Chris Rainier

Chris Rainier is a National Geographic explorer and documentary photographer - who is highly respected for his documentation of endangered cultures and traditional languages around the globe. In 2002, he was awarded the Lowell Thomas Award by The Explorers Club for his efforts on cultural preservation. He has led expeditions on all seven continents, and was a part of a team who set a world record skydiving over Mt Everest in 2010. Rainier has been the co-founder and co-director of the Nat Geo Enduring Voices Project and director of the All Roads Photography Program, both designed to support indigenous groups desiring to document their traditional cultures and create sustainable solutions to preserve the planet in the 21st century. He currently directs The Cultural Sanctuaries Foundation, whose mission is to create legally protected cultural zones around the globe that protect both traditional knowledge as well as the biodiversity the communities are guardians of.