University of Cumbria Professor featured at the grand opening of National Geographic Museum of Exploration

Professor Montgomery, who was awarded the prestigious title of National Geographic Explorer in 2019, was among a select group of Explorers invited by the National Geographic Society to launch the new museum on 26 June 2026. During the opening celebrations, he delivered multiple presentations on his conservation science research and joined internationally renowned Explorers in the museum's inaugural programme.

As part of the permanent exhibition, a collection of Professor Montgomery's personal artefacts from across his research career went on display under museum-grade glass. Among the items featured was the notebook from his very first field project studying Dr Jane Goodall's chimpanzees in Gombe National Park, Tanzania.

Professor Montgomery said:

"As a child, National Geographic magazines fuelled my inspiration to become a conservation scientist. It is an incredible honour to now have my artefacts sit alongside Dr Jane Goodall and so many others in the Museum of Exploration."

Pictured above: Professor Robert Montgomery’s first field experience studying chimpanzees at the age of 20 in Gombe National Park, Tanzania. Photo Credit: Ian Gilby

Now based at the University of Cumbria, Professor Montgomery began his career studying chimpanzees under the guidance of Dr Goodall. His research has since spanned the globe, from studying marine mammal populations in Antarctica to assessing the impacts of wire snare poaching in Uganda.

During the museum's opening weekend, visitors attended Professor Montgomery's Jane Goodall Lightning Talk on 27 June, where he discussed his conservation work and the lasting influence of Dr Goodall on his career. He also met visitors during two Coffee with an Explorer sessions.

Credit: National Geographic and the Museum of Exploration (MoE) - Abram Eric Landes

A sculpture created through Professor Montgomery's Innovation for Conservation (ICON) Uganda programme and the Snares to Wares Initiative also became part of the museum's permanent Conservation in Action gallery. The initiative empowers young people and former poachers living alongside Uganda's Murchison Falls National Park to transform illegal wire snares into handcrafted sculptures. Supported through training and enterprise development, the programme provides sustainable livelihoods while helping to protect wildlife and reduce reliance on subsistence poaching. The sculptures have since been commissioned by organisations and collectors internationally, including in the United States.

The recognition marked another milestone in Professor Montgomery's long-standing relationship with the National Geographic Society. Becoming a National Geographic Explorer is a highly competitive process, with individuals selected through the award of a prestigious National Geographic Explorer grant. Professor Montgomery received this distinction in 2019 and has remained an active member of the Society's global Explorer community. 

The visit created new opportunities for the University of Cumbria. Alongside his public presentations, Professor Montgomery held a series of meetings with programme officers from the National Geographic Society to explore new collaborative partnerships and future research opportunities, strengthening the university's international profile and connections in conservation science.

Professor Montgomery's participation in the museum opening and the inclusion of his work within its permanent collection reflected growing international recognition of his contributions to conservation science and his commitment to supporting communities alongside wildlife protection.