An Open Letter to

the Board of Trustees of the National Geographic Society

"Let us raise science aloft as the olive branch of peace and the emblem of hope."

- John Wesley Powell, 1882, founding member of the National Geographic Society

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The current administration is dismantling U.S. science-based agencies, defunding them, vilifying and firing their workers by the thousands, and clawing back billions in congressionally approved funds for vital research programs. 


We former and current employees and contractors of the National Geographic Society and National Geographic Partners, who have signed this letter and collectively represent over 7,500 years of experience, urge you now—without delay—to do everything in your power to push back against these unprecedented attacks. We urge you to affirm, with force and conviction, and in a sustained way, the primary importance of the work of these agencies.


For decades, National Geographic has been privileged to draw on the research and discoveries of organizations such as NOAA, NSF, NASA, NPS, EPA, NIH, USGS, USAID, and CDC. Many National Geographic Society grantees are themselves either funded by these groups or doing groundbreaking science under their aegis.


Federally supported science is at the heart of National Geographic’s mission—its lifeblood. It is also imperative for the success of our country’s economy and is the foundation of our progress and well-being.


For its part, National Geographic has played a leading role in bringing to the world knowledge hard-won by U.S. scientists. That knowledge bestows prestige upon our nation. It is Powell’s “emblem of hope.” It makes the United States—and the world—safer, stronger, more prosperous.



As of this writing, National Geographic has said nothing publicly in defense of federally supported scientific endeavors. Such defense is crucial, because the ongoing assaults on science undermine the nation—and tear at the roots of National Geographic’s mission-driven work. Faced with this degradation, how many of our best and brightest young people will turn away from the cause of science and exploration?


National Geographic has a uniquely powerful and respected voice. We implore you to raise it for the benefit of all by: 



  • Mounting a public campaign to celebrate science and the crucial work of the federal agencies.
  • Marshaling all media resources at your disposal to bring to public attention the stories of the scientists affected by these cuts and the essential work that is being lost.



