Gregg Treinish

Gregg Treinish founded Adventure Scientists in 2011 based on his passion for exploration, scientific discovery and conservation. Based in Bozeman, MT, the nonprofit connects outdoor enthusiasts and community volunteers with scientific partners to collect high quality field data to address conservation challenges across the globe. Adventure Scientists focuses on four key areas: forests, freshwater, biodiversity and climate. Examples of the organization’s impact include: -Collecting samples of the highest known plant life on Earth from Mount Everest, which are now used to double crop yields around the world through natural symbiosis of the fungi found. -Collecting scat samples from more than 100 countries to help scientists from Harvard Medical School narrow the search for genes responsible for antibiotic resistance. -Building the largest dataset on Earth for microplastic pollution, used by more than 300 scientific institutions and governments to address this issue. -Gathering thousands of samples across threatened tree species ranges to create genetic and chemical reference libraries that help detect timber origin and prevent illegal logging and deforestation in partnership with the US Forest Service National Geographic named Gregg Treinish “Adventurer of the Year” in 2008 when he and a friend completed a 7,800-mile trek along the spine of the Andes mountain range. In 2015 he was named a DRK Foundation social entrepreneur and one of Men’s Journal’s “Most Adventurous Men.” In 2017, Gregg was named an Ashoka Fellow, in 2018 one of the “Grist 50 Fixers”, and in 2020, a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. Gregg was named to the Explorer’s Club 50 and the Hatch 100 in 2023. Gregg holds a biology degree from Montana State University and a sociology degree from CU-Boulder.