NG Student Expeditions

Calling all high school students! We're thrilled to announce the kick-off of this year's Student Photo Contest. The challenge: to convey through an original photo and story a defining moment that demonstrates what discovery, exploration, or adventure means to you. The winner will participate in a photography workshop of his or her choice next summer—choose between photogenic destinations likeLondon, Paris, San Francisco, or Prague!

The Journey of Your Past

Genographic Project research : Watch the science behind your results and see how, through regional patterns of variation, the Genographic Project is able to track the migratory paths of your ancient ancestors.

Case Study: Big Cats in the Maasai Steppe - National Geographic Education

Case Study: Big Cats in the Maasai Steppe - National Geographic Education
As part of National Geographic Society’s Big Cats Initiative, National Geographic Education is working with our explorers and grantees to help teachers like you educate your students about the importance of big cats and conservation efforts to protect these large predators. From lions in Kenya to snow leopards in the Himalaya, the big cats of the world need help. Lions, tigers, cheetahs, leopards, jaguars, and other top felines are quickly disappearing, all falling victims to habitat loss and degradation, and conflicts with humans. 

New Study Predicts Year Your City's Climate Will Change

Using a new metric they call "climate departure," researchers have analyzed when climate change will result in "environments like we have never seen before."New York City and Washington, D.C., will have radically altered climates by 2047.

Manokwari, Indonesia, is one of the places facing a "climate departure" within a few decades.

World's Happiest Countries In 2013, According To The UN

Researchers examined six factors that contribute to individual happiness: (1) GDP per capita, (2) healthy life expectancy, (3) perceived corruption in government and business sectors, (4) citizens’ perceived freedom to live the lives they wanted, (5) generosity (i.e. whether they had recently given to charity) and (6) “social support,” namely whether they had a friend or relative to count on in case of emergency. By these measures, Denmark is the world’s happiest country, followed by Norway, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden. Canada, Finland, Austria, Iceland and Australia round out the top 10. U.S. of A. is at No. 17

Great Nature Project

The National Geographic Society, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, is urging everyone to get off the couch and go outside to explore — and celebrate — nature, whether in their own backyard, a local park or anywhere that nature thrives. From Sept. 21-29, 2013, National Geographic invites the whole world to take part in the Great Nature Project, an unprecedented attempt to capture and appreciate Earth’s biodiversity.
People across globe are invited to participate in weeklong celebration of nature's diversity and to break a Guinness World Record

Hawaiian monk seals

The Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) is the only truly tropical seal in the world and it is critically endangered. There are fewer than 1100 monk seals remaining in the entire Hawaiian Archipelago.Monk seals are mostly nocturnal feeders with a very diverse diet including eels, octopus, lobsters and fish. They come up onto land to rest.