Respectfully,

Lynn Addison, 28 years

John Aldrich, 7 years

Amy Alipio, 23 years

April Howard Alvarez, 11 years

Stephen Alvarez, 9 years

Christina An, 9 years 

Carolyn H. Anderson, 31 Years

Julia Andrews

Jenny Apostol, 24 Years

Allison Argo, 20 years

Elizabeth Atalay, 19 years 

Stephanie Atlas, 12 years 

Andres Aviles, 31 years

Hannah August, 2 years

Jehan Aziz, 21 years

Leigh B., 25 years

Ceres Bainbridge, 10 years

Becky Baines, 19 years

Carolyn Barnwell, 13 years

Alison Barrat, 9 years

Kelly Barrett, 3 years

Andrea Barrick, 10 years

Kezi Barry, 4 years

Mark Bauman

Tracy Baumgardner, 30 years

John Baxter, 10 years

Linda Baxter, 17 years

Becky Beamer, 7 years

Dan Beaupré, 20 years

Whitney Beer-Kerr, 3 years

Dale Bell, 4 years

Julie Bellonte, 25 years

Don Belt, 30 years

Jennifer Beman, 28 years

John Benam, 9 years

Alison Benson, 10 years

Deborah Benson, 20 years

Sally J. Bensusen, 9 years

Kaya Lee Berne, 6 years

Frank Biasi, 16 years

Brenda Billoch, 2 years

Susan Blair, 23 years

Claire Bloch, 5 years

John Boarts, 11 years

Eliza Booth, 3 years

Ellen Stanley Booth, 25 years

Robert Booth, 40 years

Susan Borke, 28 Years

Sylvia Bors, 3 years

Lisa Bosley, 12 years

Joel K. Bourne Jr., 25 years

Lisa Bowers, 4 years

Cindy Hoy Bowman, 10 years

John Bowman, 18 years

Ron Bowman, 18 years

Laura J. Boyd, 5 years

Renee Braden, 36 years

Elaine Bradley, 23 years

Robin Brady, 17 years

Erin Branigan, 11 years

Michael A. Brazerol  32 years

Brian Breger, 9 years

Callie Broaddus, 7 years

Cory Brown, 9 years

Julie Brown, 7 years

Richard Brown, 18 years

Sidney Brown, 2 years

Drue Brownback, 2 years

Barbara Brownell Grogan, 27 years

Winn Brewer, 7 Years 

Amy Bucher, 10 years

James Burch, 14 years

Hilary Burke, 7 years

Steve Burns, 13 years

Laura Painter Burns, 10 years

Barbara Burst, 16 years

Becky Bush, 3 years

Lori Butterfield, 7 years

Stevi C., 10 years

Joyce Marshall Caldwell, 15 years

Tom Caliandro, 12 years

Rebecca Hutton Campbell, 4 years

Thomas Y. Canby, 32 years

Bob Caputo, 20 years

Amy Wray Caputo, 14 years

David Cassidy, 17 years

Stella Cha, 14 years

Ruth A. Chamblee, 32 years

Sara Chauhan, 5 years

Alexandra Chiou, 6 years 

Neetu Chopra, 5 years

Bryan Christy, 15 years

Michele Chu, 4 years

Gina Cicotello, 14 years

Sarah Clark, 28 years

Chad Cohen, 18 years

Michael Colonna, 18 years

Chris Combs, 7 years

Cynthia Combs, 23 years

Barbara J. Constantz, 23 years

Victoria Cooper, 11 years

Madelyn Copeland, 14 years

Monica C. Corcoran, 10 years

Caroline E. Couig, 3 years

MJ Slazak Courchesne, 15 years

Nancy Zanner Correll, 40 years

Sharon Cowley, 17 years

Julie Crain, 29 years

Caren Cramer, 25 years

Kathleen Cromley, 9 years

Lawrence Cumbo, 8 years

Bonnie Cutler, 8 years

Bianca D., 8 years

Penelope Dackis, 24 years

Cindy D’Agostino, 17 years

Brad Dancer, 22 years

Katy Daily, 3 years

Kathy Davidov, 7 years

Rose Davidson, 4 years

Alanna Zahn Davis, 8 years

Scott DeGraw, 6 years

Mimi Armstrong deGruy, 5 years

Dana C. Deighton, 26 years

Laura DePalma, 5 years

Megan DeSouza, 8 years

Rena Silverman Devereux, 5 years

Liane DiStefano, 2 years

Marisa Domeyko, 28 years

Elaine R. Donnelly, 31 years

Nancy Donnelly, 26 years

Mary Donohoe, 13 years

