Podcast appearances and mentions of richard wiese

Episode 222: This week on the “Dan's Talks” podcast, Dan speaks with Richard Wiese, an acclaimed explorer who is president of The Explorers ClubBest … Read More

In this week's Big BOAT Interview, Lucy Dunn sits down with Richard Wiese, president emeritus of The Explorers Club, who has made travelling the world his life and career. Exploration is less about testosterone-fuelled expeditions, he says, and more about experiencing different cultures (and food). Taking risk is par for the course, and he pays respects to fellow explorer and good friend Hamish Harding, who died in the Titan tragedy. His one regret is that he will never have time to see the whole world, “It's like an addiction, once you've seen one place you want to see more,” he says. https://www.boatinternational.com/luxury-yacht-events/explorer-yachts-summit BOAT Pro: https://www.boatinternational.com/boat-pro Subscribe: https://www.boatinternational.com/subscriptions Contact us: podcast@boatinternationalmedia.com

Richard Wiese is a world-class explorer, the longest-serving President of The Explorers Club (EC) and Executive Producer and Host of ABC and PBS multiple Emmy-winning program, Born to Explore. As President of The Explorers Club he developed and negotiated multi-year partnerships with Rolex, Microsoft and Discovery to name a few. Discovery's is EC's first multi-million dollar grant program. During his tenure he established the first annual Global Exploration Summit in partnership with Portugal, often referred to as the Davos of Exploration. He is the founder of The Explorers Club 50 - “Fifty people who are changing the world, that the world needs to know about”, as well as the organization's first Diversity and Inclusion program. He appointed the EC first African American Woman board director, and the first woman Chair of Ethics & Governance. He organized the first symposium for LGQT in Exploration. He also negotiated a three-book deal with Crowne/Random House. As a journalist, he has received numerous honors, including 14 Day-Time Emmy Nominations ( 2 wins), a Genesis Award, an Associated Press Folio Award, the Walter Cronkite Award and a Golden Halo Advertising Award for Best Environmental/Wildlife Campaign. Wiese has traveled to all seven continents. He has tagged jaguars in the Yucatan jungles, led an expedition to the Northern Territory of Australia to probe the Aboriginal myth of the Rainbow Serpent, co-discovered 202 new forms of life in the first microbial survey of Central Park in NYC, and founded the Central Park “Bio Blitz”: 24 hour, cataloging of all life forms in the park. He was a team member of the largest medical expedition ever conducted on Mt. Everest, achieved the first ascent of an unclimbed mountain in Alaska, discovered 29 new life forms on Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, and cross country skied to the North Pole. In the hottest place on earth Ethiopia and attempted to extract fragments of DNA from molten lava to look for evidence of microbial life in conditions never thought able to support life. In 2006 the American Museum of Natural History Expeditions named Wiese an Explorer in residence. He was honored at the 2005 Boy Scout National Jamboree, where he addressed 90,000 people and had a camp named after him. By invitation of King Mohammad VI, he was the U.S. representative to the Moussem de Tan Tan, a gathering of 45,000 nomadic Arabs in Morocco, and he received a Special lifetime achievement award by the Science Museum of Long Island. Wiese's father Richard Wiese Sr, was the first to solo the Pacific Ocean in an airplane. Show Sponsor:  www.LaShamanaFaby.com

Join Guest Host, Bo Parfet, as he speaks with a true-to-life EXPLORER, Richard Wiese. Since he climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro at age 11, Richard Wiese has circled the globe, capturing powerful images and living one adventure after another—from traveling with Bedouins in Africa to cross-country skiing to the North Pole.  In 2002, Richard became the youngest president in the history of The Explorers Club and currently serves as its President.Richard's philosophy is as much about the discovery of the natural world as it is about encouraging a positive understanding of the many distinctive cultures on earth.Richard is dedicated to working with local communities around the world to help their voices be heard in their own words. He believes the most memorable aspect of any journey is not about reaching “the summit,” but the people you meet along the way.Richard is an American explorer, and the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He is also an Emmy-winning host and executive producer of the series “Born to Explore with Richard Wiese”, which debuted on September 3, 2011, on ABC.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Join Us July 2022ELITE MASTERMINDJoin us in beautiful Asheville, NC, located in the Blue Ridge Mountains. What if someone told you that you could achieve ten-times growth in just five short years? Sounds like a dream, right? But then what if you could do that every five years after that? That kind of growth is possible, and DLP Capital is ready to show you how at our Elite Event this July. Learn the steps to success directly from DLP CEO and Founder Don Wenner, who has led our company to this level of performance.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Buy BUILDING AN ELITE ORGANIZATION - Don's bestselling book on scaling a high-profit businessCheck out THE ELITE JOURNAL - Accomplish more in 90 days than most do in a year! Follow Don on social:https://www.facebook.com/DonWennerCEOhttps://www.instagram.com/don_wenner/https://www.youtube.com/c/donwenner

He's led over 120 expeditions to the polar regions. Many of these trips have been in the company of students, educators, artists, and leaders. While others are planning family holidays, Geoff Green prepares to take sixty teenagers to Antarctica with the Students on Ice Program. He took some time to talk with the host of our Explorers podcast, Richard Wiese, and share some of what he's learned.  He's got “stuff” in warehouses all over the place—heavy-duty clothes and equipment which can be pressed into service on short notice.  Geoff tells us that the way to keep kids focused on learning about the environment is to keep them busy physically and mentally with things about which they're passionate.  What does Geoff accomplish during these expeditions? Students learn to connect with themselves, each other, and nature… all on the same trip.  He remarks that these journeys have a habit of breaking people down and allowing the real person to come out.    The future guardianship of the earth comes down to today's youth, and they are leading the charge to help with environmental causes. Focusing on the next generation of environmental enthusiasts is critical as we move from discovery to solutions in preserving our planet.  We know that experiential education works, but how can we make it available to all students? Most students get scholarships to participate in the program, but outreach towards awareness is a challenge.  Now that we have youth delegations participating in environmental summits, we can look forward to increasing enrollment in essential programs such as these.  To learn more about Geoff Green and his exciting career as a polar explorer and educator, visit his website. To hear about other explorers, join us for new episodes of Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER!! At https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/.  Richard Wiese, the host of this podcast, is an American explorer. He is the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He became the youngest person to become president of the Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese. 

When asked what inspired him to get started as a solo backpacker over fifty years ago, JR Harris will tell you it was Richard Burton… and the movie “Alexander the Great.” He was sixteen years old and recalled that Socrates asked Burton's character if he wanted a short, exciting life or a long, dull one. Thinking about this later that night, he decided he would choose a short, exciting life for himself.  Listen as he shares with the host of the Explorers podcast, Richard Wiese, and tells us of his pursuit of “Mountain Man” status!  As he made some decisions about the kind of future he wanted, his parents got him involved in the Boy Scouts.  He resisted at first but found himself camping in the Catskills the following summer. He learned outdoor survival skills and there, and it afforded him an opportunity to go off on his own, camping all by himself in the woods… and he loved it!  According to Harris, it changed him… he was a different kid after that.  He loved solitary hiking and camping and the excitement of feeling like he was the only person on the planet. Yes, he found himself in scary situations from time to time but accepted it as part of living that exciting life he yearned for!  As an African-American, he realized that he was the only person of color on the trails and never saw anyone that looked like him in the wilderness.  He has raised his children with the same philosophy with which his parents raised him. They learned that there are good and bad people that come from all cultures and races.    JR has a gift for making people feel at ease and comfortable in open conversations about diversity.  He notes that we are more similar than different at the end of the day and that everyone wants the same things out of life.  There's a lot of common ground, and the more exposure you get to other people and cultures, the easier it is to get along.  JR Harris has written a book titled Way Out There – Adventures of a Wilderness Trekker.  To get your signed copy and to learn more about his adventures, visit his website. To hear about other explorers, join us for new episodes of Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER!! At https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/.  Richard Wiese, the host of this podcast, is an American explorer. He is the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He became the youngest person to become president of the Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese. 

When we think of yachts, most of us think of the “idle rich” spending days in the sun and surf without care.  When Super Yacht Captain Sean Meagher sat down with Richard Wiese, the host of the Explorers podcast, he revealed some surprises that yacht technology provides to the rest of the world, specifically how they help the environment.  Captain Sean Meagher wants you to know that the one thing all Super Yacht designers have in common is that they are innovative and forward-thinking. Yachts must be built to a stringent code, and the areas that they sail in often have environmentally fragile ecosystems. In fact, although he's heard many definitions of Super Yachts, he feels that they exhibit extraordinary style, technology, and design. Many of these owners will make their yachts available to help in the event of natural disasters,  When it comes to Super Yacht owners, he notes that many of them are self-made, and they share an incredible work ethic and thirst for knowledge. So much of yacht technology trickles down to everyday life. For instance, we are making great strides in the science of wastewater management.  All wastewater released into the ocean must be the quality of drinking water. Super Yachts will have a wastewater processing plant on board to make this happen!  Captain Meagher got his captain's license when he was eighteen years old. He tells of trips he's been on and different ships he's had the opportunity to captain. One thing that Sean says about explorers is that explorers have to push boundaries. He explains that this is how we no longer live in caves and how we went to the moon.  To learn more about Captain Sean Meagher and his exciting career as a Super Yacht Captain and explorer, visit his LinkedIn Page. To hear about other explorers, join us for new episodes of Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER!! At https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/.  Richard Wiese, the host of this podcast, is an American explorer. He is the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He became the youngest person to become president of the Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese. 

From her earliest recollection, Leela Hazzah has loved animals of all types. Still, she has been wildly infatuated with lions and elephants.  She was raised in Egypt, where Barbary Lions lived before they became extinct. Leela took some time to sit with the host of the Explorers podcast, Richard Wiese and shared some insights into wildlife conservation.  After working in conservation for over twenty years, Leela has discovered that her most significant learning was from spending time living in the Maasai community. In the community, she has been recruiting traditional Maasai warriors to help with her efforts.  As Executive Director of the Lion Guardian Program, Leela has learned Swahili and worked with the Maasai warriors.   She tells us that the Maasai, the environment, and the lions all interact, and it's a matter of finding and knowing where the balance lies.  She compares the adaptive behavior of the lions with the shifting paradigms for the Maasai.  The lions are braver than they were when they were persecuted.  On the other hand, women used to be attracted to a man who had killed a lion.  Now, women are more attracted to a man who has a job. The warriors want to be involved with the lion project, and Leela trains them in leadership and develops the idea of running towards a challenge.  As she works with partners throughout the Serengeti, she explains that we must embrace diversity if we want to get things done. We don't have time for any other option.   To learn more about Leela Hazzah and her work with the Lion Guardian Program, visit their website. To hear about other explorers, join us for new episodes of Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER!! At https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/.  Richard Wiese, the host of this podcast, is an American explorer. He is the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He became the youngest person to become president of the Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese. 

