Last night the National Geographic Society's 125th Anniversary Gala took place at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. The event continued the year-long celebration of the "New Age of Exploration" by honoring some very distinguished guests for their contributions to science, the expansion of knowledge and pushing the boundaries of exploration in the 21st century.

Nat Geo CEO and Chairman John Fahey was on hand to hand out the Hubbard Medal, which is the Society's highest honor. This year's recipients included filmmaker James Cameron and oceanographer Sylvia Earl, both of whom were honored for their work in exploring and protecting the seas. Cameron was also named Explorer of the Year for 2012 dive into the Mariana Trench. The medal was also given to author Edward O. Wilson for a lifetime of writing about the diversity of life on our planet. BASE Jumper Felix Baumgartner was on hand to collect his award as the Adventurer of the Year, which he earned with his record setting leap from the edge of space, while Jeopardy! Host Alex Trebeck was given the Alexander Graham Bell Medal for his 25 years of service as the host of the National Geographic Bee. The Chairman's Award went to philanthropist Howard G. Buffett for his leadership in conservation efforts around the globe.

Congratulations to all of the winners. Each is more than deserving for their in their own field. Some for their amazing achievements over the past year and others for a lifelong contribution to the ideals that the National Geographic Society has espoused since it's inception 125 years ago. These fine individuals are certainly representative of exploration in a new age.

You can read a complete rundown of the evening here.

Gregg Treinish is a 2013 Nat Geo Emerging Explorer and the founder of Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation. That organization connects outdoor enthusiasts, explorers and extreme athletes with scientists who are looking for samples or data to help them in their research. By working together, the outdoor crowd can help collect that data and get into the hands of scientists who may not have had an opportunity to get it before. It is a novel concept – kind of like crowd-research – and I think it is a brilliant idea.

The video below profiles Gregg and what he is attempting to accomplish with ASC. It is also the first in a new four-part series that will profile similar me and women who are having a positive impact on our world.

Gregg Treinish, A MoveShake Story from RED REEL on Vimeo.

Yesterday, the National Geographic Society announced its 2013 class of Emerging Explorers, once again turning the spotlight on some of the brightest young minds who are working in a wide variety of fields today. In fact, this year's recipients are helping to redefine exactly what the term "explorer" means in the 21st century as the group includes a roboticist, an entrepreneur and a couple of artists, along with the more traditional biologists, geologists and conservationists. It safe to say that the world of exploration has opened up in some new and very interesting ways.

In all, there are 17 individuals who have been named to the Emerging Explorers Program this year. Each of them is recognized for having accomplished important things in their particular area of expertise during the early part of their career and their work shows significant promise for future breakthroughs as well. To aid them in their research, Nat Geo awards each Emerging Explorer $10,000 as well.

Amongst this year's class of Emerging Explorers are Bethany Ehlmann who is a planetary geologist on NASA's Rover Curiosity team. She is focused on exploring our solar system to see how planets formed over time. She is joined by Sandesh Kadur, a wildlife photographer and filmmaker who focuses on creating documentaries about endangered species and threatened habitats. Conservation Biologist Andrea Marshall earned a place amongst the Emerging Explorers for her research with threatened marine megafauna such as the stingray while adventurer Gregg Treinish is recognized for his efforts in founding the non-profit Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation.

This is just a sampling of the amazing men and women make up this year's class of Emerging Explorers. Each of them is a fascinating personality in their own right and they are all doing interesting work in an incredibly diverse number of fields. You can take a look at the entire class by clicking here.

Congratulations to the entire 2013 class. This honor is well deserved all around.

The International Space Station is an incredible piece of technology, serving as a laboratory, observatory and research facility. It has also served as home for countless astronauts who have stayed in orbi for an extended period of time. Most of us will never get an opportunity to ever step inside the station, but thanks to this video we can still get a good look around. It was shot recently by atstronaut Sunita Williams, who served as commander on board the station until she returned to Earth last month. Just before she departed for home, she decided to film this extensive tour of the ISS, giving us all an inside look like never before.