Do you know after whom Sue the Tyrannosaurus Rex is named?

Do you know that the Royal Academy once invited a cat to be a member?*

I do. No I am not showing off (ok maybe I am a little). I know these things because recently I got to hear the most amazing stories about women explorers and the scientific discoveries they made from Wings WorldQuest's executive director and co-founder Milbry Polk. Their website says it best:

"The story of women explorers is as old as time, as old as myth and as real as memory. Throughout human history, and from many lands, women have set forth on journeys of exploration. Scientists, writers, adventures, and artists, these women, like their male counterparts, challenged existing physical and social limitations of their times. Women explorers have greatly contributed to the ever-expanding body of knowledge but all too often their stories and achievements have been obscured."

I am now the proud possessor of a set of Women Explorers Trading cards which tells the stories of many of these women. These cards are so cool that I held off posting until I could tell you how to get them. Yesterday I heard from Milbry that they don't sell them, but they will give them away. So to learn more about these amazing women—go on the website and read about them and perhaps ask for a copy of the trading cards. And you can always get a copy of their book Women of Discovery; A Celebration of Intrepid Women Who Explored the World.

*The cat had gone on a number of important explorations, a criteria for membership. At the last minute the invitation had to be withdrawn because it was learned that the cat was female, and at that time, they didn't allow female members.