She used to volunteer at a food bank. Today, she's expanded that role and is the CEO and Co-Founder of Farm From a Box.  This innovative company provides parts of the world with everything they need to grow the food they need. The host of our Explorers podcast, Richard Wiese, interviewed Brandi DiCarli about the project and her views on world hunger.  What followed is an exciting look into what's possible for our planet.  Brandi DiCarli and her Co-Founder Scott Thompson saw food access throughout the world as a problem for which they had a solution. What resulted was a new idea with no preconceived rules.  They offer shipping containers full of plants and agricultural technology. Each container is stocked for its growing environment and is rapidly adaptable to the area.  These “farms” are designed pre-installed with all the necessities and are locked and loaded. They operate independently of grid access and provide everything from a solar pump and drip irrigation to cold storage.  In addition to being tailored to specific growing environments, Farm From a Box trains the local population to use their agricultural technology and grow crops.  Partnerships are developed all over the world to work with Brandi and Scott's organization. By forming these partnerships, they can overcome language barriers and foster community building by building teams.  The shipping container “farms” come in two models.  You can use a 20-foot shipping container, which represents 2-4 acres of food production. Or, you can use a 40-foot shipping container, which will yield 10 acres of food.   To learn more about Brandi DiCarli and her work at Farm From a Box, visit their website. To hear about other explorers, join us for new episodes of Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER!! At https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/.  Richard Wiese, the host of this podcast, is an American explorer. He is the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He became the youngest person to become president of the Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese. 

You might say exploration runs in the family.  Richard Garriott, astronaut, and pioneer of private space flight is the son of astronaut Owen Garriott.  When he spoke in an interview with Richard Wiese, the host of the Explorers podcast, they discussed the fact that when it comes to exploration, paradigms have changed.  We've exceeded previous boundaries, and yet there is still so much more to learn about.  In addition to being an astronaut, video game developer, and President of the Explorer's Club, Richard is a record holder. He is the first man to fly in space and go to the bottom of the ocean. He is the first person to travel and explore from the North to South Poles and space and the sea.    When asked what exploring means to him, Garriott describes his exploring as getting into places of awe and wonder… mystical, magical, and inspiring. He remarks that right here on planet earth, there are vast areas yet to explore. The future of humans will eventually be as multi-planetary beings, according to him.  A big fan of science communication, he is interested in the necessary development of diversity in exploration.  Richard notes that in most exploration, the people doing the hard work and most of the discovery are the indigenous people, and not those getting credit for the work.  His advice is to look to the younger generation to address challenges to the planet. He tells us to remember that there are great, positive examples of people working to solve problems great and small throughout our world.  To learn more about Richard Garriott and his exciting career as an astronaut and explorer, visit his website. To hear about other explorers, join us for new episodes of Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER!! At https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/.  Richard Wiese, the host of this podcast, is an American explorer. He is the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He became the youngest person to become president of the Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese. 

Dr. Rachel Graham is practiced in the art of connecting with people. She has a love of sharks and a passion for the preservation of sea life that transcends any fear she might feel.  In fact, she's always had a love of maligned animals. And, when she sat down to speak with the host of the Explorers podcast, Richard Wiese, she talked about her vision of preservation and the team she's put together to make it happen!  Raised in Tunisia, she had the opportunity to camp with her family in the Serengeti and to observe the wonders of nature. Her parents were perpetually curious and supported her love of animals… even snakes! Educated at Oxford, she dove into science in the hope of making a difference.  She notes that science is frequently done within a vacuum, just to produce papers or statistics.  Dr. Graham points out the gap between researchers on the frontlines and policymakers that prevents progress from being made in many cases.  It should be noted that kids today are more disassociated from the world around them than ever and don't experience the melding of different cultures.  In addition to English, Rachel speaks French and Arabic, which helps her communicate with her teams.  This fascinating interview can shed some light on the behavioral aspect of sharks, as you learn about her aha moments and her organization, MarAlliance. The group, led by Dr. Graham, works towards the education, conservation, and preservation of sharks and other sea animals.  To learn more about Rachel Graham and her work as a shark expert, visit the MarAlliance website. To hear about other explorers, join us for new episodes of Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER!! At https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/.  Richard Wiese, the host of this podcast, is an American explorer. He is the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He became the youngest person to become president of the Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese. 

Luca Parmitano has the distinction of being the first Italian astronaut to walk in space.  On his second spacewalk, he nearly drowned when his helmet filled with water.  During the Explorers podcast, he talks with host Richard Wiese about the thrill of the spacewalk and what he's learned about what's important.  Luca had a wonderful childhood in Catania, Sicily, and didn't realize that this place was special.  It's a vacation destination for people around the world.  His parent were both teachers. The first recollections he has of interest in space was through television and stories about the space shuttles.  Luca said he wanted to be an astronaut from an early age, but he didn't grasp the full meaning of that until he was older.   He was intentional in his career path, trying out for the Italian Airforce Academy.  Competition for a place as a cadet there is steep… 80 cadets accepted from 8000 applications.  He was pleased to be accepted.   He knew he'd have to become a test pilot to make the progression to astronaut, so that was his next goal.  As a test pilot, he was the youngest in his squadron and didn't think he had a shot at being selected for the European Space Agency (ESA). His squadron commander encouraged him to apply, noting that he would not be chosen without submitting an application. Three days before the public announcement, he got word he had been accepted and was overjoyed.  When it comes to setting records, he tells us that almost everyone in the program would rather talk about ideas and possibilities rather than what they've done in the past. He shares that his belief that it's about the next guy and what he will accomplish, and that's where we should put our emphasis.  Hear the incredible story about his problems during his second spacewalk that almost cost him his life!  His advice to new cadets – You can only solve one thing at a time – Focus on the solution and not on the problem.  To learn more about Luca Parmitano and his exciting career as an astronaut, visit the ESA website. To hear about other explorers, join us for new episodes of Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER!! At https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/.  Richard Wiese, the host of this podcast, is an American explorer. He is the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He became the youngest person to become president of the Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese. 

Although he certainly has a way with words, as evidenced by his success as a writer, it will surprise most people to know that he never thought of himself as a writer.  As the author of 23 books, and countless articles, Wade Davis sits down with host Richard Wiese on the Explorers podcast to tell us about where he came from and what he's passionate about.  Wade Davis grew up in Canada, and that's where he lives today. He made many alternative choices that others might not have but felt he didn't get much direction from his parents when he was young.  Later in life, on the other hand, his dad told him that there's good and evil and that he needed to take his side and get on with it.  That's pretty sage advice.  In the discussion about intentions, Wade tells us that you must own your choices to become the architect of your own life!  He considers his role as an “elder,” encouraging us to appreciate the younger people coming behind us. They are essential and should be acknowledged, according to Wade.   The empathy and love for people he brings to his work have played a huge part in his success. Interestingly enough, he reminds us that a lot of talent comes from hard work.  To learn more about Wade Davis and his work as a cultural anthropologist and writer, visit his website. To hear about other explorers, join us for new episodes of Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER!! At https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/.  Richard Wiese, the host of this podcast, is an American explorer. He is the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He became the youngest person to become president of the Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese. 

Suppose you're a fan of “Shark Week” on the Discovery Channel. In that case, you're likely to be familiar with shark expert Dr. Austin Gallagher. Austin spent some time with our podcast host, Richard Wiese, for our Explorers are Tougher Podcast. They talked about ocean conservation, and we learned that sharks could be so much more than the subject of marine studies.  They can actually be partners and collaborators to help us gain new scientific insights into the oceanic world.  Dr. Gallagher has always had a keen interest in marine biology, even from a young age.  He credits his parents for keeping him supplied with books to feed his quest for knowledge. He became intrigued by the huge animals living under the water, and so began his life-long enthusiasm for marine life. A pivotal point came when he was twelve years old and took a marine biology field trip to the Florida Keys and had the opportunity to swim with sharks.  One of the interesting points that Austin makes during this interview is the fact that although wild animals, as a rule, are unpredictable, sharks are relatively predictable. You must, however, meet them on their terms, not ours. He shares insight into their hunting logic and offers suggestions for deterring a shark attack.  When asked about shark attacks, Austin points out that conservation efforts for white sharks have gone exceptionally well.  As shark populations grow and thrive and human beachgoers increase, there will inevitably be more interactions.  To learn more about this marine biologist and shark expert, visit his website, or watch him on the Discovery Channel's “Shark Week.” To hear about other explorers, join us for new episodes of Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER! !At https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/.  Richard Wiese, the host of this podcast, is an American explorer. He is the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He became the youngest person to become president of the Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese. 

He was seven years old when he knew he wanted to be a scientist or an engineer. So he focused his school studies on the subjects that would support that career choice.  Now, he wishes he'd spent a little more time on English and History. He didn't realize as a scientist how much writing he would have to do.   In a recent interview, Alan Stern sat down and talked with our host, Richard Wiese, for the Explorers podcast. We learned about the journey he took to become a scientist and some highlights and disappointments along the way.  Alan worked as a door-to-door encyclopedia salesman between his Freshman and Sophomore years at college.  He learned the art of selling, which helped him pitch ideas later in life.  Once he finally completed his college years, he took a job in Colorado in a big scientific lab and found his calling.    He was off to a rough start, being put in charge of the satellite being carried into space by the Challenger, which was obviously destroyed during that ill-fated expedition.  These days, Alan works on multiple missions concurrently to take place in deep space.  He regards space exploration as a kind of gateway drug to STEM careers.  He observes that kids are always keenly interested in dinosaurs and space… and that the dinosaurs always lose to space!   His bucket list is simple.  He wants to go into space… a lot!  He wants to be able to work in space as a researcher.  To learn more about Planetary Scientist and Space Explorer Alan Stern, visit his website. To hear about other explorers, join us for new episodes of Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER! !At https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/.  Richard Wiese, the host of this podcast, is an American explorer. He is the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He became the youngest person to become president of the Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese. 

