Hello Explorers!

The Explorers Guild may seem quiet but there’s a lot happening behind the scenes. Stuffed animal taxidermy, France, structural organization, 2026 membership rollout, and general event planning are keeping us busy as we prep for a fantastic year in the Guild. I’m so thankful we’ve been building support for the organization through the board, council, members, and all of you who come out to our events. It’s a ton of work, but it’s also fulfilling.

Join the Explorers Guild Membership!

2025 was a great year for the Explorers Guild. Adventure Camp was a great success, and was even highlighted in NoPro’s Best of 2025. We also celebrated our 10-year anniversary, and continued that theme in our annual Steeplechase outing, where stories from Steeplechases past were re-enacted with great enthusiasm.

At each of these adventures, explorers put on their red shirts and stepped up to answer the call of adventure, with jaunty hats and walks alike. But these adventures would not be possible without the support of Explorers Guild members, whose contributions help keep admission costs low, put field guides and badges in explorers' hands, and make sure no one misses an adventure for lack of funds.

It’s now time to answer the call to adventure and become a member for 2026. We have two methods for joining:

Annual Explorer – A one-time $10 fee grants you membership for the rest of 2026, with early sign-up access to events with limited capacity.

Ongoing Voyager – A monthly Patreon subscription also gives you a regular delivery of postcards, field guides, badges, and special artifacts! Members who are Patreon subscribers for an entire year will also receive our special red aluminum membership cards as additional thanks for your ongoing support.

You don’t need to be an official member to join most of our explorations, but we hope you consider joining us.

HEADS UP! Stuffed Animal Taxidermy - February 22nd

We're bringing back our Stuffed Animal Taxidermy Workshop. This popular activity from two years ago became an instant favorite and I’m excited we’re making it happen again. Chimeras of all shapes will be welcomed and for those that take part in the salon portion, you can even earn a badge.

Registration for this event will be going out Wednesday (February 4th) for members and Thursday to public. So if you’re excited to attend, be sure to keep an eye on your e-mails. We max out at 10, but will have a small wait list.

More information will be coming soon, but here’s a glimpse at the basics.

Where: Oakland, Laurel District
When: Sunday, February 22nd // 12:30pm - 5:30pm
What to Bring: Your own stuffed animal base
We'll provide: mounting shields, crafting supplies, hanging hardware

France Update

Planning for our France expedition (June 6-14, 2026) is proceeding apace. This will be the final general update for all Explorers to let you know your options if you wish to participate.

At any point between now and June you can decide to make the trip. If you do, here are some housing options you can book near the 2 large apartments where most of us will be staying as those rooms in the loft are now full.  

Hotel Terre Neuve - Several Explorers are staying at this reasonably priced (for Paris) hotel, a 12 minute walk from the EG apartments.  

JO&JOE Paris Nation - a hostel with private and shared rooms that gets great reviews; about 17  minutes walking, or 2 short Metro stops, from the EG apartments; relatively inexpensive.

If neither of these options suit you, there are many other hotels and vacation rentals nearby (our units are near the Philippe Auguste Metro Station).

If you decide to join us with short notice, it is possible one or two of our group excursions will be full, but there will still be plenty of activities and hanging out you could join.

Please let us know as soon as you are seriously considering this trip and we will give you any updates you need.

As the weather has been so warm, I’ve found myself missing the company of explorers as we head off on adventures. Here’s hoping this will be an excellent year for us all.

Semper Explorandum!