The Club


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.

The Club provides expedition resources including funding, online information, and member-to-member consultation. And our famed annual dinners honor accomplishments in exploration. But probably the most powerful resource available to those who join the Club is fellowship with other members—a global network of expertise, experience, technology, industry, and support. The Club actively encourages public interest in exploration and the sciences through its public lectures program, publications, travel program, and other events. The Club also maintains Research Collections, including a library and map room, to preserve the history of the Club and to assist those interested and engaged in exploration and scientific research.

The Chapter


The Southern Florida Chapter of The Explorers Club, Inc., is a not-for-profit organization as defined under Section 170(b) (I) (A) (vi) and 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The Southern Florida Chapter is incorporated in the State of Florida. The Chapter’s Mission, as stated in its Bylaws, is "To promote and encourage exploration on land, on and under the sea, in the air and in space; to sponsor, encourage and assist research in the physical, biological, and natural sciences and broaden man's knowledge of all phases of the universe; to sponsor education and educational facilities consistent with the aforesaid purposes of the Club...."


What We Do


Student Grant Program

Over the years, as part of its mission to encourage and promote education and exploration, the Chapter has funded the University of Florida's Student Science Training Program, the University of Miami Rosenstiel School's South Florida Student Shark Program and, more recently, grants to individual graduate students for the following projects:

  • Experimental Deployment of Electronic Tagging Technology to the Pelagic Stingray (Nova Southeastern University).
  • Assessment of Commercial Fishing on the Trophic Structure of The Hawaiian Monk Seal (Monachus schauinslandi) Population Using Stable Isotope Ratios (Nova Southeastern University).
  • Determination of Auditory Thresholds in the Sandbar Shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nova Southeastern University).
  • Local Knowledge of the Antidiabetic Plants of Trinidad and Tobago - A Potential Change Agent for Attitudes to Plant Diversity Conservation (Florida International University).
  • Left Behind: A Farmers Fate in the Age of Sustainable Development ((Florida International University).
  • Phylogeny, Population Genetic Structure and Niche Modeling of Phaedramassa, An Endangered Genus of the Northern Andes ((Florida International University / Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden).


    • Chapter Officers


    Chair, Bruce Matheson, MN '09
    Vice Chair, Rudy Mola, FN'13
    Treasurer, Rosemarie Twinam, MN-90
    Secretary, Beth Jones, FN ‘90
    Immediate Past Chair, Kristina Ducanes, MN'06

    The Southern Florida Chapter of The Explorers Club, Inc.
    Phone: 305.345.8745
    Email: chair@southfloridaexplorers.org