When he sat down with host Richard Wiese to record a podcast session for our Explorers are Tougher Podcast, Alex More talked about his life as an academic, pursuing the American Dream, and working as a researcher in the field of climatology.  He's taken an intense look at the relationship between the state of the environment and virology and pandemic health crises.    Dr. More grew up in Italy and Greece, where he learned to dive for the first time at three.  When he was seventeen and pondered his future in a depressed economy, he struck out for America.    While he was working at Harvard, Alex taught ten different courses. Currently, he holds two positions at Long Island University in New York; He is Assistant Professor of Environmental Health and Director of the Honors College there. His work involves study the relationship between our climate and world pandemics.  He explains that while research is essential, having the ability to communicate ideas to the general public is key to measuring the research's effectiveness.  He feels his strong sense of empathy helps him to get his thoughts and research out there to the people.  The effectiveness of researchers is generally measured by the number of people who view and cite the research.  Alex discusses his work and draws parallels between times of environmental change and times of pandemic illness.  He discusses the environment during the Black Plague, the Spanish Flu, and during our latest COVID-19 pandemic.  It's interesting to note these examples and consider the possibilities of future research on this topic.  To learn more about this climatologist, visit his website, or watch him on the To hear about other explorers, join us for new episodes of Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER! !At https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/.  Richard Wiese, the host of this podcast, is an American explorer. He is the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He became the youngest person to become president of the Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese. 

Many people have never been to a US National Park.  If you're African American, the chances are even less that you feel compelled to visit.  But today's guest on the Explorers podcast tells us that the closest we can come to visit Africa is to spend time in one of America's National Parks.  Our podcast host, Richard Wiese, sat down and enjoyed a conversation with Shelton Johnson, a US National Park Ranger in Yosemite National Park. He is also a prominent speaker on our national parks. He also shares the history of the Buffalo Soldier with those who are interested.  Shelton was featured on Ken Burn's documentary special on the National Parks.  When he spoke with Richard, Shelton said he gets paid in “gasps” and that he lives for that moment when young people experience the parks for the first time and have those “Wow” moments.    He's had the pleasure of camping with Oprah and showing President Obama and his family around the park.  He enjoyed watching them as they experienced all the grandeur of the falls, sequoias, and all the rest that comes as part of the Yosemite experience.  African American cavalry and infantry troops served in the west after the civil war. The name “Buffalo Soldier” was bestowed upon them by the Plains Indians. The hair on their heads was not dissimilar to the hair on the buffalo head, thus the name. Although many Americans are not familiar with the Buffalo Soldiers, they were memorialized in the song “Buffalo Soldier” by reggae musician Bob Marley.  Ranger Shelton works to get more African Americans to visit our National Parks and realize and acknowledge that the parks are for all people, including them.  He feels like all Americans should be encouraged to visit the Parks, here and abroad, and experience the wonder of them.  To learn more about explorer Shelton Johnson and his experience with the US National Parks, check here. Learn more about the role of the Buffalo Soldier in our history. To hear about other explorers, join us for new episodes of Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER! At https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/.  Richard Wiese, the host of this podcast, is an American explorer. He is the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He became the youngest person to become president of the Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese. 

Growing up in Lima, Peru, life wasn't always easy for Silvia Vasquez Lavado. In fact, it was incredibly challenging and quite chaotic at times. Turbulent political groups and governmental change made it difficult for any consistency to develop. The environment was constantly changing and often unsafe.  Recently, on our Explorers podcast, our host Richard Wiese had an opportunity to sit in with Silvia and hear about her experiences as the first openly gay woman to climb the seven summits successfully.   At the age of eighteen, Silvia came to the United States on a college scholarship for academics. She moved from turbulent Peru to the Amish Country in Pennsylvania. Needless to say, there was a period of adapting to go through.   Although she comes from a tough background, Silvia comes across as open and friendly. She says that instead of imposing her beliefs on others, her philosophy is about respecting where she is and learning about other cultures.  She's written a book, In the Shadow of the Mountain, which comes out in Winter 2022. It's already in development as a movie, with Selena Gomez playing the role of Silvia.   Silvia reminds us that affecting change is often complicated. It's a case of finding out about local changemakers and local grassroots organizations that support your causes. It's important to her that she provides a platform that allows people to express themselves. Her nonprofit organization, Courageous Girls, helps victims of sexual violence in their recovery.  When asked about challenges as a gay woman, she reminds us that sometimes being a woman is scary enough. There are, however, many parts of the world where being gay is dangerous, and it's tough to impose western culture on the rest of the world. Bringing change and understanding will be a gradual process.  If she were given the opportunity to advise her younger self, she would say, “ You can do anything. You are not alone. There are lots of people here to help, support, and protect you.”  To learn more about explorer Silvia Vasquez Lavado and her observations as an extreme explorer, check here. Learn more about her nonprofit, Courageous Girls, here. Information about her upcoming book can be found here. To hear about other explorers, join us for new episodes of Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER! At https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/.  Richard Wiese, the host of this podcast, is an American explorer. He is the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He became the youngest person to become president of the Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese. 

When you're inside a cave, there's a chance you will see something that no one else has ever seen.  Cavers look for darkness beyond void – nothingness.   In a fascinating recent episode of our Explorers podcast, Chris Nicola revealed an incredible story. It's his recounting of how one cave exploration in Western Ukraine led to the journey he'll never forget.  Our host, Richard Wiese, spoke with Chris during the podcast about this story's pursuit and the challenges he overcame to tell it.  It is the story of how 38 Ukrainian Jews beat the odds and survived for 511 days underground in a cave during World War II.    Chris spent his earliest years in Northwest Massachusetts, where he loved being outdoors.  When his family relocated to New York City, he would create “caves” with a blanket over the dining room table.  Richard reminds us that cavers are a different breed. Chris says that as an adult, caving became second nature to him.  Where most people would find it claustrophobic, he came to feel that caves started fitting him “like a glove.”  Ever the explorer, Chris maintained his passion for caving even after a heart attack in 1993.  That same year, he made the acquaintance of a Ukrainian caver he met on Coney Island. When he visited his friend and explored the caves in Western Ukraine, he studied a cave called “Priest's Grotto.”   It was there he began to find household artifacts that were obviously decades old and sparked his curiosity.  When he started to ask around about the origin of these finds, nobody wanted to discuss the possibilities.  Finally learning from an older woman that there were Jews who lived in the cave during World War II. During this time, a Ukrainian Jew had a 5% chance of surviving the war.  Although he remained dedicated to his quest for information, it wasn't until 2002 when he had a breakthrough. He received an email that began uncovering the truth about the survivors who lived in the cave for nearly a year and a half.  Chris did not have the families' cooperation when he began putting together the book and documentary film detailing the ordeal the families went through at that time. Through patience and perseverance, he eventually got the story out. In the process, he gained the love and trust of a family through this story of triumph.  To learn more about explorer Chris Nicola and his adventures as a caver and explorer, visit his website. The dedication to his book The Secret of Priest's Grotto is to the Human Spirit – It's Strength and It's Endurance. Watch the documentary film for an in-depth study of this exploration. To hear about other explorers, join us for new episodes of Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER! At https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/.  Richard Wiese, the host of this podcast, is an American explorer. He is the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He became the youngest person to become president of the Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese. 

He's been called the most respected explorer. Mikael Strandberg is known for carrying the legendary flag of the Explorers Club five times, more than any other Swede. His journeys into extreme conditions and harsh climates have taught him important life lessons that he can share as a public speaker and documentary producer.  He's been exploring Yemen on a camel.  He's trekked through Siberia with reindeer and sleds. After all these journeys under adverse conditions, he tells us of his absolute toughest exploration… Fatherhood.    Several times, he's taken his young daughters, aged eight and ten at the time of this writing, on expeditions and outings and worries about them the whole time. He moved to Greenland with his family and lived together with the girls in a small house.  He remarks that the days when it's dark for 24 hours are the worst.  Interestingly, he has a passion for the people who survive in harsh and brutal climates and seems to thrive under these conditions.  He shares that he's learned, “Life is the way it is. The sooner you accept that, the easier it will be.” His dream expedition is to take the girls to the North Pole.  Mikael is interested in the study of longevity and started running while living in Greenland.  He's determined to continue explorations as long as possible. A word to the wise from this extreme explorer… “Enjoy every day…even the difficult ones.”  To learn more about explorer Mikael Strandberg and his adventures as an extreme explorer, check here. To hear about other explorers, join us for new episodes of Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER! At https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/.  Richard Wiese, the host of this podcast, is an American explorer. He is the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He became the youngest person to become president of the Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese. 

Consider for a moment that exploration is compulsive behavior… something you must do.  It's an engine that runs a lot of life energy.  Our host of the Explorers podcast, Richard Wiese, had the opportunity to talk with Joe Rohde about this on an episode recently.    Joe retired after working as an Imagineer at Disney for forty years. He started working for the company when Epcot Center was being built and helped design several country pavilions there. Imagineering is the company's branch responsible for conceptualizing, planning, and building everything that Disney makes.  Imagineering blends engineering with the arts. It strives for authenticity and diversity of ideas. Joe Rohde worked in the conceptual department. This means he is an “ideas” man, where every project starts. During his research into projects, Joe would often look for creating a kinesthetic experience for theme park goers… Asking the question, “What does it FEEL like to be here?”  His work on the Animal Kingdom project at Disney meant facing the challenge of creating an animal experience while moving away from the zoo paradigm. He stresses the importance of sending messages about our relationship to the world and conservation. At the same time, it's about appreciating the chance to explore the relationship between the animals and us.  At the heart of it, explorers are storytellers. Joe Rohde is an advocate of the diversity of ideas, noting that you need to be encouraged to think differently to create new ideas.  It's essential to look for diverse input to change yourself and your approach to creativity.    To learn more about explorer Joe Rohde and his adventures as an Imagineer and explorer, check here. To hear about other explorers, join us for new episodes of Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER! At https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/.  Richard Wiese, the host of this podcast, is an American explorer. He is the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He became the youngest person to become president of the Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese. 

