the explorers club – Jett Britnell Photographics

Global Explorers Summit (GLEX) Ottawa 2025

Jett & Kathryn Britnell September 19, 2025September 19, 2025 Comments are off

A Summit of Minds, A Lesson in Leadership

“The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual.”

— Vince Lombardi

RCGS Explorers Club flag - Jett Britnell — Royal Canadian Geographical Society and Explorers Club logo flag

Kathryn and I have returned home from Ottawa after attending The Explorers Club’s Global Exploration Summit (GLEX) 2025, and the afterglow of thought still lingers. As images and reflections from fellow attendees surface, one truth is clear: something extraordinary transpired. People were stirred. Friendships were forged. Minds were opened to the cosmos above and the human spirit within.

RCGS HQ Jett Britnell — Headquarters of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, where GLEX Ottawa 2025 was held.

In the quiet descent that follows such a gathering, there is a collective reckoning, a gentle attempt to absorb the gravity of all that was shared. Those who were there know. Some admitted to tears, not only from awe at the immensity of space or the fragility of our planet, but from deeper themes that threaded it all together: love, empathy, humanity, and the unyielding drive to explore the unknown.

To call the summit inspiring would be an understatement. A better word is transformational. It reminded us that discovery is not only about what lies beyond the horizon, but also what lies within.

This summit was made possible through the partnership of two storied institutions. The Explorers Club, founded in 1904 to champion scientific exploration, and The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, established in 1929 as Canada’s leading voice for geography, exploration, education, and environmental stewardship, joined forces to bring GLEX to Ottawa.

Richard Wiese and John Gieger Jett Britnell — Richard Wiese and John Geiger

Richard Wiese, President of The Explorers Club, captured the spirit of the occasion: “GLEX is the Davos of exploration and we wanted to host it in Canada this year. Canada has played such a vital role in the history of exploration, and we collectively felt that our Canadian brothers and sisters were not getting the proper recognition or love they deserve from their neighbors to the south.”

John Geiger, Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, echoed the urgency: “With a dearth of enlightened leadership globally, it is more important than ever to build cross-border alliances with organizations dedicated to scientific inquiry and the health of the planet… We are honoured at this critical moment that they would opt to host their most important summit in Canada.”

Members of Explorers Club Canadian Chapter — Members of the Explorers Club’s Canadian Chapter who attended GLEX.

By choosing Ottawa as the stage for GLEX 2025, these two leaders did more than organize an event. They modelled the kind of leadership the world is hungry for: bold, inclusive, and grounded in shared purpose. When the leaders of two respected exploration societies come together and lead with purpose, they demonstrate that exploration is not just about discovery; it is also about fostering a sense of community and shared purpose. It is about shaping a better future for humanity and reminds us that we are all connected and move forward best when we move forward together.

Jett Britnell, FI’16

Canadian Chapter Chair

The Explorers Club Canadian Chapter

Exploration Published Work

The Explorers Club: Where The Spirit Of Exploration Abides

Jett & Kathryn Britnell April 16, 2025April 16, 2025 Comments are off

The Explorers Club Story - Jett and Kathryn Britnell

“Thank you, Jett & Kathryn!!! Another AMAZING piece.”

— Sherrie Wilkolaski, Editor in Chief, Luxe Beat Magazine

Our latest Third Age Expeditions column for Luxe Beat Magazine, “The Explorers Club: Where the Spirit of Exploration Abides,” marks a significant milestone as our 25th consecutive “Editor’s Pick.”

This comprehensive feature, totalling 9,618 words, edges close to book territory and explores the numerous benefits of being a member of The Explorers Club. Moreover, it shines a tiny spotlight on the Canadian Chapter while honouring the sense of fellowship, camaraderie, and the ties that bind Explorers Club members.

Story Link Here

Here’s what some fellow members of The Explorers Club said:

“This isn’t something that I talk about much outside of my close Circle but this is something that is worth sharing for those of you that might be interested. I met the authors on a trip last year and had the pleasure of scuba diving with them in Antarctica. Meeting Jett Britnell and his amazing wife, Kathryn Britnell, became some sort of life-changing event for me. They were both members of a club that I had so much respect for, that I felt Starstruck to be sitting on the same boat with them! (please don’t tell them that I said that!) Anyhow, it was through their guidance and support that I was actually able to become a member of this club. I still feel like a private first class in a room full of generals- but at least I’m in the room! Anyway, if you are interested in more information, there is a link to an article that they wrote about the organization. Becoming a member of The Explorers Club is one of the greatest accomplishments in my adult life.”

— Mark Owens

“There’s a nice segment in this article about the Explorers Club’s DEI Committee and the Society of Forgotten Explorers.”

— Robert Harris

“This is so good ! It really encapsulates what we are about and what the club is built on. Outstanding.”

— Kevin Heath

“Wow that’s quite a write up…..well done both of you.”

— Natalie Schmitt

“Excellent, that’s the perfect summary.”

— Nick Lyon

Life As It Happens

How to become a member of “The Explorers Club?”

Jett & Kathryn Britnell April 12, 2021April 12, 2021 Comments are off

How to become a member “The Explorers Club?”

Membership does have its privileges and this article which was published a few years ago in Men’s Journal (see link at end of this post) provides a quick overview about membership levels. I was named a Fellow in 2016 and Kathryn was named a Fellow in 2019.

As the article states, “Fellows: They’re the most distinguished of the bunch. Fellows have directly and substantially contributed to the scientific understanding of the world through field research on their expeditions.”

Along with securing letters of support from two current club members, all new member applications are also vetted by a judicious membership panel at the Explorers Club headquarters in New York City.

The 113th Explorers Club Annual Dinner on Ellis Island, NYC, March 25, 2017.jpg

When I was urged by a club member to join The Explorers Club, I was never so bold as to assume I had amassed the required qualifications to become a club member, let alone a Fellow. And yet, here we both are.

Here is the link to the Men’s Journal article: Here

Kathryn & Jett Britnell outside The Explorers Club HQ in New York City.

Life As It Happens

Titanic Adventure: One Woman’s True Life Voyage Down to the Legendary Ocean Liner

Jett & Kathryn Britnell July 20, 2020 Comments are off

“It’s strange to have a friend that you have never hugged, never shook their hand, or looked into their eyes. But you have been touched by their soul, seen the good in their hearts and felt the warmth of their being.”

– Unknown

I’m giving a loud shout out today to someone we have never met in person, but who both Kathryn and I consider to be a friend. Last month during a Facebook conversation wherein I said I was going to source an out of print book and ask the author to autograph it, the author said to me, “I will send you one.”

The person I’m speaking about is Jennifer Carter,
(Fellow in the Explorers Club, Author, Producer, and so much more), who along with her late husband, Academy Award-winning composer, Joel Hirschhorn, co-authored the book “Titanic Adventure: One Woman’s True Life Voyage Down to the Legendary Ocean Liner.” Yes, Jennifer was the first woman to dive to the wreck of the Titanic when she signed on as expedition leader for the all-male French/American Titanic expedition in 1987. And this is but one of her long lists of noble accomplishments.

We feel blessed to be able to call Jennifer our friend.