Jon Bowermaster (born June 29, 1954) is an oceans expert, journalist, author, filmmaker, adventurer and six-time grantee of the National Geographic Expeditions Council. One of the Society’s ‘Ocean Heroes,’ his first assignment for ''National Geographic Magazine'' was documenting a 3,741 mile crossing of Antarctica by dogsled. Jon has written eleven books and produced/directed more than thirty documentary films. His feature documentaries include ''‘Dear President Obama,’ ‘Antarctica, on the Edge,’ ‘After the Spill’'' and ''‘Ghost Fleet.’'' He is a longtime contributor to magazines ranging from ''The New York Times Magazine'' and ''The Atlantic'' to ''Outside'' and ''Rolling Stone''. His National Geographic-sponsored Oceans 8 project took him and his teams around the world by sea kayak over the course of ten years (1999-2008), bringing back stories from the Aleutian Islands to French Polynesia, Gabon to Tasmania, and more, reporting on how the planet’s one ocean, its residents and various coastlines are faring in today’s busy world. The project resulted in an eight-part television series for the National Geographic Channel. For the past several years, Jon and his One Ocean Media Foundation
Oceans 8 Films
team have focused o
Hudson River Stories
a series of short films about the environmental risks to and hopes for the

Hudson River Valley The Hudson Valley (also known as the Hudson River Valley) comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in the U.S. state of New York. The region stretches from the Capital District including Albany and Troy south to Yo ...

, the birthplace of the American environmental movement. Jon is a Visiting Lecturer at

Bard College Bard College is a private liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. The campus overlooks the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains, and is within the Hudson River Historic District—a National Historic Landmark. Founded in 1860, ...

, in the Environment and Urban Studies Department. He hosts weekly radio show/podcast, ‘The Green Radio Hour with Jon Bowermaster' o
Radio Kingston
Jon lives in New York’s Hudson Valley and is the President of the One Ocean Media Foundation and Chairman of the Advisory Board o
Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation

Background and education

Born in Normal, Illinois, in 1954, Jon grew up in suburbs of Chicago and Rockford, Ill., until attending

Drake University Drake University is a private university in Des Moines, Iowa. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, including professional programs in business, law, and pharmacy. Drake's law school is among the 25 oldest in the United States. His ...

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

, where he worked at the ''

Des Moines Register ''The Des Moines Register'' is the daily morning newspaper of Des Moines, Iowa. History Early period The first newspaper in Des Moines was the ''Iowa Star''. In July 1849, Barlow Granger began the paper in an abandoned log cabin by the junctio ...

'' for two years as a student. He graduated in 1976 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. In 1977, Jon received his master's degree in public affairs reporting from American University in Washington, DC.

Career

Early career

After graduate school, Jon moved to New York City to work for ''New Times'' magazine, before returning to

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...

as co-founder and editor of the weekly alternative newspaper ''The Daily Planet'' (then ''The Planet''). Living in

from 1977 to 1984, he wrote his first book, ''Governor: An Oral Biography of'' '' Robert D. Ray'', and worked in the commercial film business producing industrial films, television commercials and his first documentary films for

Iowa Public Television Iowa PBS, formerly Iowa Public Television (IPTV), is a network of Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) member stations in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is owned by the Iowa Public Broadcasting Board, an agency of the state education department which ...

. In 1985, Jon moved back to New York, taking a job as managing editor of Record magazine, owned and published by ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

''. From 1986 to 1998, he worked as a freelance magazine writer for numerous national and international publications, including ''

The New York Times Magazine ''The New York Times Magazine'' is an American Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors. ...

'', '' Atlantic Monthly'', ''New Republic'', '' Outside'', '' Men’s Journal'' and many more.

First National Geographic Assignment

In 1986, Jon befriended polar explorer Will Steger – who had just returned from a historic, unsupported dogsled adventure 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 ...

. As Steger was negotiating the rights to the story of his upcoming Trans-Antarctica expedition, he introduced Jon to editors at the ''

National Geographic Magazine ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...

'' who assigned Jon to cover Steger’s seven-month-long crossing 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, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest cont ...

dogsled A dog sled or dog sleigh is a sled pulled by one or more sled dogs used to travel over ice and through snow. Numerous types of sleds are used, depending on their function. They can be used for dog sled racing. Traditionally in Greenland and the ...

in 1989–1990.