As a boy, Englishman Adrian Shine became enthralled with stories about sea serpents that lived in Loch Ness. He began reading books about the expeditions to explore and seek new understanding about these serpents below the Loch's surface. In our recent Explorers podcast, our host, Richard Wiese, had an opportunity to learn about his adventures and what he now knows.  Eventually, as an adult, Adrian decided to explore the Loch by starting his own expedition. His first study environment was nearby Loch Morar, which also was rumored to be inhabited by serpents and monsters of the deep.   Finally, in 1969, while in his boat on the Loch, he saw a hump. As he slowly progressed towards it, he saw it moving. When he stopped rowing to have a better look, the creature stopped moving. Adrian became frightened, and what he thought was a hump had turned into a giant, submerged head. Fighting his fear, he slowly moved to meet the creature. It turned out to be a rock.  Adrian learned two critical things on that day… Follow everything to its end, and If you can't believe it with your own eyes, you shouldn't believe what others see.   After moving to Loch Ness for further studies, he didn't find any beasts. But he did learn a lot about the biology of Loch Ness. Soon, people from the Universities started taking an interest and joining his expedition teams. They worked on studying what COULD live in Loch Ness, according to the environment in the Loch.  In time, Adrian shifted his study from the monsters to human perception. What causes people to see what they see? The fact is Myths are typically based on Something. When we hold a stereotype in our mind and then see things in the environment around us that confirm those beliefs and stereotypes, we are more apt to “see” the very thing we set out to see.  To learn more about explorer Adrian Shine and his adventures as a monster chaser and explorer, check here. To find out more about the Loch Ness Project, click here. To hear about other explorers, join us for new episodes of Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER! At https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/.  Richard Wiese, the host of this podcast, is an American explorer. He is the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He became the youngest person to become president of the Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese. 

Surfing wasn't always popular in Portugal. It's only in the last 35-40 years that it has been acknowledged as a sport. During this podcast, big wave surfer Hugo Vau talks with our host, Richard Wiese, about taking risks and pushing yourself to new extremes in exploration.  In 2006, surfers began exploring and surfing on bodyboards in the Nazare´ Canyon area of Portugal. This huge underwater valley creates gigantic waves away from shore and out in the ocean. Watermen started telling surfers stories about these big waves, and some couldn't resist the desire to see them.  There was one wave somebody told them was bigger than the rest. It was nicknamed “Big Mama.” She was 0.8 miles out in the ocean, and they used a jet ski to tow surfers out. In 2011, fellow surfer Garrett McNamara set a world record by surfing a 70-foot wave in Nazare´.  In his attempt to conquer Big Mama, Hugo studied forecasts and charts to calculate the best time to make his approach. They went out at around 4:30 in the afternoon. There were high wind warnings, but Hugo wanted strong winds. He planned to work with the wind instead of fighting against it.  When asked what it was like, Hugo says it was unique, really beautiful, a scenic array of colors. Although he has been surfing for a long time, he was overwhelmed with the intensity of nature and the ocean's hugeness.  You might be wondering how Hugo's life changed after conquering Big Mama. He wasn't really prepared for what happened after this worldwide event. He got huge media exposure and lots of interviews.  He's able to stay humble, telling us that this whole adventure is a testimony to the magic of teams – supporting and believing in each other… working together for the moment. His surfing partner and best friend, Alex Botelho, was there with him. Another team member, who served as the spotter and videographer, was stationed in a church onshore and nicknamed Jesus. Although you think that surfing might be a solitary sport, a team is necessary.  These days, Hugo appreciates the simple things. He remembers to celebrate them with others… the fact that we get to breathe everyday… we're able to walk and smile at each other. It sounds like Hugo Vau has things in proper perspective!  To learn more about explorer Hugo Vau and big wave surfing, check it out here. Hugo is featured in many videos and surf magazines as well. To hear about other explorers, join us for new episodes of Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER! At https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/.  Richard Wiese, the host of this podcast, is an American explorer. He is the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He became the youngest person to become president of the Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese. 

Most explorers study the weather charts to look for clear weather before starting an expedition. Our recent guest on the Explorers podcast, George Kourounis, does the exact opposite! His passion and appreciation for science and nature have helped him become one of the world's most famous storm chasers.  George, the host of the television show, Angry Planet, sat down with Explorers podcast host Richard Wiese. They talked about his attraction to the extreme elements and his obsession with the line between natural force and natural disaster.  As a child, George always had a fascination with science and nature. He loved being outdoors, where he grew up in Canada.  As a young teenager, his mother gave him the gift of a waterproof camera, which opened up a whole new world of possibilities for him.  When chasing tornados, George recounts the full-body experience involving all the senses.  These tornados are exciting and photogenic – while evoking terror and the realization that they can kill.    His teams are all first aid trained. When they are on the scene at an extreme weather event and see someone who needs help, they stop the chase to help a person in need.  At the heart of it, explorers are storytellers. It's been said of George that he communicates science well.  He's made a career of it. He tells us the trick is to report without letting your ego get in the way and making it about yourself.  As Richard spoke with his guest about the COVID pandemic, George remarked that the pandemic is an extraordinary force of nature and has encouraged in all of us the essential skill in an expedition… The ability to adapt to ever-changing conditions.  George hopes to leave a legacy of curiosity.  He views curiosity and fear as two sides of the same coin. His hope is that people grow to know why curiosity matters and why we should love being curious.  To learn more about explorer George Kourounis and his adventures as a storm chaser and explorer, visit his website. Watch the television series Angry Planet on Amazon Prime Video for an in-depth study of his exploration. To hear about other explorers, join us for new episodes of Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER! At https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/.  Richard Wiese, the host of this podcast, is an American explorer. He is the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He became the youngest person to become president of the Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese. 

Can you achieve your dreams with determination and hard work? Or do you need to have luck on your side or know the right people?  Can people achieve greatness by overcoming challenging odds?    Richard Wiese, the host of the Explorers podcast, sat down recently with Bo Parfet. As a young child, Bo overheard his teacher telling his parents that he would never graduate high school in the second grade.  You see, Bo had dyslexia and a speech impediment and was struggling in school.  Well, Bo overcame these disadvantages through determination. Refusing to believe he was anything less than capable of success, he worked hard and got a tutor.  In seventh grade, the teacher called his parents once again to receive the news that he would graduate high school, but college wouldn't be possible.  Years later, as a college graduate and investment banker, he became interested in a quest to conquer the “Seven Summits,” all the highest mountain peaks in each continent of the world. By now, he was used to taking risks and was not afraid to fail.  His interest became his passion. He set out in 2003 for what would be a journey of just over four years, culminating with all seven summits under his belt. During his expeditions, he came face to face with death and dying.  His book, Die Trying, written just a few years later, chronicles his experience and encourages all of us to work harder and with determination. We learn on the podcast as Bo tells us that when there's an obstacle in your way, great learning is there… push through it and become a better person. He shares with us that the toughest mountain to climb is one's self… not Everest or K2.  To learn more about Bo Parfet, visit his website, and check out the Denali Venture Philanthropy project.  Bo's book, Die Trying, is available on Amazon.  Join us for new episodes of Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER! at https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/.  Richard Wiese, the host of this podcast, is an American explorer.  He is the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer.  He became the youngest person to become president of the Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese. 

Let's face it… most people don't get a warm fuzzy feeling when they think about bats!  It may surprise you that many of our beliefs about these animals are not based on reality.  In fact, bats get a pretty bad rap, and most of it is undeserved.  During our recent Explorers podcast, the host, Richard Wiese, had a chance to talk to Rodrigo Medellin in Mexico City.  Rodrigo says if you can give him ten minutes, he can convince you to love bats.  If you love tequila… his work to convince you is that much easier.  Curious?  Rodrigo tells us that most people think bats feed on blood, according to the vampire bat stories.  It may surprise you to learn that there are over 1400 species of bats, and only 3 species feed on blood.  Those bats are in South and Central America.    Another widely held belief is that bats carry and transmit diseases.  Many people, in fact, think bats are responsible for the COVID virus.  It was easy to draw this conclusion, with the bad reputation that bats have had for the last 300 years.   You will be amazed to learn that the birds we lure to our feeders and honor through our nature photography have more pathogens and carry more diseases than the average bat.  Rodrigo started his research on bats at an early age. From the time he was young, he always loved animals and raised bats as a child.  These days, he goes into bat caves in complete darkness.  Where most folks may find that terrifying, he finds it to be peaceful and calming.  His research with bats is helping us to learn new things about this mysterious animal.  Are you interested in forming a positive relationship with bats and learning more about them?  If so, you might want to build and install some bat houses around your yard.  They'll eat pesky insects for you.  Oh yes, the tequila connection!  Without bats, you wouldn't have the tequila we enjoy.  Bats are the best pollinators of the Agave, from which tequila is made.  Next time you see a bat, be sure to thank him for the delicious margarita you had!  To learn more about explorer Rodrigo Medellin and his exploration into the world of bats, visit the National Geographic website. To hear about other explorers, join us for new episodes of Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER! At https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/.  Richard Wiese, the host of this podcast, is an American explorer. He is the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He became the youngest person to become president of the Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese. 

Women often receive messages from their parents, peers, and society about what makes them “normal” or “successful.” Refusing to accept these messages and instead following your instincts and sense of adventure and curiosity can take exploration to the highest level.  In a recent Explorers podcast, our host, Richard Wiese, spoke with explorer Kathy Sullivan. Kathy has the distinction of being the first American woman to walk in space and the first woman to dive to the deepest point on earth in a submersible vehicle. She's authored a book titled Handprints on Hubble. When asked, she explains that it's not about overcoming challenges. It's about becoming something with your life.  Early on, Kathy loved reading and was insatiably curious. She had the desire to grab every bit of learning she could. In school, she hung out with the “smart girls” and ignored the idea that she shouldn't be “too smart” or that being popular was the most important ideal to pursue.  When Richard asked her if she had a strong sense of competition, she explained that her competition was with herself… she doesn't care about eliminating her competitors. Her only goal is to do her personal best.  In fact, Kathy notes that it's always unclear what parameters you might be judged on, and it's hard to escape the feeling that everything's a test. She feels your best strategy is always to put out the best you can in every single circumstance. Find your competition within yourself.  Richard asked her about the importance of women on teams and the role of mentorship. They both agreed that women tend to be more supportive of team members, and the team as a whole, as opposed to harsh competition. To Kathy, mentoring is not a formal process. The best strides happen when spending time and talking to another person. This is the way that unexpected mentoring happens.  To learn more about Kathy Sullivan and her explorations, visit her website. You can also get information about her book, Handprints on Hubble: An Astronauts Story of Invention, in which she chronicles her astonishing part in the Hubble story. Join us for new episodes of Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER! At https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/.  Richard Wiese, the host of this podcast, is an American explorer. He is the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He became the youngest person to become president of the Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese. 

