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Press Release
National Geographic Society Launches American Keystones Initiative to Protect Our Living Icons
Reflecting on 250 years as a nation, the Society launches a yearlong effort to protect America’s iconic species and landscapes through 20 new conservation grants across the United States
Caribou, or tutu in Inupiat, traverse the snowy heart of Alaska’s Brooks Range.
Credit: Katie Orlinsky
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 12, 2026) — As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, the National Geographic Society is launching a bold initiative to reimagine the symbols that shape our nation. While national icons are often thought of as monuments carved in stone, the Society is shining a light on the icons that breathe, grow and migrate: America’s keystone species.
These American Keystones — such as large predators, migratory herds, salmon, cod and giant kelp — have sustained societies and sparked unity through contemporary conservation and restoration efforts. This initiative, conducted in collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley, represents a rigorous search to identify and support the National Geographic Explorers implementing cutting-edge projects to protect these ecological, cultural and economic pillars.
Through a competitive grant process, the Society identified and selected researchers, conservation practitioners, Tribal leaders, and other community members leading conservation efforts focused on keystone species in the United States and its territories. Selected projects will receive funding and support to advance innovative solutions to today’s most pressing conservation challenges. By providing innovative equipment, funding and leadership opportunities, the initiative will propel these projects to blend Indigenous knowledge and academic science, utilize biodiversity monitoring technology, and explore American Keystones to manage changing systems and strengthen the relationship between people and nature.
“Our history is written in the American wild,” said Ian Miller, chief science and innovation officer at the National Geographic Society. “Whether it's the migration of the caribou in Alaska, the recovery of the gray wolf in Yellowstone, or the resilience of the ancient redwoods of California, these species are the living icons — the ecosystem engineers and cultural pillars — that have sustained our communities for centuries. By combining our legacy of scientific support with the power of visual storytelling, the American Keystones initiative helps to ensure that these American icons endure for the next 250 years.”This inaugural cohort of Explorers represents 20 diverse projects across the United States and its territories, each focused on an iconic keystone species vital to our collective future:
- Redwoods (California): Investigating if restoration thinning management can help secondary forests store carbon as effectively as old-growth stands. Explorer Alana Chin is leading this research to optimize forest recovery.
- Caribou (Alaska): Studying road ecology to reduce the impact of industrial development on Indigenous food sovereignty and migratory patterns. Explorer Benjamin Larue is on the frontline of this protection effort.
- Florida Panther (Florida): Radio-collaring panthers to guide recovery efforts as the species expands into historic ranges. Explorer Dave Onorato is managing these tracking initiatives.
- Elk (California): Integrating Karuk Tribal knowledge with monitoring to restore ecological balance to ancestral lands. Explorer Emilio Tripp is facilitating this collaboration.
- Bats (Virginia and West Virginia): Leveraging acoustic monitoring and citizen science to conserve bats on private working lands. Explorer Erin Thady Shibley is spearheading this conservation effort.
- Swift Fox (Montana): Tracking wild-born foxes to inform the successful reintroduction of this cultural icon. Explorer Jesse Boulerice is analyzing the data to ensure population stability.
- Beavers (Mississippi and Vermont): Testing if human-made canals can guide beaver dam-building to improve reintroduction success. Explorer Jordan RM Kennedy is conducting these field experiments.
- Tiger Sharks (Florida): Using biotelemetry to map juvenile shark nurseries and improve Everglades management. Explorer Julia Saltzman is utilizing these tracking tools to protect the species.
- Gray Wolves (California): Merging social and ecological data to foster coexistence between rural communities and returning wolf populations. Explorer Kaggie Orrick is leading this community-based research.
- American Barn Owl (California): Testing acoustic lures to enhance natural rodent control in sustainable agriculture. Explorer Karen Gallardo Cruz is researching these eco-friendly pest management solutions.
- Green Sea Turtles (Hawaii): Linking genomic science with traditional Hawaiian knowledge to protect nesting sites from the effects of climate change. Explorer Lisa Komoroske is bridging these two vital disciplines.
- Oysters (New York): Utilizing genomic tools and 3D modeling to accelerate the recovery of the Hudson River Estuary. Explorer Matthew Parsons Hare is implementing these high-tech restoration methods.
- Ocelot (Texas): Generating insights into historical land use to safeguard the most endangered felid in the U.S. Explorer Matthew Smith is conducting this historical and ecological study.
- Bull Kelp (California): Investigating how Kashia Pomo cultural burning practices influence kelp forest health. Explorer Maya Munstermann is studying the connection between land and sea management.
- American Lobster (Maine): Researching shifting predator behaviors caused by climate change to support sustainable harvesting. Explorer Michelle Staudinger is providing insights for the fishing industry.
- Bison (Montana): Analyzing bison behavior and diet to restore their ecological role within fenced pastures. Explorer Olivia Cosby is leading these efforts to inform restoration across grasslands.
- Palmer’s Agave (Arizona): Restoring grasslands to provide a vital food source for three threatened nectar bat species. Explorer Rachel Burke is managing this habitat restoration project.
- Walleye (Wisconsin): Assessing fish health to sustain the cultural and nutritional kinship of the Ojibwe People. Explorer Raymond Lance Allen is monitoring these vital aquatic populations.
- Hemlocks (Tennessee): Using drone-based hyperspectral imaging and AI for early detection of invasive pests. Explorer Sonja Schmoyer is developing these advanced detection techniques.
- Bison (Montana): Strengthening Tribal capacity to lead long-term bison conservation and restoration initiatives. Explorer Wesley Sarmento is supporting these sovereign conservation efforts.
As we look toward the next chapter of the American story and our own legacy, the Society remains committed to funding the Explorer-driven work that reminds us what makes our country’s wild spaces so special — and worth preserving. These projects represent a new era of stewardship where science and community work in tandem to protect the keystones of our world. By treating these species as the living icons they are, we aim to ignite a spark of inspiration that ensures these vital symbols of our heritage endure for the next 250 years and beyond.
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About The National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. Since 1888, National Geographic has pushed the boundaries of exploration, investing in bold people and transformative ideas, providing more than 15,000 grants for work across all seven continents, reaching 3 million students each year through education offerings, and engaging audiences around the globe through signature experiences, stories and content.
To learn more, visit www.nationalgeographic.org or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.
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