conservation storytelling and the motivations that continue to shape her work. She discusses navigating uncertainty, building a career that sits between science and narrative, and learning how to communicate complex environmental issues in ways that resonate with broader audiences. Dominique also speaks about self-d...

“Trust isn’t given — you earn it by showing up again and again.” Artist, photographer, and cultural archivist Halima Abubakar shares with us how growing up across different regions of Nigeria shaped her understanding of identity, belonging, and perception. She traces her journey from studying mechanical engineering to becoming a visual storyteller focused on documenting disappearing traditional ta...

“The beginning is never easy, but following your passion is deeply satisfying.” Cameroonian conservationist and National Geographic Explorer Ndimuh Bertrand Shancho reflects on his journey from growing up in a farming village to founding Voice of Nature (VONAT), a grassroots conservation organisation in Cameroon. He describes how early experiences with wildlife, followed by the disappearance of ch...

“Working with communities teaches you ways of thinking you would never find behind a desk.” Conservationist Maholy Ravaloharimanitra reflects on growing up in a rural part of Madagascar where natural forests had already disappeared, and how that early loss shaped her relationship with nature. She discusses her path into conservation, her current role leading community-based conservation work in Ma...

“These women matter, and their stories matter” In our first episode, oral historian and National Geographic Explorer Sylvia discusses her work documenting the life histories of women across West Africa. She reflects on interviewing 100 women in Benin, Togo, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia, and the emotional and logistical pressures of preserving stories that risk being lost. Sylvia explains the motiv...

This is a trailer to give you a taste of what to expect in this season of Explore This! Voices. Laughter. Doubt. Determination. Woven from powerful moments across multiple Explorers from Africa, this trailer is a raw, unscripted snippets that reveal the human side of exploration. You’ll hear their fears, their turning points, their passions—and the deeply personal stories behind the work. Explore...