The Guild That’s ‘Exploring Everything’ in The Bay Area

Hoisting the Explorer’s Guild flag in the Valley of Fire – photo by Tyler Heibeck

I first learned about The Explorers Guild back in October when I met guild creator Dr. Professor sometime after I saw Driveway Follies, an annual marionette show in Oakland. He was introduced to me as someone who runs a group that hosts numerous immersive events where you’re encouraged to stay curious, make new friends and explore The Bay under the umbrella of storytelling and fun. Honestly, life is more fun when you’re approaching it with curiosity and fun.

Crossing a bridge in search of Old Survivor – photo by Dr. Professor

“The Explorers Guild originally started within another community art project. Originally the concept of the Explorers Guild was to get people out to explore nature and collaboratively tell stories with each other. It quickly became popular, and in those first few months it seemed like there was a kernel of an idea that was bigger than I originally thought.

As I started putting more intention behind the project I also began thinking about it more as a long term, multi year project. I started strategizing a way to extract the Explorers Guild out from the umbrella of the other community, building its own mythos. When that larger art community collapsed, The Explorers Guild became a way for some of those people to stay in touch, but also a way for us to explore themes outside those in the initial purview of that art project. March 2024, marks nine years of this group evolving and I think we’re far from done,” says founding member and leader, Dr. Professor.

Wonders of the reef in Molokai – photo by Dr. Professor himself

Attending my First Explorer’s Guild Event

Within The Explorer’s Guild there are rankings for officers, merit badges, hundreds of Captains Log notebooks chronicling the last nearly 10 years of The Guild. What’s special about this group is that they are creating community in a fun way which doesn’t take life too seriously while also creating so much fun that it creates a collective glue that holds people together and allows people to feel like they can be part of the guild in their own way.

The Skills Badger Skill Set Book + Merit Badge

More recently, I went to my first Explorer’s Guild event where we learned how to properly construct stuffed animal taxidermy using unwanted or discarded stuffed animals looking for a new life of whimsy. We were given some light instruction on the overall process and learned how to needle-felt in case we wanted to add in horns, hair or other newly constructed animal parts. The organizers of the event had provided wooden plaques which would serve as our taxidermy mount and were encouraged to create a name for our creature and start thinking about our animal’s backstory which would eventually be written into a Captains log.

I had brought a small moose which fit in the palm of my hand so that I could rip his head off and then mount that sucker onto its own plaque. The whole time I was making my character, I was thinking, ‘this is the most ridiculous thing I’ve done in a while’. I was having so much fun! I felt like I spent most of the afternoon in my imagination. Thinking of ways that I could make my animal into a true character with a full-on back story.

My silly creation “Alces Sweatidactyalciz” made during my first Explorer’s Guild Event

Pictured is my final moose with the scientific name of Alces Sweatidactyalciz – mounted and sporting pink hair just like mine and silly buck teeth that just make me smile when I see their tic-tac-like shape! I incorporated some elements of a sweater that I pulled from another animal that someone had brought and I gave her a swooped hair style for a little extra whimsy. Really the story of my animal is pretty shallow but it’s meaningful to me. I have a larger moose in my house made by local artist Eva of Sweaty-Taxidermy. Eva doesn’t make her amazing pieces of art anymore and I’ve always wanted another one of her amazing pieces. This is my own little nod to her work with my own silliness woven in.

This event felt adjacent to my own interests so it was easy for me to participate and feel welcomed because I already knew a little bit about the ins and outs of what we’d be doing that day. However, some of the fun for The Explorer’s Guild is the unknown and finding yourself in new and different places or doing new and different things.

The group takes a moment to pose in Black Diamond Mine – Dr. Professor is front middle and the photo is taken by Tyler Heibeck

Are Explorers Guild Events Always The Same?

From humble beginnings, The Guild now hosts an array of events, spanning from local expeditions to elaborate adventures, catering to every type of adventurer. Often, prior experience is unnecessary, welcoming anyone inspired by the offerings to participate in the excitement.

“Our events vary from month to month. Some days we’re a smaller gathering checking out a local site, while other events are based around large builds (think dragons, robots, puppets, etc) that we’ve spent a year building. We have campouts, workshops, merit badges, and we’ve also traveled abroad (to Molokai and the Wadden Sea). The other explorers are often the ones that help us decide what we’ll do next. Whenever we’re at events, we regularly chat about ideas that we’d like to pursue, and typically the ones that are the most exciting are the ones we do,” says Dr. Professor.

Group photo at the International Car Forest in Nevada – photo by Tyler Heibeck

One of the main reasons I wanted to talk about this group is that they have successfully created a community using an inclusive approach where individuals can embrace curiosity and enjoy the world around them in unconventional ways. After my first event with The Explorer’s Guild, I’m excited about future events and who I might meet. What I know already is that those who attend these events are also curious, playful and ready for anything. My kind of adventurers!

What’s on the horizon for The Explorer’s Guild?

They do have some events coming up and if you’d like to get involved they encourage you to join their email list via their website below. They have officially become a 501c7 now which means they are an OFFICIAL organization which will bring on some exciting new things along with it. If you’re curious what a 501c7 is – it’s a non-profit “social club” organization vs a 501c3 is keen to fundraise and ask for donations – I’m overly simplifying it but you can learn more here about the difference. 

Caravan Rally: Rescue Opportunity – photo by Tyler Heibeck

“I’ve been doing this for 9 years now, and a question I asked explorers last year was “if I quit or was no longer able to do the Explorers Guild, would it still happen?” Everyone I talked with said they wanted it to, but didn’t know how. So over the last year and a half we’ve been focused on developing more leadership models for people to engage further and also trusting members with responsibility. My hope is that no one burns out (including myself) and in order to insure that, teaching what we’re doing before I burn out is important. My hope is that we’ll start growing in ways I never thought of, but others saw the potential for it. Of course that’ll mean some big adventures, but it also means less flashy things like becoming an official organization (and all the paperwork involved in that),” says Dr. Professor.

Connecting with The Explorer’s Guild Online:

Website & Email/Event Sign Up: semperexplorandum.com

IG: @explorers_guild