No matter how many times you've rehearsed it and played it out in your mind, launch day is an entirely different experience. There are so many parts of the preparation that cannot be practiced ahead of time. Squeezing into position in the capsule, turning it on, and bringing it to life… making small talk with other crew members and dozing during a countdown hold.  And, a complete sense of awe.  Our host, Richard Wiese, spoke with Richard Garriott during our Explorers podcast in Part 2 of an extraordinary interview. He shares his experience with launch day and some insight into his life as an explorer.  Richard recounts receiving a letter from Apollo 12 alumni Alan Bean. In it, his fellow astronaut expressed that he was glad Richard was going into space because he knew Richard could describe it with passion.   He tells us how captivating it was to look at the earth out of the window during his journey in space.  At the same time, he describes it as receiving a firehose of information about the world.   Then he shares with us a description of the “Overview Effect.”  While looking at his hometown of Austin, Texas, and seeing it in relation to the rest of the earth, he had a physical and emotional reaction.  It came with the sudden realization that he knew the scale of the earth by direct observation.  As an explorer, Richard says that we tend to think of all the “famous firsts” from past generations.  In fact, exploration is reaching new frontiers every day, both on a grand and small scale.  When asked what it was like to see his father, who helped open the hatch upon landing, he remarked that the whole experience was a father-son bonding opportunity beyond all others. His Dad helped him prepare for the flight, served as part of his support crew, and was there when he landed.   As a member of the Explorer's Club, Richard says it's always a balance between feeling like an imposter and feeling like a deserving member.  Perspective in life comes from having gained and lost.  Having both rises and falls helps in your development.    To learn more about explorer Richard Garriott and his life as a Gamer, an Adventurer, and a Pioneer, visit his website. You may also be interested in reading Richard's book, Explore/Create.  To hear about other explorers, join us for new episodes of Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER! At https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/.  Richard Wiese, the host of this podcast, is an American explorer. He is the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He became the youngest person to become president of the Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese. 

Mike & Nick journey into the field of exploration. Joining them is the host of 'Born To Explore' on PBS (and on-demand on Amazon Prime) & of the podcast 'Life's Tough: Explorers are Tougher, Richard Wiese. From how he got into exploration, to the numerous places he has traveled to, the most fulfilling aspect of his work, what remains on his bucket list, and what The Explorers Club has done to promote diversity & inclusion in the industry, join us as we learn more about the world of exploration.For more exclusive content from this episode & more, check out our Patreon page -https://www.patreon.com/user?u=52915535&fan_landing=trueEmail us at canwepleasetalkpodcast@yahoo.com if you have a take on the topic discussed, or if you have a topic in mind you want us to discuss on the program!Follow us on social -IG- @canwepleasetalkpodcastTwitter - @CANWEPLEASETALKTikTok - @canwepleasetalkpodcastSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/can-we-please-talk. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The environment that parents create for their children is what becomes normal for them. And Richard Garriott's normal was a little different than most kids. He grew up next to the Johnson Space Center, the Houston-based outpost of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and most of his neighbors were astronauts, contractors and engineers at NASA. His father was a NASA astronaut and while other families had magazines, bills and schoolbooks lying around, in Garriott's household, space artifacts and hardware cluttered the living spaces. It wasn't until later in life that Garriott realized other kids didn't dream of space travel.  "While growing up, there were things that, in retrospect, were truly amazing. But at the time, it not only seemed normal for our family, but for most families in the neighborhood." Garriott says. In this fascinating conversation with Richard Wiese, Garriott shares about what it was like growing up as the son of a NASA astronaut and how, at 13-years old, he had his childhood dreams of becoming an astronaut dashed after a failed eye exam. But he never fully gave up on his dream, saying “NASA doesn't hold the keys to space!” During his freshman year of high school, Garriott convinced the school to let him create a self-directed course in programming, in which he created fantasy computer games on the school's teletype machine. He later estimated that he wrote nearly 30 computer fantasy games during high school. He went on to create the game Akalabeth, (the first published computer role playing game) and signed a deal with California Pacific Computer Company receiving three times his father's NASA salary as a teenager. His successful gaming career has funded his space travel and exploration. In February 2021, Garriott traveled to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest oceanic trench on the planet, which made him the only person in the world to have visited space, both poles, and the lowest physical point on the planet. He also played a founding role in starting the Challenger Center for Space Science Education. To learn more about Richard Garriott, visit www.richardgarriott.com. Join us for part 2 of Life's Tough: Richard Garriott is TOUGHER! at https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/. Host Richard Wiese is an American explorer and author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He became the youngest person to become president of the exclusive Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese.

One thing explorers have in common… they challenge the limits of their physical bodies.  The ability to bump up against the edge of the impossible, and then push a little bit further, is what sets them apart from others. Dr. Stig Severinsen is one such explorer, and his recent conversation with Richard is compelling. Stig learned at an early age as a competitive swimmer that he could hold his breath longer than the other swimmers if he would relax.  This gave him a natural edge against the others, and he's gone on to set many world records over the years. Stig strives to show what's possible. Most people want to realize good health but don't understand the importance of breathing in achieving health goals.  He tells us about the difference between stress breathing and relaxed, optimized breathing. His remarkable technique, Relaxation on Demand, is the key to increasing the ability to hold your breath and to achieving greater strength and health.  Listen as he explains some of the free and simple things you can adjust in your life to improve lung capacity and general well-being. Stig has a degree in biology and a PhD in medicine. He was a part of the Danish National underwater rugby team and played underwater hockey on the Spanish National team. To learn more about Dr. Stig Severinsen, visit his website, https://www.breatheology.com/. Join us for new episodes of Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER! at https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/. Host Richard Wiese is an American explorer and author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer.  He became the youngest person to become president of the exclusive Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese.

Life's Tough Media is pleased to announce the latest episode of our “Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER!” podcast series. Hosted by Richard Wiese—explorer extraordinaire and President of The Explorers Club—this episode features Barry Clifford, an underwater archeologist and among the world's best known underwater explorers, known for discovering the remains of Samuel Bellamy's wrecked pirate ship The Whydah, the only fully verified and authenticated pirate shipwreck of the Golden Age of Piracy ever discovered in the world. In this episode, Barry Clifford tells how he first got excited about exploring by spending hours playing in the drained cranberry bogs by his house, and finding the treasure that surfaced there. Barry grew up in Brewster Massachusetts and remembers hearing his uncles telling tales of the war, and their latest fishing expeditions. Most exciting was the story they told of the wrecked pirate ship, the Whydah (pronounced wih-duh) and the legend of Samuel Bellamy and his girlfriend—a condemned witch at the time, whose eyes were the color of the deep sea and her hair like cornsilk. “I'm just fascinated with solving riddles,” Barry says. “The key to a lot of this is having experience with diving and being able to recognize things that most people wouldn't recognize.” Some of his discoveries include The Fiery Dragon, commanded by the pirate William “Billy One-Hand” Condon; Captain Morgan's flagship, The Oxford; the wreck of The Sainte-Marieoff the coast of Madagascar that he believes was part of Captain Kidd's treasure, where he found a 110 lb. silver ingot in. But then Barry found it! The legendary pirate ship from his uncle's stories—the remains of the Whydah—just off the coast of Wellfleet, Massachusetts. The Whydah is the only fully verified and authenticated pirate shipwreck of the Golden Age of Piracy ever discovered in the world and it is Barry's most cherished discovery. Artifacts from the wreck provide historians with unique insights into the material, political and social culture of early 18th-century piracy. According to the federal admiralty law in 1988, the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that 100% of the Whydah rightfully belonged to Barry Clifford. In fact, Barry also has exclusive diving rights to the site which is patrolled by the National Park Service and U.S. Coast Guard. Barry has kept the Whydah Collection intact without selling a single piece of the more than 200,000 recovered artifacts, which includes tens of thousands of coins, more than 60 cannon, and the "everyday" objects used by the crew. He maintains a large private facility in which the majority of the Whydah artifacts are kept for conservation and examination; however, Clifford exhibits a variety of the ship's artifacts, as well as from many other shipwreck discoveries, for the public to enjoy at his Whydah Pirate Museum in West Yarmouth, Massachusetts. In addition, a smaller selection of artifacts are kept with an international touring exhibition through a National Geographic/Premier Exhibitions joint venture, called Real Pirates. Join Richard and Barry in their fascinating conversation about pirates, their treasures, and the stories these fabled shipwrecks hold.

Life's Tough Media is pleased to announce the latest episode of our “Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER!” podcast series. Hosted by Richard Wiese—explorer extraordinaire and President of The Explorers Club—this episode features Laurie Marker, a research scientist and boots-on-the-ground conservationist, Oxford-trained zoologist, author, cheetah veterinary health expert, goat farmer, dog breeder, cattle rancher, educator, inspirational thought leader, public speaker and policy maker who travels nonstop on her mission to help save the world's fastest mammal. Cheetahs are the fastest land animals in the world, going from 0 - 70 mph in 3 seconds. However, they are also the most endangered African cat. A century ago, there were 100,000 cheetahs in the wild, and today, there are fewer than 7,500. Laurie grew up in Northern California, where she first realized she had a love for animals. She eventually ended up working at the Wildlife Safari in Oregon for 16 years, taking her love for animals into a career path. Today Laurie is as comfortable trekking through the bush in search of cheetahs as she is briefing the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington, DC. Laurie graduated from Oxford University with a doctorate in Zoology and became an A.D. White Professor-at-Large with Cornell University. She was Executive Director of the Center for New Opportunities in Animal Health Sciences at the Smithsonian Institution and after a trip to Namibia, Africa in 1977, Laurie realized thousands of cheetahs were getting killed by farmers. Compelled to do something to put an end to that, she started collaborating with other scientists to create a safe space for captive cheetahs. Cheetah Conservation Fund Laurie sold all her possessions and started the Cheetah Conservation Fund, the longest running and most successful cheetah conservation program in Africa. Laurie has pioneered research, established conservation models, and created cooperative alliances on behalf of the cheetah that never existed. Under her leadership, CCF has grown into a world-class cheetah research, education, and conservation institution. The town of Otjiwarongo, where the Cheetah Conservation Fund is based, is now known as “The Cheetah Capital of the World.” Laurie's crowning achievement was changing Namibia's attitude towards its native wildlife. She convinced the local livestock farmers to stop trapping and killing cheetahs as their primary means of predation control, and in 1994, Laurie decided to import a rare breed of dogs—the Anatolian shepherd—to be placed with herds of livestock to help protect them from predators. This shepherd is known for its giant size and extremely loud bark. The Cheetah Conservation Fund Livestock Guarding Dog has proven to be one of the most popular and successful conflict-mitigation measures ever developed. Laurie was declared a Hero for the Planet by TIME Magazine in 2001 and awarded the Tech Museum of Innovation's Intel Environmental Prize as well as the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement. Join Richard and Laurie for a lively chat about her work in Namibia with the exotic cheetahs that have become like family to her.

