The SCPW was part of the first-ever #ExplorerEncounters hosted by NatGeo, Forest Foundation Philippines, and the Masungi Georeserve Foundation. The event featured curated workshops, live stories from National Geographic Explorers and a platform for building connections within the Filipino conservation community. The Explorer Encounters is envisioned as a yearly gathering of explorers, scientists, conservationists, and storeytellers in the Philippines, where best practices and stories from the field are shared to strengthen the conservation community.
The theme of the first-ever Explorer Encounters is Conservation Storeytelling. Aaron Lecciones represented the SCPW at the event and attended the workshops on Data Storeytelling by Pia Faustino (Data Storeytelling Manager, Thinking Machines), and Campaigning for Resource Conservation by Vince Cinches (Oceans Campaigner, Greenpeace Southeast Asia – Philippines). Other workshops were about Google for Causes by Issa Tobias (Industry Manager – CPG, Google Philippines) and Visual Storeytelling by Sally Snow (Wildlife Presenter & Executive Director, Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute).
Atom Araullo was the host for the evening. Welcome remarks were given by Dr Yannick Kuehl, Senior Director for Programs and Explorer Development Asia-Pacific at the National Geographic Society. Meanwhile, Ms Ann Adeline Dumaliang (Project Manager, Masungi Georeserve) gave a short introduction to the Masungi Georeserve Project. An Explorer Talks was given by Prasenjeet Yadav (Molecular Biologist & Photographer, National Geographic Explorer), Hanna Reyes-Morales (International Filipina Photographer, National Geographic Explorer), and Dr Alessandro Ponzo (LAMAVE Founder).