Mimi Dornack, 28 years

Lynn Dougherty, 23 years

Kara Dowd, 13 years

Garrett Doyle, 5 years
Maya Laurinaitis Drake, 15 years

Dawn Drew, 16 years

Francisca Drexel, 13 years

Adam DuBrowa, 10 years

Till Duong, 19 years

Paul Durbin, 25 years

Nick Durrie, 4 years

Sandy McGovern Durrie, 5 years

Lori Dynan, 12 years

Suzan Eaton, 38 years

Rene Ebersole, 8 years

Sonya Edelman, 4 years

Patricia Edmonds, 10 years

Mary Lee Elden, 33 years

Nicole Elliott, 19 years

Gary Ellis, 4 years

Laura Emmons, 2 years

Stacy England, 5 years

Phyllis English, 12 years

Terrence Epps, 16 years

Lori Epstein, 20 years

David Evans, 7 years

Katherine (Kate) Evans, 12 years

Kathy Escamilla, 33 years

Lisa F., 20 years

Barbara Fallon, 18 years

Jeanethe Falvey, 4 years

Alison Farmer, 7 years 

Robert Ferrier, 3 years

Claire Fieseler, 2 years

Susan M. Fifer Canby, 35 years

Chris Fisher, 15 years

Jacob Fisk, 12 years

Charlie Foley, 1 year

Charles Floyd, 3 years

Karen C. Font, 15 years

John Francis, 23 years

Laura Fravel, 15 years

Pam Mandell Freedman, 8 years

Jim Frey, 6 years

Michael Fry, 13 years

Alexandra Fuller, 14 years 

Monica Fulvio, 12 years

Laura G., 13 years

Terry Garcia, 16 years 

Katy Jones Garrity, 10 years

Camilo Garzón, 2 years

Maureen George, 8 years

Peter Getzels, 5 years

Colima Gibbons, 6 years

Karen Gibbs, 34 years

Steven Gnam, 2 years

Laura Glassman, 12 years

Anne Goetz, 8 years

Stacy Gold, 25 years

Rebecca Goldfield, 7 years

Linda Goldman, 10 years

Robin Goldman, 16 years

Jane Goodall, 60 years

Cynthia Gorney, 17 years

Liz Grady, 23 years

Rachel Graham, 20 years

Eleanor Grant, 23 years

Bob Gray, 14 years

Leigh Anne Gray, 5 years

Erica Green, 5 years

Timothy Greenleaf, 10 years

Sallie Greenwood, 22 years

David Griffin, 13 years

Annie Griffiths, 44 years

Judy Guerrieri, 31 years

Nancy Gupton, 16 years

Kris H., 11 years

Jessalyn Haefele, 2 years

Lauri Hafvenstein, 17 years

Eleanor W Hahne, 35 years

David Hamlin, 20 years

Mimi Harrison, 2 years

Geoffrey Hatchard, 7 years

Rachel Hartigan, 11 years

Cathy Healy, 17 years

Laurie Hembree, 17 years

Meigan Goodyer Henry, 5 years

Susan Henry, 36 years

Truly Herbert, 17 years

Jeff Hertrick, 19 years

Shannon Hibbard, 22 years

Christine Higgins, 19 years

Pamela Higgins, 17 years

Susan Tyler Hitchcock, 17 years

Jennifer Holland, 25 years

Art Hondros, 15 years

Ashley Hoppin, 18 years

Andrew Howley, 11 years

Korena Di Roma Howley, 11 years

Kim Hubbard, 5 years

Karen Huffman, 30 years

Catherine D. Hughes, 35 years

Jack Hume, 9 years

Sarah Hume, 3 years

Bridget Hunnicutt, 10 years 

Marguerite B. Hunsiker, 37 years

Lauren Ippolito, 12 years

Jonathan Irish, 9 years

Anna Irwin, 5 years

Sangita Iyer, 8 years

Bea Jackson, 10 years

Rachael Jackson, 8 years

Thomas Jackson, 17 years

Natalie Jaime, 5 years

Amy Janocha, 5 years

Rakhee Jethwa, 2 years 

Brian Lloyd Jimenez, 3 years

Chris Johns, 40 years

Sara Johnson, 17 years

Alice S. Jones, 33 years

Bethany Jones, 10 years

Ashley Kalena, 12 years

Tricia Kane, 9 years

Annie Karam, 7 years

Fred Karns, 11 years

Alice Keating, 23 years

Coral Keegan, 7 years

Garrison Keillor, 14 years

Anne B. Keiser, 14 years

Dana Kemp, 23 years

Emily Kennard, 9 years

Bryan Knedler, 9 years