Life's Tough Media is pleased to announce the latest episode of our “Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER!” podcast series. Hosted by Richard Wiese—explorer extraordinaire and President of The Explorers Club—this episode features Dr. Martin Nweeia, dental surgeon, marine mammal dental specialist and renowned narwhal researcher whose exhibition, "Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend," recently opened at the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. Dr. Martin Nweeia received fellowships in anthropology and vertebrate zoology at the Smithsonian and was content curator for the Smithsonian exhibit, Narwhal Revealing An Arctic Legend. Martin is also a fellow of the Explorers Club and Canadian Royal Geographic Society and recipient of the Lowell Thomas Award. He has conducted research in the high Arctic of Canada and Greenland for over 20 years as an NSF research scientist and National Geographic Explorer and represented United States/Canada collaborative research as opening speaker at the International Pavilion in Ottawa celebrating Canada's 150th Anniversary. Rather than pursuing a childhood dream of being an orchestra conductor, Martin chose to be a dentist and marine mammal biologist instead. Martin has always been fascinated with teeth—from the humankind to the 9-foot spear-shaped tusk that juts out of the narwhal, an Arctic whale. His interest in teeth and dental health deepened as a 14-year-old who read a Time Life book on health care that focused on Case Western Reserve's model of forging a new pathway in medical education. “The commitment to innovation made a lasting impression,” Martin says. Martin received his dental degree at Case Western Reserve, and now has returned to Harvard and Case Western Reserve Schools of Dental Medicine and Marine Mammal Program, Smithsonian, where he lectures part time. With help from a National Geographic grant, Martin sought to uncover the secrets behind the extraordinary tusk of a whale—the narwhal—that resembles the horn of a unicorn. In 2000, Martin and a team of scientists discovered that the tusk is actually quite flexible and can bend one foot in any direction and that its nerve system could detect temperature, pressure, motion, and more. “I love when life points you in directions that you resist,” Martin explains. “It's too easy when things make sense, and life hums along. There was nothing about the narwhal that made any sense to me.” In 2014, Martin and his team published what he calls their “astounding” discovery: the narwhal tusk is a sensory organ that can detect subtle changes in the concentration of salt in the surrounding seawater, helping the animal find mates and possibly forage. Martin collaborates closely with Inuit elders and hunters of the Arctic, whose deep, traditional knowledge informs his research. His quest began 17 years ago and has taken him on more than a dozen summertime research trips to inlets in the Arctic waters of Canada's Northwest Territories. “I am fascinated by teeth, all their myriad forms in nature,” he says. “What better way to learn about teeth than to better understand the one that questions all you've learned.” Join Richard and Martin for a fascinating discussion about Martin's philosophy of life and the lessons he has learned during his extensive research of the narwal, and his time spent with the Inuit people.

Life's Tough Media is pleased to announce the latest episode of our “Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER!” podcast series. Hosted by Richard Wiese—explorer extraordinaire and President of The Explorers Club—this episode features Captain Alfred McLaren, former President of The Explorers Club, President of The American Polar Society, Senior Pilot of the Super Aviator submersible, author, deep-sea explorer and a veteran of more than 20 Cold War missions. Captain McLaren is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and U.S. Naval War College. He holds master's degrees from George Washington University and Cambridge (Peterhouse) University, and after retiring from the Navy in 1981, he received his doctorate from the University of Colorado. He is also a highly decorated submarine captain; his awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, the nation's highest peacetime award, two Legions of Merit and four Navy Unit Citations. North Pole Expedition Captain McLaren has completed three successful missions to the Arctic—and the first submerged transit of the Northwest Passage aboard the USS Seadragon. This mission resulted in the first baseball game ever played on the North Pole. Aboard the USS Queenfish, his following missions were a Baffin Bay cruise and an expedition to the North Pole, with the primary intention of this mission being the first-ever exploration and collection of hydrographic, oceanographic and sea-ice data. En route, Captain McLaren and his crew examined the underside of icebergs, navigated the unpredictability of deep-draft sea ice, mapped the plains, crags and fissures of the seabeds and successfully completed the first, and only, underwater survey of the entire Siberian Continental Shelf. As a deep-sea explorer and scientist, Captain McLaren has completed dives to explore historic wrecks, participating in “The First Manned Dives to the German battleship Bismarck,” at an incredible depth of 4,750 meters beneath the sea; and to the wreck of the R.M.S. Titanic and the Rainbow Hydrothermal Vents near the Azores, working with the Russians, using Russian deep-diving MIR submersibles to get a closer look at what's left of this once magnificent vessel. Author and Speaker Captain McLaren is the author of three books detailing some of his incredible missions during the Cold War and his discoveries under the icy seas, with a fourth coming this summer sharing in more detail his deep dives exploring historic shipwrecks. His book, Unknown Waters (University of Alabama Press, 2008), was judged a “Notable Naval Book of 2008” by the U.S. Naval Institute. As a research scientist in climate change in the Polar Regions, he has also written over 50 peer-reviewed research papers and is a National Geographic Global Perspectives lecturer. “Retirement isn't in my vocabulary. There's still too much I want to achieve. I am still thoroughly enjoying the rich smorgasbord of life,” says 84-year-old Captain McLaren. Join Richard and Captain McLaren for exciting tales of life and exploration aboard a nuclear attack submarine and what the “cat and mouse” games during the Cold War were really like.

Life's Tough Media is pleased to announce the latest episode of our “Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER!” podcast series. Hosted by Richard Wiese—explorer extraordinaire and President of The Explorers Club—this episode features Ken Lacovara, a Professor of paleontology and geology at Rowan University. Ken Lacovara is the founding Dean of Rowan University's School of Earth & Environment and the founding Director of the Rowan Fossil Park. Ken graduated with honors from Rowan University in 1984. Named Alumnus of the Year in 2002, he received a master's degree in Physical Geology from the University of Maryland and a PhD in Geology from the University of Delaware. Ken is the founding Director of the Edelman Fossil Park of Rowan University, a 65-acre property in southern New Jersey that preserves a K/Pg bonebed of vertebrate fossils and serves as a site for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education and outreach. In the depths of its quarry, Ken and his team are uncovering thousands of fossils that provide an unprecedented view of the last pivotal, calamitous moments of the dinosaurs. Ken first learned about this site—located behind a Lowe's Hardware store—from a friend in 2003. It was a great site for his students to practice excavating, but it also held a surprise—a layer of fossils that were still articulated, suggesting that the creatures in that layer had died suddenly, all at once, and settled to the bottom. This discovery holds evidence and answers for questions that paleontologists have long debated. The Dreadnoughtus In 2005, Ken gained the world's attention when he revealed the discovery of a new supermassive sauropod dinosaur species unearthed in southern Patagonia, Argentina, the Dreadnoughtus (Latin for “fears nothing”). To this date it is one of the largest dinosaurs ever discovered. Dreadnoughtus schrani is also the most complete skeleton ever found of a supermassive dinosaur. The most complete skeleton found prior to Dreadnoughtus was 26 percent complete and the Dreadnoughtus is over 70 percent complete and includes 145 bones. In life it would have measured 85 feet long and weighed 65 tons, as much as thirteen African elephants or more than seven Tyrannosaurus rex. Ken has worked on successful projects in remote places including the Egyptian Sahara and the Gobi Desert of China. “In the field you are never comfortable, you are always hot or cold, tired or hungry. But when you hammer at the rock with a chisel [and reveal] something that no human has ever seen in history, you know that you've made an unassailable contribution to the stock of reality. It's addictive!” says Ken. Join Richard and Ken for an exciting discussion about the record-breaking discoveries and important projects Ken has been involved with and learn more about why dinosaurs matter.

Life's Tough Media is pleased to announce the latest episode of our “Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER!” podcast series. Hosted by Richard Wiese—explorer extraordinaire and President of The Explorers Club—this episode features David Good, an adjunct biology instructor at Northampton Community College, public speaker, and remote indigenous tribes expert—concentrating on the Yanomami people. Like any typical 5-year-old, David has fond memories of dancing and wrestling with his mother, eating donuts, and going to the beach together. But his family was far from typical. His mother, Yarima, was a young tribe woman from a remote village in the deepest jungles of the Amazon rainforest, and his father, Kenneth Good, a prominent American anthropologist. Their love story was so unique it made the headlines of major television agencies, news outlets, and magazines. David remembers traveling with his family from his home in New Jersey to the Amazon and back again as a young child, immersing himself fully in two strikingly different cultures. And when his mother stayed behind with her people in the Yanomami village after one of these visits, David had no idea it would be the last time he would see her for 20 years. It took David two decades to embrace his true identity. He spent his entire childhood resenting his mother's absence and his Yanomami heritage, wishing he could have a mom like all the other kids at school. David attended East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania where he received his undergraduate degree in biology. And in 2015, he received his master's degree in biology at the same university. He's also a member of the Maria Gloria Domingeuz-Bello lab in the Department of Translational Medicine at NYU. In his early twenties, David read his father's memoir, documenting the years he spent living among the Yanomami people. Slowly, David started to understand what his mother must have gone through and why it had been impossible for her to stay and raise children in westernized culture. In 2013, David traveled through the Amazon Jungle in search of his mother and was eventually reunited with his Yanomami family. Deep in the Venezuelan Amazon they embraced each other's presence. David not only found his mother; he found his indigenous family and homeland. It marked the beginning of a calling to learn the ancient ways of the Yanomami people, as well as share this culture around the world. The Good Project In 2013, David founded the Good Project, a nonprofit aimed at educating, protecting and preserving the ways of the Yanomami people and to help indigenous people find their way in the market economy—a process he sees as inevitable. The Yanomami live in 200-250 villages in an area of 60,000 square miles of jungle, sprawling across the Venezuela-Brazil border and have little to no contact with the outside world. Some of his current goals is to help advance pioneering scientific research, increase access to intercultural education, enhance medical programs, promote sustainability, and stewardship in the Amazon. Concerning his continued research into the Yanomami people and their culture David says, “I do it not as a dispassionate scientist, but as someone who truly cares about their survivorship and their well-being because we're talking about my own mother.” David is a public speaker and captivating storyteller. He travels domestically and internationally to educate, raise awareness, and provide personal, unique insights on the world of the Yanomami. Join Richard and David for a fascinating account of what it was like growing up as the “son of Yarima”, what prompted his journey to search for her after many years apart, and his ongoing research and support for the Yanomami people. David recently wrote, “Their survival is necessary in keeping us alert to maintaining the Amazon's critical role in protecting the planet.”

