Impact Story Lab
The Impact Story Lab is an award-winning creative unit that combines world-class storytelling with social and behavioral science in order to drive positive change for our Explorers.
Our interdisciplinary team collaborates with National Geographic Explorers to produce film, video, audio, photography, VR/AR experiences, and other media to help accomplish the goals of their programs.
We also conduct research, publish our findings, and host workshops to advance the field of impact storytelling. The Impact Story Lab builds on National Geographic’s legacy as a global leader in influential storytelling, and furthers our mission of illuminating and protecting the wonder of our world.
Feature film
Nkashi: Race for the Okavango
Nkashi: Race for the Okavango shows the triumphs and challenges of three mokoro (dugout canoe) polers, celebrates cultural heritage, and illuminates the importance of protecting the Okavango Delta – one of the most unique wetlands in the world. This feature length documentary was made in Botswana, in Setswana, in close collaboration with a team of Batswana filmmakers.
Our past projects
Last Wild Places
Last Wild Places harnesses the power of National Geographic’s storytelling to inspire the protection of 30% of the planet by 2030. Through stunning imagery and intimate character studies, this series of short films takes viewers inside the world's most ambitious efforts to protect our last remaining wilderness areas.
Expedition Everest
A team of scientists, Sherpa, and storytellers embark on a 2-month journey to study the impacts of climate change on Mt. Everest. This National Geographic and Rolex expedition was the most comprehensive climate study of Nepal's Khumbu and Gokyo regions and provided a better understanding of the rapid changes happening at the top of the world.
Saving the Florida Wildlife Corridor
Through the voices of farmers, fishermen, ranchers and conservationists, Saving the Florida Wildlife Corridor offers a glimpse into one of America's most unique and complex conservation opportunities, and highlights the need to collaborate to ensure its survival.
Plastics on the Ganges
Explore the complicated issue of plastic pollution through an immersive journey down the Ganges River in India. This three-part VR 360° series features stories from local communities and scientists as they navigate their own dependence on plastic, while weighing the solutions for a plastic-free future.
Photo Credits from top of page: Impact Story Lab