EC50 Symposium

On Friday, April 17, 2026, 24 members of the EC50 Class of 2026 introduced themselves in ‘minute-at-the-mic’ presentations at The Explorers Club headquarters, kicking off ECAD weekend. Watch the whole EC50 Symposium here:

Gaby Ochoa, shark & ocean conservationist

Justin Grubb, filmmaker & naturalist

Paige Maroni, polar & deep-sea biologist

Sue Smrekar, planetary geophysicist

Alejandro Pérez Matus, marine ecologist

Imani Black, aquaculturist

Andrew Budziak, filmmaker & environmental storyteller

Eshadi Mendis, environmental educator

Hugues de Kerdrel, sailor & marine megafauna specialist

Lola Fatoyinbo, space & forest ecologist

Kerllen Costa, ethnobiologist & environmental anthropologist

Tricia Reilly Koch, conservation leader & educator

Tshiring Lhamu Lama, snow leopard conservationist

Tomas Koeck, filmmaker & journalist

Ana Saldarriaga-Gomez, conservation geneticist

Björk Brynjarsdóttir, systems designer & environmental entrepreneur

Ian MacNairn, ethnographer-physician

Florence Aghomo, primatologist

Brandon Clifford, marine archaeologist

Kenna Rubin, oceanographer

Andreas B. Heide, expedition sailor & marine biologist

Vera Knook, river conservationist & engineer

Kelsey Leonard, water justice advocate

Read about all of the work of EC50 honorees here!