Ami Vitale, National Geographic Explorer at Large

By Lucas Willard

Published March 16, 2026 at 3:00 PM EDT

People connect to the horses in Montana's Centennial Valley just outside of Yellowstone National Park in July, 2020. Here, people seem to measure worth by how comfortable you are around animals and they are around you. I have seen young toddlers on horseback nestled between mother and mane. By the age of two, they are nuzzling calves. Children learn to throw a rope before they can talk. It is a place where people are shaped by the land itself and they in turn help shape the land. (Photo by Ami Vitale) — National Geographic Explorer at Large Ami Vitale with her camera in Montana's Centennial Valley, 2020.

Ami Vitale is a National Geographic photographer who was recently designated Explorer at Large.

The title is an honor reserved for only the most impactful of storytellers, scientists, and changemakers.

We’ll speak with Ami about her new title and her work documenting efforts to reverse extinction around the world.

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