OCEANS 8

From 1998 to 2008, Jon’s OCEANS 8 project, a series of expeditions to explore the world's ocean from the seat of a sea kayak, allowed Jon and his teams—comprising some of the world's best photographers, filmmakers, scientists and navigators—to reach corners of the world rarely seen. The trips were funded primarily by grants from the National Geographic Expeditions Council and corporate sponsors including

Mountain Hardwear Mountain Hardwear is a subsidiary of Columbia Sportswear based in Richmond, California that manufactures and distributes apparel, accessories and equipment primarily for the high performance needs of mountaineering enthusiasts and outdoor athletes ...

, Timberland and others. Jon began the project with the dream of visiting each of the seven continents, plus Oceania. Comprising eight adventures, the long-term project took Jon and his teams to the heart of the

Aleutian Islands The Aleutian Islands (; ; ale, Unangam Tanangin,”Land of the Aleuts", possibly from Chukchi ''aliat'', "island"), also called the Aleut Islands or Aleutic Islands and known before 1867 as the Catherine Archipelago, are a chain of 14 large v ...

, down the coast of

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

, through the Tuamotu Atolls in French Polynesia, across the high plains of Bolivia/

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

, and up the wild coastline of

Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the nort ...

in West Africa. Jon explored Croatia's

Dalmatian Coast Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...

, and visited

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

in 2006. In February 2008, Jon and his team completed the final expedition in the 10-year-long project, along the Antarctic Peninsula. Stories from each OCEANS 8 expedition resulted in books, magazines, lectures, television programs and educational curriculum for the

National Geographic Society The National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational organizations in the world. Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, an ...

Antarctica

After Jon’s first trip to Antarctica with Will Steger, he developed a passion for the continent and has made many trips back since, to both the high, cold interior and along its 600-mile Peninsula. In 2008 Jon completed his ten-year OCEANS 8 project with a trip to the Larsen Ice Shelf and the Antarctic Peninsula, which is the subject of his 2009 film, ''TERRA ANTARCTICA: Rediscovering the Seventh Continent''. The high-definition, hour-long film chronicles Bowermaster’s exploration of the Peninsula by

sea kayak A sea kayak or touring kayak is a kayak developed for the sport of paddling on open waters of lakes, bays, and the ocean. Sea kayaks are seaworthy small boats with a covered deck and the ability to incorporate a spray deck. They trade off the man ...

, foot and small plane and was named the best "Ocean Issues" film at the 2009 BLUE Ocean Film Festival in

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the British colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later t ...

in June 2009.

Hudson River Stories

Jon and his team at Oceans 8 Films have made more than twenty short films (5–25 minutes each) in the Hudson Valley of New York, where Jon has lived for over thirty years
Hudson River Stories
is the result of Jon's dedication to telling stories – environmental, cultural, political – about what was going on in his own backyard. The Hudson Valley is known as the birthplace of the American environmental movement, its main geographic attraction being the

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...

, which some call America's First River, or simply America's River. Initially the Hudson River Stories project focused on environmental risks (oil trains carrying explosive cargo; a leaky nuclear power plant on the river’s edge;

PCBs Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are highly carcinogenic chemical compounds, formerly used in industrial and consumer products, whose production was banned in the United States by the Toxic Substances Control Act in 1979 and internationally by t ...

polluting the river and shutting down its fishery), but slowly morphed into more optimistic and hopeful stories (efforts to preserve the last remnants of Native American corn; a profile of Pete Seeger’s “Clearwater,” the environmental/education sloop celebrating its 50th anniversary; the successful undamming of tributaries allowing complete ecosystems to return).

Green Radio Hour with Jon Bowermaster

Since March 2018 Jon has hosted th
Green Radio Hour with Jon Bowermaster
radio show and podcast. Broadcast live on Radio Kingston each Sunday, the conversations with local, national and international environmentalists, writers, filmmakers, artists and politicians focus on "green" issues. Guests have included Bill McKibben,

Carl Safina Carl Safina (born May 23, 1955) is an American ecologist and author of books and other writings about the human relationship with the natural world. His books include ''Becoming Wild: How Animal Cultures Raise Families, Create Beauty, and Achiev ...

