Will Steger (born August 27, 1944, in Richfield, Minnesota) is a prominent spokesperson for the understanding and preservation of the

Arctic The Arctic (; . ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region of Earth that surrounds the North Pole, lying within the Arctic Circle. The Arctic region, from the IERS Reference Meridian travelling east, consists of parts of northern Norway ( ...

and has led some of the most significant feats in the field of dogsled expeditions; such as the first confirmed dogsled journey to the

North Pole The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distingu ...

(without re-supply) in 1986, the 1,600-mile south–north traverse of

Greenland Greenland is an autonomous territory in the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. It is by far the largest geographically of three constituent parts of the kingdom; the other two are metropolitan Denmark and the Faroe Islands. Citizens of Greenlan ...

- the longest unsupported dogsled expedition in history at that time in 1988, the historic 3,471-mile International Trans-Antarctic Expedition - the first dogsled traverse of

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...

(1989–90), and the International Arctic Project - the first and only dogsled traverse of the

Arctic Ocean The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five oceanic divisions. It spans an area of approximately and is the coldest of the world's oceans. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) recognizes it as an ocean, ...

from

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

Ellesmere Island Ellesmere Island (; ) is Canada's northernmost and List of Canadian islands by area, third largest island, and the List of islands by area, tenth largest in the world. It comprises an area of , slightly smaller than Great Britain, and the total ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

during 1995. Steger has been invited to testify before Congress on polar and environmental issues based on his first-hand experience in the Polar Regions and environmental expertise. Steger co-founded the Center for Global Environmental Education (CGEE) at Hamline University in 1991 following the successful International Trans-Antarctic Expedition which reached 15 million students worldwide. In 1993, he founded the World School for Adventure Learning at the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota). In 2006, due to his growing concern about climate change, he established the Will Steger Foundation (now Climate Generation) to educate and empower people to engage in solutions to climate change. In 2014, he launched the Steger Wilderness Center, his final phase of his larger mission to keep the planet sustainable for future generations.

Awards and accomplishments

Steger was a state champion wrestler at Benilde-St. Margaret's School, from which he graduated in 1962. He holds a Bachelor of Science in geology, Master of Arts in education and Honorary Doctorate from University of St. Thomas (Minnesota), in addition to Honorary Doctorates from

Westminster College (Utah) Westminster University is a private university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1875 and comprises four schools. History Westminster University was founded in 1875 as the Salt Lake Collegiate Institute, a University-p ...

, Northland College (Wisconsin) and

Franklin Pierce University Franklin Pierce University is a private university in Rindge, New Hampshire, United States. It was founded as Franklin Pierce College in 1962, combining a liberal arts foundation with coursework for professional development, professional preparat ...

. In 1995 Steger joined

Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( ; July 24, 1897 – January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer. On July 2, 1937, she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. During her li ...

, Robert Peary,

Roald Amundsen Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen (, ; ; 16 July 1872 – ) was a Norwegians, Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He was a key figure of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Born in Borge, Østfold, Norway, Am ...

and

Jacques-Yves Cousteau Jacques-Yves Cousteau, (, also , ; 11 June 191025 June 1997) was a French naval officer, oceanographer, filmmaker and author. He co-invented the first successful open-circuit self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA), called the A ...

in receiving the

National Geographic Society The National Geographic Society, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations in the world. Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, natural sc ...

's rarely-bestowed ''John Oliver La Gorce Medal'' for "accomplishments in geographic exploration, in the sciences, and for public service to advance international understanding". It was the first time the society presented this award in all three categories. The award has not been given since 1995. Steger received recognition and numerous honors for record setting explorations and interactive educational initiatives: Explorers Club Finne Ronne Memorial Award 1997, National Geographic Society's First Explorer-in-Residence 1996, For his climate change efforts, he has been recognized with the Lindbergh Foundation's Lindbergh Award 2006, Governor Tim Pawlenty's Minnesota Climate Change Advisory Group 2006, Explorers Club Lowell Thomas Award 2007, and the National Geographic Adventure Lifetime Achievement Award 2007. Steger's highly acclaimed articles and photographic images are appreciated worldwide, including in ''National Geographic''. He authored four books and his publications, photographs and interviews are distributed globally: ''Over the Top of the World'', ''Crossing Antarctica'', '' North to the Pole'', and ''Saving the Earth''. Each year, Steger gives more than 100 invited presentations on his eyewitness perspective. Between 2006 and 2008 Steger spoke to more than 640,000 people at public and private events, primarily through the activities of the Will Steger Foundation. Steger especially loves speaking to business leaders and to policymakers. His recent audiences around the country have included

Goldman Sachs The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company. Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is headquartered in Lower Manhattan in New York City, with regional headquarters in many internationa ...

, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, SUPERVALU (United States), Target Corporation,

UnitedHealth Group UnitedHealth Group Incorporated is an American Multinational corporation, multinational for-profit company specializing in health insurance and health care services based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Selling insurance products under UnitedHealth ...

, Toro, Great River Energy, and Xcel Energy.

Explorer-in-Residence Emeritus

Will Steger holds many titles—educator, author, photographer, and lecturer. But polar explorer is perhaps his best known and hardest-won. Steger first reached the

in 1986, leading a team of six (Paul Schurke, Brent Boddy, Richard Weber, Geoff Carroll and

Ann Bancroft Ann Bancroft (born September 29, 1955) is an American author, teacher, adventurer, and public speaker. She was the first woman to finish a number of expeditions to the Arctic The Arctic (; . ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region ...

) by dogsled. He returned again in 1995, while crossing the

from

, with a team of five by dogsled and specially adapted canoes. Steger has also kayaked thousands of miles of northern rivers, including the

Peace Peace is a state of harmony in the absence of hostility and violence, and everything that discusses achieving human welfare through justice and peaceful conditions. In a societal sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (suc ...

, Mackenzie, and

Yukon Yukon () is a Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada, bordering British Columbia to the south, the Northwest Territories to the east, the Beaufort Sea to the north, and the U.S. state of Alaska to the west. It is Canada’s we ...

References

External links

Will Steger Website

World School Adventure Learning Search

Video: 1995 International Arctic Project - Training Expedition (1994)

A Dreamer & Doer (Jan-2005)

Climate Changed (Jan-2008)

Global Warming Eyewitness (Apr-2012)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Steger, Will 1944 births Living people 20th-century American explorers Explorers of the Arctic American futurologists American sustainability advocates