Adam Shoalts

Adam Shoalts, PhD is a professional explorer and an elected Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society for “extraordinary contributions to geography."

A geographer, historian, and archaeologist, he holds a doctorate from McMaster University, and undertakes solo expeditions in the most remote wilderness areas. He is the Westaway Explorer-in-Residence at the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and was named a national champion of the Trans-Canada Trail.

Named one of the “greatest living explorers” by Canadian Geographic, and declared “Canada’s Indiana Jones” by the Toronto Star, Shoalts is also one of Canada’s bestselling authors.

His career has included mapping rivers, leading expeditions for the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and Mountain Equipment Co-op, tracking endangered species, archaeological digs, and completing a nearly 4,000 km solo journey across Canada’s Arctic. On his expeditions he sometimes goes months without seeing another person. In 2022, he set off by canoe 3,400 km from his doorstep to the Arctic.

Shoalts grew up with forest surrounding his childhood home, where his father taught him about trees. Together, they built birch bark canoes and anything else that could be crafted from the woods.

He has written about edible mushrooms, deforestation, and watershed pollution in northern Canada. His writing career began with articles on wild animals and conservation, which later led to his #1 national bestselling and award-winning books, including "Where the Falcon Flies."

Shoalts’s work has been featured in media around the world, including the BBC, CNN, CTV, CBC, Reader’s Digest, the Washington Post, The Guardian and many others. In 2021, the Writers’ Trust of Canada asked him to serve as a judge for the Weston Prize, Canada’s largest nonfiction book award. In 2022, he was presented with the Louie Kamookak Medal for “making Canada better known to Canadians and the world” by Chief Perry Bellegarde, former National Chief of Assembly of First Nations. In 2024, Outward Bound named him their national Ambassador.

Shoalts has a particular concern for preserving wild places and has been involved with many conservation organizations. In 2008, he received the Niagara Region’s environmental award for his work preserving local watersheds.