, Wade David, Rep. Antonio Delgado and State Senator Michelle Hinchey,

Josh Fox Josh Fox is an American film director, playwright and environmental activist, best known for his Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning 2010 documentary, ''Gasland''. He is one of the most prominent public opponents of hydraulic fracturing and horizon ...

, Michael Mann,

Paul Hawken Paul Gerard Hawken (born February 8, 1946) is an American environmentalist, entrepreneur, author, economist, and activist. Biography Hawken was born in San Mateo, California, and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, where his father worked at ...

, Andy Revkin, Ian Urbina and many more. Link to the archives of conversations can be foun
here

Media coverage

Jon’s books, films and adventures have received significant media coverage in a wide range of outlets including ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'', '' National Geographic'', ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'', ''

Scientific American ''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many famous scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it. In print since 1845, it ...

'', '' Men’s Journal'', ABC's ''Good Morning America'', '' National Geographic Adventure'', ''

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'', ''Condé Nast Traveler'', ''Sierra Trading Post'', ''PlumTV'', ''EarthKeepers'', ''

Voice of America Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the state-owned news network and international radio broadcaster of the United States of America. It is the largest and oldest U.S.-funded international broadcaster. VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content ...

'', ''

ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...

'', '' Forbes.com'', ''Canoe & Kayak'', ''Wend'', ''Adventure Kayak'', ''Paddler'' and ''Men’s Vogue''

Awards and grants

* 2019, Human Rights Watch Film Festival Amsterdam, "Ghost Fleet" Best Activist Documentary Award and BNNVARA Audience Award * 2019, World Wildlife Day Living Oceans, "Ghost Fleet" Best 'People and Oceans' Film * 2019, Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival, "Ghost Fleet" Spirit of Activism Award, John de Graaf Environmental Filmmaking Award * 2018, Hudson River Maritime Museum, Roger W. Mabie Award * 2018, Food & Water Watch, Climate Change Champion * 2018, New York Wild Film Festival, "City on the Water" Best Wild NY Film * 2017, Best Shorts, "Restoring the Clearwater" Award of Excellence * 2017, Center of Discovery, Green Shovel Award * 2017, Impact Docs Awards, "Restoring the Clearwater" Award of Excellence * 2016, Accolade Global Film Competition, Humanitarian Award Winner, "Dear President Obama" Grand Prize * 2016, Accolade Global Film Competition Winner, "Dear President Obama" Award of Excellence * 2016, IndieFest, "Dear President Obama" Winner * 2016, IndieFest, "Dear President Obama" Humanitarian Award * 2016, Impact Docs Awards, "After the Spill" Award of Excellence * 2016, Parajanov-Vartanov Institute's Doc LA Film Festival, "Dear President Obama" * 2014, Blue Ocean Festival, "Antarctica, On the Edge" Best Exploration and Innovation * 2014, Catskill Mountainkeeper, Keeper of the Catskills Award * 2013, Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival, "Dear Governor Cuomo" Best of Theme * 2011, CMS Vatavaran International Film Festival, "SoLa, Louisiana Water Stories" Best of Festival * 2011, Columbus International Film Festival, "SoLa, Louisiana Water Stories" * 2009, BLUE Ocean Film Festival, "Terra Antarctica" Best Ocean Issues Film * 2008, Croatia’s "Golden Pen" award * 2008, "Birthplace of the Winds," Best Adventure Travel film, Reel Paddling Film Festival * 2007, Santa Barbara Ocean Film Festival, "OCEANS 8" Best Oceans Series * 2007, Vancouver Mountain Film Festival, "Terra Antarctica" Best of Festival * 2006, Explorer's Festival, Lodz, Poland * 1999, Lowell Thomas award for Environmental Reporting * 1998–2008, six grants from National Geographic Expeditions Council