Katie Knorovsky, 10 years

Mimi Koumanelis, 16 years

Kris Kral, 22 years

Audrey L. Kremer

Bob Krist, 36 years

Kevin Krug, 14 years

Dan Kulpinski, 1 year

Robert Kunzig,14 years

Jason Kurtis, 9 Years

Priyanka Lamichhane, 15 years

Emily Landis, 6 years

Jane Latman, 4 years

Elisabeth Leader, 10 years

Katie Lee, 9 years

Tami (Trinoskey) Lee, 3 years

Sarah Leen, 30 years

Jill Leger, 8 years

A. Lewis, 15 years

Deborah Li, 28 years

Rachel Link, 5 years

Cynthia Linnell, 11 years 

Becky Little, 3 years

Russ Little, 25 years

Joe Lombardo, 8 years

Nikki Lowry, 12 years

Carey Lozano, 19 years

Gregory Luce, 32 years

Geoff Luck, 15 years

Amanda (Summerlin) Lukacs, 6 years

Leslie Trew Magraw, 5 years 

Douglas Main, 5 years

Nancy Majkowski, 34 years

James Manfull, 10 years

Bill Margol, 5 years

Malvina Martin, 9 years

Rebecca Martin, 36 years

Rosemary H. Martin, 12 years

Emmanuel Mairesse, 30 years

Stacey Mannari, 3 years

Holly Marshall, 5 years

Ginny Mason, 8 years

Liisa Maurer, 45 years 

Michael Mayers, 6 years

Jenny McAllister, 9 years

Kevin McCarey, 15 years

Margaret McEvoy, 4 years

Maureen Walsh McGrath, 30 years

Bill Marr, 16 years

Anne McCormack, 8 years

Steve McCurry, 30 years

Patrick McGeehan, 25 years

Marie McGrory, 5 years

Dana Jensen McNamara, 13 years

Stephen Mefford, 10 years

David McKillop, 10 years

Edward McPike, Jr., 9 years

Richard M. McWalters, 30 years

Georgina Mendoza, 13 years

Zachary Michel, 2 years

Carrie Miller, 27 years

Mags Miller, 6 years

Bill Mills, 22 years

Barbara S. Moffet, 36 years

Caroline Morales, 2 years

Jeff Morales, 12 years

Heather Moran, 11 years

Kathy Moran, 41 years

Noah Morowitz, 5 years

Paula Morrison, 8 years

Jonathan Morton, 7 years

Amy Kezerian Mosley, 10 years

Tom Murphy, 14 years

Meghan Miner Murray, 11 years

Debbie Nathanson, 8 years

Robin Freeman Nelson, 10 years

Cathy Newman, 37 years

Kelly Newton, 3 years

Clare Nolan, 12 years

Patricia Norris, 10 years

Katarzyna Nowak, 5 years

Christine Nusbaum, 3 years

David O’Dell, 10 years

Bill O’Donnell, 25 years 

Mary Beth Oelkers-Keegan, 15 years

Susan O'Keefe, 25 years 

Ileana Norton Olmsted, 12 years

Lars Olson, 20 years

Jeffrey Osborn, 10 years

Dara Padwo-Audick, 7 years

Laura Parker, 10 years 

Cèlia Paschoal, 20 years

Kathryn Pasternak, 15 years

Andrew Paterson, 6 years

Oliver Payne, 43 years

Ann Marie Pelish, 16 years

Isabel Perez-Loehmann, 4 years

Karen Bryant Perkins, 12 years

Becky Pfordresher, 4 years

Kate Pinney, 7 years

Louis Plummer, 7 years
Charles Poe, 6 years

Victoria Pope, 11 years

Monica Puerto, 3 years

Tom Quinn, 15 years

Norie Quintos, 18 years

Laura Schebler Rammelsberg, 8 years

Isham Randolph, 15 years

Nora Rappaport, 10 years

Deirdre Finzer (Read), 2 years

Jennifer Reek, 13 years

Carrie Regan, 14 years

Charles Regan, Jr., 12 Years

Robin Reid, 12 years

Maggie Rhodes Davis, 11 years

Cinde Reichard, 32 years

Jenny Ricks, 5 years

Dawn Ridley, 3 years

Susie Riggs, 35 years

Linda Rinkinen, 30 years

Valerie Robbins, 6 years

Brad Roberts, 20 years

Molly Roberts, 3 years

Elie Rogers, 26 years

Lesley Rogers, 47 years

Kristin Romey, 8 years

Tanya Rosen, 12 years

Nancy Rosenthal, 16 years

Chip Richard Roughton, 18 years

Rachel Rowan, 3 years 

David Royle, 9 years

