Welcome to The Explorers Club

The Explorers Club is an international multidisciplinary professional society dedicated to the advancement of field research and the ideal that it is vital to preserve the instinct to explore.

Founded in New York City in 1904, The Explorers Club promotes the scientific exploration of land, sea, air, and space by supporting research and education in the physical, natural and biological sciences. The Club’s members have been responsible for an illustrious series of famous firsts: First to the North Pole, first to the South Pole, first to the summit of Mount Everest, first to the deepest point in the ocean, first to the surface of the moon – all accomplished by our members.

Dr. Eliot Herman is a Member and Principal Investigator at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis. His research program primarily focuses on seed biology, biotechnology, mitigation of food allergy by altering allergen content of plants, aquaculture feed, and biofuels. His work has resulted in the first private sector spin-off from the Danforth Center, Agrius BioForms LLC. He has also conducted research on diverse subjects such as the adaptation of plants to freezing temperature and the biology of red tide organisms. A former U.S. Department of Agriculture scientist he held a supergrade-level and was awarded the USDA’s highest annual award; the Plow Award in 2004 by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for his work on altering allergen content of soybeans. He has been a visiting scientist in both Japan and Israel, he has served as a National Science Foundation Program Director and he has worked as a Science Fellow at the U.S. Embassy in Stockholm. He has a lifelong interest in the plants and animals on both the land and oceans of the world and often travels to less visited parts of the planet. He is an avid amateur wildlife photographer and flyfisherman. He has been a fellow of the Explorers Club since 2005.

Mountaineering Legend Art Davidson

and other members’ and event photos are on display in our Photo Gallery