Bibliography

* ''Governor: An Oral Biography of Robert D. Ray'', 1987 * ''Saving the Earth: A Citizen's Guide to Environmental Action'', co-authored with Will Steger, 1990 * ''Crossing Antarctica'', co-authored with Will Steger, 1993 * ''The Adventures and Misadventures of Peter Beard In Africa'', 1993 * ''Over the Top of the World'', co-authored with Will Steger, 1999 * ''Birthplace of the Winds: Adventuring in Alaska's Islands of Fire and Ice'', 2001 * ''Aleutian Adventure: Kayaking in the Birthplace of the Winds'', 2001 * ''Alone Against the Sea and Other True Adventures'', 2004 * ''Descending the Dragon: My Journey Down the Coast of Vietnam'', 2008 * ''Wildebeest in a Rainstorm: Profiles of Our Most Intriguing Adventurers, Conservationists, Shagbags and Wanderers'', 2009 * ''Oceans: The Threats To Our Seas and What You Can Do To Turn The Tide'', 2010

Filmography

* ''Ghost Fleet VR,'' 2019 * ''Ghost Fleet'', 2018 * ''Hudson River Stories'' ** ''The Hudson, A River At Risk,'' 2014-2016 *** ''PCBs, A Toxic Legacy'' *** ''A Pipeline Runs Through It'' *** ''Anchors Away'' *** ''Bomb Trains on the Hudson'' *** ''The Long Shadow of Indian Point'' *** ''A Bridge Over Troubled Waters'' *** ''High Voltage / Dark Shadow'' ** ''Hope on the Hudson,'' 2016-2018 *** ''Seeds of Hope'' *** ''City on the Water'' *** ''Restoring the Clearwater'' *** ''Growing with the Grain'' *** ''Source to Sea'' *** ''Undamming the Hudson'' *** ''Keeping Carbon'' *** ''Farmscape Ecology'' *** The Wonder of the Bobolink * ''Sink or Swim,'' 2015 * ''Dear President Obama'', 2014 * ''Paradise is There,'' 2014 * ''Dear Governor Brown,'' 2014 * ''After the Spill'', 2014 * ''Antarctica 3D: On the Edge'', 2014 * ''Dear Governor Cuomo'', 2012 * ''SoLA: A Louisiana Water Story,'' 2010 * ''TERRA ANTARCTICA'', 2009 * ''What Would Darwin Think? Man Versus Nature'', 2008 * ''Sea Kayaking Adventures'', National Geographic Channel, 2004-2007 ** ''Birthplace of the Winds: Sea Kayaking Alaska'', 2006 ** ''The Lost Coast of Gabon: Sea Kayaking West Africa'', 2006 ** ''Around Tasmania: Sea Kayaking Australia'', 2006 ** ''Into the Altiplano Part 1: Sea Kayaking Argentina, Bolivia & Chile, 2006'' ** ''Into the Altiplano Part 2: Sea Kayaking Argentina, Bolivia & Chile, 2006'' ** ''Borderland: Sea Kayaking Croatia, 2006'' ** ''A Slow Boat to Somewhere: Exploring French Polynesia, 2004'' ** ''The Dangerous Archipelago: Sea Kayaking French Polynesia'', 2004 * ''Descending the Dragon'', National Geographic Explorer, 2002

Lectures

*
National Geographic Live!
', Washington D.C. (2000, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2017) * ''

'' "Quest for Adventure" Lecture (2008, 2004, 2002, 2001), Washington, D.C. * '' Royal Geographical Society'', London * ''Harvard Traveler's Club'' * Princeton University * Yale University * ''The Explorer’s Club'', New York City (2001, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019) *
Commonwealth Club
', San Francisco
TEDxAlbany
* TEDxSchenectady * '' Aspen Institute'', Aspen, CO * ''Channel Thirteen/WNET’s Celebration of Teaching and Learning'', New York * '' American Museum of Natural History'' "Polar Weekend," New York * ''Golden Gate Institute'', San Francisco * ''Adventures in Travel Expo'' (Seattle, Washington D.C., New York, Chicago) * ''Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival'', CA * ''Santa Barbara Ocean Film Festival'' ("Best Television Series" award), Santa Barbara, CA * ''

Macy’s Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...

'', New York * '' REI'', Seattle, WA * Norwegian Tourism Board * Croatia Tourism Board * Cigna Insurance Annual Meeting, New York * Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival, Banff, Canada * Telluride Mountain Film Festival, Telluride, CO * San Francisco Ocean Film Festival, San Francisco