Mike Fay has dedicated much of his life to conserving the world's most fragile ecosystems. Working with National Geographic and the Wildlife Conservation Society, he has led various "mega" research projects throughout Africa to determine how to best preserve diverse habitats. For his groundbreaking 1999 Megatransect, documented in a series in National Geographic magazine, Mike hiked 2,000 miles through the jungles of Congo and Gabon, leading to a historic initiative by the Gabonese government to create 13 national parks.