This weekend, Alan Chambers MBE, Founder of Mission Spiritus, was honoured to attend the 121st Explorers Club Annual Dinner (ECAD) in New York City — an iconic gathering of the world’s leading minds in field science and exploration.
This year’s keynote speaker was the legendary actor and philanthropist Richard Gere. Beyond his acclaimed film career, Gere has long used his platform to advocate for human rights, environmental sustainability, and global compassion.
The Explorers Club: A Legacy of Discovery
Founded in 1904, The Explorers Club (TEC) has supported scientific expeditions across every discipline for more than a century. With around 3,500 members in over 60 countries, TEC celebrates those who expand the boundaries of human knowledge through true exploration — not for tourism, but for science.
Membership is reserved for those who actively engage in, or support, scientific field expeditions that uncover, understand, and protect the world’s most remote and fragile environments.
Alan Chambers is proud to be a Fellow of The Explorers Club.
The Explorers Club Flag: A Symbol of Scientific Achievement
Among the Club’s most revered traditions is the Explorers Club Flag — a symbol that has travelled to the Earth’s extremes since 1918. Whether at the polar ice caps, the ocean floor, or the summits of the highest mountains, carrying the Flag is both a privilege and a responsibility, granted only to expeditions that promise to advance scientific knowledge. Expeditions must submit a detailed Flag Report documenting their findings.
Mission Spiritus has had the honour of carrying Explorers Club Flag #103 in Antarctica and Oman.
At this year’s ECAD, Alan was invited to share highlights from the Mission Spiritus – Antarctica expedition during the prestigious Flag Returns session. A full Flag Report is currently in development and will be published later this year.
Strengthening Scientific Partnerships in New York
While in New York, Alan also met with Dr. Maureen Raymo and Dr. Beizhan Yan of Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, leaders in climate and environmental science. Their team is currently analysing the snow and sand samples collected by Mission Spiritus from Antarctica and Oman. Their research focuses on microplastic contamination in remote ecosystems, with initial findings expected later in 2025. These results will help illuminate how plastic pollution travels to even the world’s most isolated environments.
Looking Ahead: The Faroe Islands Expedition
This summer, Mission Spiritus plan to embark on a two-week expedition across all 18 islands of the Faroe archipelago, a dramatic and unspoiled landscape of sea cliffs, volcanic mountains, and fjords. The team plan to collect water and sediment samples from each island, expanding a global dataset on micro and nano plastic contamination in the world’s most fragile environments. To achieve this ambitious mission, we are seeking support.
Partner With Us
Mission Spiritus offers organisations a rare opportunity to align with a high-impact environmental and scientific initiative. Partners will directly support critical research, sustainability innovation, and global efforts to safeguard the planet’s future.
If your organisation is ready to lead in corporate social responsibility, champion scientific discovery, and enhance brand visibility through meaningful partnership, we invite you to connect with us:
📧 info@missionspiritus.com
📞 +44 (0) 7809 138219