Life's Tough Media is pleased to announce the latest episode of our “Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER!” podcast series. Hosted by Richard Wiese—explorer extraordinaire and President of The Explorers Club—this episode features Peter Hillary, a New Zealand adventurer, elite mountaineer, philanthropist, speaker and writer. Peter Edmund Hillary is the epitome of an adventurer. In 1961, when he was seven, his New Zealander father introduced him to mountain climbing. That was just the beginning of a life steeped in the pursuit of exploration, discovery and exhilaration. Peter Hillary's father, of course, was Sir Edmund Hillary, who with his Sherpa guide and climbing partner Tenzing Norgay, became the first to ascend the 29,035-foot peak of Mt. Everest, the world's highest mountain. Sir Edmund conquered Everest in 1953, 18 months before Peter was born. Hillary's career as an adventurer has spanned more than 40 expeditions. He has traveled across the Himalayas by foot, and twice climbed Everest—in 1990 and 2002. The first time, which was his fourth attempt, marked the only time that a father and son were successful in reaching the summit on Everest. To mark the occasion, Peter, then 35, spoke to Sir Edmund by satellite phone from the mountain's peak. The thrill of climbing often mixes with calamity. During Hillary's first try at Everest, in 1984, two of his friends who were climbing with him fell from the mountain as they tried to reverse direction because of bad weather. In his second attempt, Hillary passed by two men who were coming down. Not long after, the two men were killed when they fell. And, it was a short time later, when six other climbers got caught in an avalanche, of which five died. Three poles In addition to scaling Everest, Peter Hillary has gone to the North and South Poles. Sir Edmund was the first person to go to these “three poles.” On one occasion, in 1985, Peter, Sir Edmund and their good friend, astronaut Neil Armstrong—first person to walk on the moon—flew a twin-engine ski plane over the Artic and landed at the North Pole. One of Peter Hillary's greatest adventures with his father occurred in India when he was 21. The pair went by jet boat up the Ganges River, from the Bay of Bengal to the Garwhal Himalaya. They then made the first-ever ascents of two Himalayan peaks. According to one account, massive crowds of Indian onlookers cheered them on with chants of “Long live Hillary!” The Indians consider the “Ocean to the Sky” journey to be a spiritual pilgrimage. In June 2008, Peter completed the “Seven Summits” challenge by reaching the 20,320-foot summit of Denali (formerly called Mt. McKinley) in Alaska. He had climbed the highest mountain on each of the world's seven continents. Vulnerability of climbers It has not always been cheers and good times for Peter Hillary. In May 1996, a few weeks after a high-altitude storm killed a group of eight mountaineers on Everest, including one of his good friends, Hillary wrote a piece in the New York Times about the inherent vulnerability of those who climb mountains. The incident on Everest brought him back to his own life-threatening experience the year before on K2 in Pakistan, the world's second-highest mountain. Hillary was the only surviving member of an eight-person expedition that was closer to arriving at K2's summit—as the jet-stream winds, he wrote, likely blasted the other seven climbers off the summit. Years later, he attributed their deaths to “summit fever,” an all-out push among the group members to reach the top. “Surviving K2,” Hillary has said, “...was probably my greatest mountaineering achievement." Haunting memoir An accomplished author, Hillary's books include a recounting of a disastrous three-month trek across the Antarctic to the South Pole during the summer of 1998-1999. Each man had to pull a 440-pound sled as they attempted to ski 900 miles across the vast, foreboding landscape. Titled “In the Ghost Country: A Lifetime Spent on the Edge,” the memoir reveals the disintegration of the relationships between Hillary and his two companions, and Hillary's subsequent sensory deprivation that led to hallucinations. He began to see the ghosts of people he had known throughout his life, including those who had died during expeditions with him. He also had ongoing visions of his mother, who, along with his younger sister, had perished in a plane accident that occurred during take-off at Katmandu Airport. Peter Hillary was 20 then and traveling by train through India. Philanthropy One of Sir Edmund Hillary's passions involved philanthropy as he invested himself in operating schools, hospitals, clinics and forestry programs in the Himalayas. It was a way of giving back to the people of the Himalayas for their support of all Everest climbing expeditions. Peter Hillary and his family have continued his father's (Sir Edmund Hillary) commitment through the promotion of Himalayan Foundations in six countries. He is a board member, fundraiser and a frequent visitor to Nepal. And, he has taken more than 1,000 teenagers from New Zealand and Australia to Nepal to work on projects that benefit the Sherpa people. Peter and his wife Yvonne Oomen have four children. Join Richard for a stimulating conversation with one of modern times greatest adventurers and mindful philanthropists—Peter Hillary.

Life's Tough Media is pleased to announce the latest episode of our “Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER!” podcast series. Hosted by Richard Wiese—explorer extraordinaire and President of The Explorers Club—this episode features Victor Vescovo, an American private equity investor, retired naval officer, avid adventurer, and renowned undersea explorer. Vescovo's storied career as an adventurer began when he was 23 years old and traveling solo to Nairobi to begin a safari in the Serengeti. He couldn't help but stare at Mount Kilimanjaro in the distance, breaking through the clouds. Vescovo's guide saw him staring at this majestic peak and remarked: “You know you can climb that, right?” Since then, Vescovo's life has been a series of one extraordinary adventure after another. Eventually, Vescovo went on to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, as well as other iconic mountains. In 2017, he became the 12th American to complete the “Explorer's Grand Slam”—a challenge that consists of climbing the highest summit on each of the seven continents (the “Seven Summits”) and skiing at least 100 kilometers to the North and South Poles. Vescovo's pursuit of the “Seven Summits,” was not always smooth. The first time he attempted to climb Aconcagua, a mountain in Argentina that features the highest summit in the Western Hemisphere, he nearly lost his life. According to an account of the incident in a Dallas publication, D Magazine, published last year: “He (Vescovo) stepped on a boulder and it gave, sending him cartwheeling backward. Rocks hit his face, chipping his teeth. A 70-pounder struck his spine. He blacked out. When he came to a few seconds later, he couldn't speak. But he could understand what his climbing team was discussing: the possibility of leaving him and returning the next day with help, and whether the incoming cold would kill him. The three didn't think they had the strength to carry him back to camp.” As it turned out, a group of French climbers nearby came over and carried Vescovo to an emergency shelter. He spent a recovery period in Mendoza, Argentina, until he was able to travel back to the U.S. He returned to Aconcagua a few years later and made a successful ascent of the mountain. Deep dives Two years after wrapping up the “Slam,” Vescovo, at age 53, became the first person to have reached the deepest points in all five of the world's major oceans, when he took his submersible, called “Limiting Factor,” down 18,212 feet to the bottom of Molloy Deep in the Arctic Ocean on Aug. 24, 2019. Vescovo began the “Five Deeps Expedition” on Dec. 19, 2018, by visiting the Puerto Rico Trench in the Atlantic Ocean at a depth of 27,480 feet. After that, the intrepid adventurer went to the South Sandwich Trench (24,390 feet) in the Antarctic Ocean on Feb. 3, 2019; the Java Trench (23,596 feet) in the Indian Ocean on April 5, 2019; the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench (35,843 feet)—the deepest known place in the oceans, about 7 miles down—in the Pacific Ocean on April 28, 2019; and then his final destination in the Arctic. In September 2014, four years before Vescovo began the “Five Deeps Expedition,” he emailed the president of Triton Submarines in his quest to build a submersible that could explore the deepest parts of the oceans. Triton's president had already harbored an interest in developing such a vessel and Vescovo assured him that he had the resources to invest in the project. The two met in 2015, and eventually Triton came up with a plan for building a unique submersible, one that could withstand up to 16,000 pounds of air pressure per square inch. The standard pressure at sea level is 14.7 psi. The white titanium sphere, which Vescovo named for a spaceship in a sci-fi book series, was designed for repeated trips to the greatest ocean depths (a first). It has two seats, one for a pilot, one for a scientist, and a viewport by each seat. Vescovo, however, completed his five deep dives as the lone occupant aboard “Limiting Factor.” Vescovo is a managing partner and co-founder of Insight Equity, a private equity firm based in Texas. Earlier, he worked at Bain and Company, in merger integration, and at Lehman Brothers in mergers and acquisitions. He served for 20 years in the U.S. Navy Reserve as an intelligence offer, retiring in 2013 as a commander. The Dallas native has an MBA from Harvard Business School. His degree had a concentration in finance and operations, and he graduated as a Baker Scholar (in top 5 percent of class). He also earned a master's from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he studied defense analysis with an operations research focus. And, he received an undergraduate degree from Stanford University, majoring in economics and political science. Join Richard and Victor for a fascinating conversation on Victor's celebrated adventures and what motivates this ultimate explorer.

