Bexel Joins Forces With explore.org To Stream Nature Footage

Bexel, an NEP Broadcast Services Company, has joined forces with philanthropic media organization explore.org to stream never-before-seen live video and audio from remote and exotic locations.

Founded by Charles Annenberg Weingarten, director and vice president of the Annenberg Foundation, explore.org has created a large collection of live nature cameras in the world. Operated remotely by volunteers, these cameras document, broadcast, and champion the work of explore.org’s nonprofit partners, many of which are global leaders in animal and environmental conservation.

Twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year, and on four continents, explore.org streams moments from the wild as they happen, from bald eagles nesting in California’s Channel Islands to giant pandas foraging for bamboo in Gengda, Sichuan, China. Home to over 300 original films, live-recorded and catalogued video, a photo library, and over 3 million user-generated photographs, explore.org draws millions of viewers every month.

With such heavy volume, increasing demand, and many more nonprofit partners to highlight, explore.org needed a nimble technology partner to meet the size and scope of its expansion.

“In the past couple of years, we’ve been on a fast track to increase the number of remote locations and populate the globe with live nature cams,” says Jonathan Silvio, head of Online Services at explore.org. “When we discovered Bexel, we knew we’d found a partner to help us realize this vision.”

After a successful first deployment in northern Manitoba, where Bexel’s specialty low-light-optimized camera system captured stunning footage of the aurora borealis at night, Bexel has deployed custom-designed systems at nine other explore.org sites, with another 25 planned for 2017.

Designed to be controlled remotely from anywhere in the world, Bexel’s camera systems give explore.org’s volunteer remote operators the tools they need to provide viewers with a glimpse into the natural world. Given the unique circumstances at each explore.org site, Bexel’s custom HD and 4K camera systems ensure that clear footage will be available in even the most extreme conditions.

“Whatever the location and the challenges it presents, we know we can count on Bexel to design a system that can continuously deliver consistently high-quality video and audio,” says Silvio. “It’s the advantage of partnering with a company whose video and audio expertise spans decades with media customers around the globe.”

“We’re thrilled to partner with explore.org and help give people who might never otherwise have the opportunity see sharks in the wild or bald eagles hatching,” says Jeffrey Brown, strategic account manager at Bexel. “We’re privileged to partner with explore.org as it continues bring a greater appreciation of the natural world to people everywhere.”