John Rubin, 4 years

Stephanie Rudig, 6 years

John Rutter, 40 years

Yumi Rydlun, 3 years

Randy Rylander, 24 years

Jonathan Sacks, 18 years

Paul Salopek, 30 years

Shannon Sanders, 4 years

Gale Sargent, 6 years

Sarah Sartori, 2 years

Holly Saunders, 26 years

Jody Schiliro, 10 years

Brittany Schloesser, 11 years

Caryn Davidson Schlossberg, 12 years

David Schneider, 4 years

Heidi Schultz, 26 years

Leslie Schwerin, 20 years

Kathleen Schwille, 9 years

Brad Scriber, 19 years

Jerry Sealy, 16 years

Elvira See, 17 years

Char Serwa, 11 years

Amber Seyler, 2 years

Denise Shaffer, 38 years

Lena Shareef, 5 years

Christopher Shearer, 13 years

Elizabeth (Stevens) Shearer, 6 years

Jennifer Shoemaker, 7 years

Jamie Shreeve, 11 years

Yasmin Sidi, 7 years

Margaret Sidlosky, 22 years

Andrea Silen, 6 years

Tom Simon, 9 years

Danielle M. Skipper, 7 years

Mark Skuta, 9 years

Richard Slater-Jones, 6 years 

Karen Sligh, 29 years

Darren Smith, 17 years

Jen Rose Smith, 8 years

Chris Sondreal, 12 years 

Marjolaine Souquet, 17 years

Paul Spillenger, 20 years

Donna Schoeller Sprague, 28 years

Steve Sprague, 6 years

Joseph S. Stancampiano, 29 years

Miriam Stein, 4 years

Margaret Burnette Stogner, 10 years

George W. Stone, 20 years

Val Duguay Strain, 4 years

Carol Stroud, 31 years

Rhonda S. Struminger,  3 years

Leanne Sullivan, 3 years

Michelle Sullivan, 8 years

Jay Sumner, 19 years

David Swanson, 21 years

Rachel B. Sweeney, 5 years

Iwonka Swenson, 4 years

Anna Switzer, 3 years

Katie Juhl Telligman, 2 years

Molly Tait Tanen, 3 years

Anne J. Tarrant, 14 years

Teresa Tate, 19 years

Walt Terry, 27 years

Tria Thalman, 20 years

Ava Thek, 5 years

Laura Thomas, 19 years

Katherine Potter Thompson, 7 years

Sharon Thompson, 12 years

Derek Threinen, 3 years

Abigail Tipton, 39 years

Juan Tituana, 20 years

Jonathan Tourtellot, 32 years

Paige Towler, 7 years

Penny Trams, 30 years

Bijal Trivedi, 6 years

Lisa Truitt, 29 years

Madeline Turrini, 8 years

Kay Tuttle, 4 years

Cathy Tyson, 18 years

Elizabeth Unger, 10 years

Paulina Vaca, 15 years

Charlene Valeri, 43 years

Claire Vande Polder, 12 years

Rakhi Varma, 10 years 

Victor Veizaga, 9 years

Jodi Vender, 3 years

Jane Vessels, 37 years

Stephen Vick, 26 years

Mark Viola, 25 years

Erin W., 5 years

Anne Ely Wain, 25 years

Leslie Aroon Walsh, 10 years

Peggy Shughrue Walz, 24 years

Kennedy Warne, 25 years

David Wasdahl, 14 years

Tim Watkins, 5 years

Jessica Wdowiarz, 4 years

Jim Webb, 10 years

Christine Weber, 30 years

Michaela Weglinski, 6 years

Tirzah Weiskotten, 7 years

Brett Weisband, 3 years

Todd Wendel, 9 years

Nova West, 8 years

Joanne Wheeler, 21 years

Flora White, 4 years

Joyce Whitehead, 29 years

David Whitmore, 18 years

Hans Wiese, 8 years

Nancy Wilkinson, 8 years

AJ Wilhelm, 9 years

Jed Winer, 5 years

Susan Winslow, 8 years

Jayne Wise, 35 years

Darian Woehr, 4 years

Katy Wogec, 14 years

Janice Wolf, 20 years

David W. Wooddell, 22 years

Barbara Wyckoff, 38 years

Kevin Yam, 4 years

Wynette Yao, 6 years

Chun-Wei Yi, 4 years

Julia Yordanova, 14 years

Gayle Young, 10 years

Jonathan Young, 4 years

Sara Zeglin, 9 years

Stevie Zvereva, 17 years

Anonymous, 6 years

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