Life's Tough Media is pleased to announce the latest episode of our “Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER!” podcast series. Hosted by Richard Wiese—explorer extraordinaire and President of The Explorers Club—this episode features Nina Lanza, distinguished planetary scientist, Mars expert and Mars rover operator. Nina, a first-class Mars rover operator is currently a Staff Scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the Space and Remote Sensing group (ISR-2)—a branch developing and applying remote sensing capabilities to problems of global security and related sciences. Nina received her Bachelor of Arts in Astronomy, at Smith College in Northampton, MA. She went on to earn her Masters in Earth and Environmental Sciences at Wesleyan University, and received her Doctorate in Earth and Planetary Sciences from the University of New Mexico. Nina's interest in space began young. “In 1986,” Nina says “my parents took me to an outreach event at a local university to observe Halley's comet, which was making a close approach to Earth. I was seven years old and had not thought much about space (at that age). But when I looked through the telescope for the first time and saw the comet, I knew from that moment on that I wanted to know what was out there!” As head of the Mars Curiosity Rover ChemCam engineering team at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Nina operates the Curiosity Rover's ChemCam. Nina controls the ChemCam instrument that is attached to the Curiosity rover—one of five NASA rovers sent to the red planet—using a rock-vaporizing laser that analyzes the Martian surface. The instrument shoots rocks with a laser and then her team analyzes them, while a separate team selects which of the Martian rocks to blast. “The microphone is not just to listen to what the aliens are saying,” Nina jokes. “It can help us further analyze the rock.” Nina's outgoing, fun-loving personality brings a life to science in a way that few others can. She is broadly interested in understanding the history of water on Mars and the potential for life in Martian environments; however, her most recent work focuses on manganese in the Martian environment and its implications for habitability and bio-signatures. In addition to her work with the Mars Curiosity rover, in 2015 and 2016, Lanza traveled to Antarctica to recover 569 meteorites from the ice. These ANSMET—The Antarctic Search for Meteorites—meteorite finds may have fallen into the Antarctic snow thousands of years ago. The region's katabatic winds scour away layers of ice, exposing these space rocks. Nina Lanza is currently living her dream of working on a spaceship with lasers on Mars and encourages young women to experience the joy of going into a scientific field, despite the occasional old-school attitudes and gender stereotypes. Nina recently received a generous grant from the renowned NYC-based, The Explorers Club that will fund a team of experts who will use cutting-edge technology in a beautiful, Mars-like Arctic desert to tell the story of how the search for the chemistry of life on Mars begins with fieldwork on Earth near the Haughton crater in northern Canada. Nina makes time every day to do some kind of physical activity, usually high-intensity interval training or yoga. She also sings in a small choral group and enjoys spending time with her son. Join Richard and Nina for an energizing chat on Nina's out-of-this world adventures!

Life's Tough Media is pleased to announce the latest episode of our “Life's Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER!” podcast series. Hosted by Richard Wiese—explorer extraordinaire and President of The Explorers Club—this episode features Bertrand Piccard, elite Swiss explorer, psychiatrist, and environmentalist, and universally considered by society and his peers alike as “the 21st century's greatest explorer.” Bertrand received a degree from the University of Lausannein Psychiatry and has since become supervisor and renowned lecturer at the Swiss Medical Society for Hypnosis (SMSH). As a renowned adventurer & explorer, he has also obtained licenses to fly balloons, airplanes, gliders, and motorized gliders and has won many awards as a result of his adventures and expertise. Bertrand's family tree includes four generations of explorers. His grandfather, Auguste Piccard, was the first to fly to the stratosphere, in 1931, and is father, Jacques Piccard, was first to descend to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, in 1960. His great uncle Jean Félix Piccard and aunt Jeannette Piccard were also balloonists, with their son Donald Piccard first to fly across the English Channel in a balloon. “The family's attitude,” Bertrand once explained, “is that being told that something is impossible is exactly why we try to do it.” At 21-years-old, Bertrand decided to interrupt his medical studies to pursue his love of hang-gliding. Having won several competitions, he took his skill of the motorized hang glider to new levels: flying over Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon in Greece's tourist areas; taking aerial pictures for a film made in the Maldives; participating in the first Ultralight Tour de France; attempting to develop centers giving rides to tourists in the Canary Islands. Bertrand executed his last loop at Château-d'Oex in January 1992. Seven years later, in March 1999, after two failed attempts, Bertrand, accompanied by Brian Jones, owner of Breitling, finally achieved the first non-stop round-the-world balloon flight. At one stroke, their Breitling Orbiter 3 flew further, and for longer than any other aircraft in aviation history, thereby setting seven World Records. The gondola is now on display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington DC, alongside the Apollo 11 capsule and the airplanes of the Wright Brothers, Charles Lindbergh, and Chuck Yeager. Bertrand Piccard is also the visionary behind Solar Impulse, the very first airplane capable of flying perpetually without fuel—flying through the night, between two continents, and across the United States. In 2015-2016 the First Round-The-World Solar Flight, piloted by Bertrand himself, set 8 world records. It is in his DNA to go beyond the obvious and achieve the impossible. Since he launched the first flight around the world in a solar airplane, his ambition has been to leverage a pioneering spirit for useful contributions to renewable energies & clean technologies causes. With his dual identities as medical doctor and explorer, Bertrand has become a voice heard among the most distinguished institutions across the globe as a forward-thinking leader for progress and sustainability. Upon landing after their round-the-world balloon flight, Bertrand and Brian Jones promised each other to dedicate their achievement to the children of the world; and before accepting nomination as a United Nations Population Fund Goodwill Ambassador, the Winds of Hope Foundation was created. The foundation works mainly to prevent, treat, and raise awareness of Noma, a rapidly advancing gangrene that develops in the mouth and flourishes in conditions of extreme poverty. The victims are almost all children aged from 2 through 6. In the absence of any treatment, Noma is fatal in 80% of the cases and leaves the survivors in an intolerable state of disfigurement. In addition, Bertrand initiated the Solar Impulse Foundation, insisting that “hundreds of clean tech solutions exist that protect the environment in a profitable way, and we need to ensure that clean technologies become the only acceptable norm.” Bertrand is married to Michèle Piccard, and together they have three children. Join Richard and Bertrand for a candid and stimulating conversation on Bertrand's endless adventures, goodwill initiatives, and to hear what drives the greatest explorer of our time.

Richard Wiese is an American explorer, author, current President of the prestigious Explorer’s Club, and host and executive producer of the Emmy Award Winning TV Series, “Born To Explore”. Watch video version here!The post Richard Wiese first appeared on Aggressor Adventures.

From the exclusive Park Avenue headquarters of The Explorers Club, Austin speaks with Club President Richard Wiese and one of his youngest members, Explorer Aleksandr Rikhterman on what makes the Club so special, what it means to be an explorer, and what else is out there to see in the world. It's all very final frontiery. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode features Richard Wiese, co-host of the public television series “Weekends with Yankee”—produced by two prominent New England media outlets, WGBH-TV and Yankee magazine. The series, now in its third season, provides a national audience with an insider’s look at the landscapes, attractions and hidden gems of the six-state New England region. Richard is also host of the Emmy Award-winning “Born to Explore” television series, and president of The Explorers Club, a prestigious society founded in 1904 that promotes the scientific exploration of land, sea, air and space. When Richard was 11, he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with his father. Since then, he has traveled to all seven continents (and scaled Mount Kilimanjaro 15 more times). He has also tagged jaguars in the Yucatan jungles, led expeditions to the Northern Territory of Australia, went cross-country skiing to the North Pole, been on two expeditions to the Antarctica and participated in the largest medical expedition ever on Mount Everest. He is the author of “Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer.” In his introduction to the book, he wrote: “I hope ‘Born to Explore’ inspires both the nature enthusiast and the nature-impaired and provides information on the tools needed to discover and love the outdoors.” In 2002, Richard, then 43, was the youngest person to be elected president of The Explorers Club. He was elected to another four-year term as the club’s president in 2018. Life’s tough – you can be tougher, like Richard Wiese, explorer extraordinaire, who will travel anywhere to uncover what makes “people, places and the planet” so special.

Today we’ll go on some remarkable adventures and we’ll review the history of friendship between the United States and Japan. Mary Anne Potts has worked in the adventure travel editorial space for more than eleven years. She started on the editorial staff of National Geographic Adventure magazine in 2001 and has moved up the ranks from there. She has run the magazine’s website and also launched its social media presence. Mary Anne continues to run Adventure as a standalone digital brand for National Geographic and includes her National Geographic Adventure blog which Outdoor Magazine recognized as No. 3 within its Top 10 List of Adventure blogs. Richard Wiese has been called the modern day Indiana Jones. He is a world-class explorer and host of ABC’s new program, Born to Explore. As an explorer and field scientist Richard has traveled to all seven continents. From tagging jaguars in the Yucatan jungles to discovering new life forms on Mt. Kilimanjaro, Richard became the youngest President of The Explorers Club. As a journalist, he has received numerous honors, including an Emmy, a Genesis Award, an Associated Press Folio Award and a Golden Halo Award. Each year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates spring in Washington, DC, with the gift of the cherry blossom trees, and the enduring friendship between the people of the United States and Japan. Next year, Washington, DC will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the gift of cherry trees from Tokyo, Japan. To commemorate this milestone, the National Cherry Blossom Festival will be extended to an epic 5-wk spectacular.

Today we’ll go on some remarkable adventures and we’ll review the history of friendship between the United States and Japan. Mary Anne Potts has worked in the adventure travel editorial space for more than eleven years. She started on the editorial staff of National Geographic Adventure magazine in 2001 and has moved up the ranks from there.  She has run the magazine’s website and also launched its social media presence. Mary Anne continues to run Adventure as a standalone digital brand for National Geographic and includes her National Geographic Adventure blog which Outdoor Magazine recognized as No. 3 within its Top 10 List of Adventure blogs. Richard Wiese has been called the modern day Indiana Jones.  He is a world-class explorer and host of ABC’s new program, Born to Explore.  As an explorer and field scientist Richard has traveled to all seven continents.  From tagging jaguars in the Yucatan jungles to discovering new life forms on Mt. Kilimanjaro, Richard became the youngest President of The Explorers Club. As a journalist, he has received numerous honors, including an Emmy, a Genesis Award, an Associated Press Folio Award and a Golden Halo Award.  Each year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates spring in Washington, DC, with the gift of the cherry blossom trees, and the enduring friendship between the people of the United States and Japan.  Washington, DC is celebrating over 100 years of the gift of cherry trees from Tokyo, Japan. 

Today World Footprints will go on some remarkable adventures and we’ll review the history of friendship between the United States and Japan. Mary Anne Potts started on the editorial staff of National Geographic Adventure magazine in 2001 and has moved up the ranks from there.  She has run the magazine’s website and launched its social media presence to run Adventure as a standalone digital brand for National Geographic. Richard Wiese has been called the modern day Indiana Jones.  He is a world-class explorer and host of ABC’s  Born to Explore.  As an explorer and field scientist Richard has traveled to all seven continents.  From tagging jaguars in the Yucatan jungles to discovering new life forms on Mt. Kilimanjaro, Richard became the youngest President of The Explorers Club. Each year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates spring in Washington, DC, with the gift of the cherry blossom trees, and the enduring friendship between the people of the United States and Japan.  This year marks the the 101 anniversary of the gift of cherry trees from Tokyo, Japan.   

Rick speaks with Parisians who inspire travelers to explore their city, from its relaxing parks and public spaces to late night strolls and memorable dinners. Also, Richard Wiese, one of today's most adventurous scientist-explorers, shares how his passion for exploring the natural world has taken him on research projects to the North Pole and the hottest place on earth. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.