Park Resident Dr. Brady Barr Reflects On 20-Year Career With National Geographic

Handling pythons, tracking polar bears, swimming with sharks and crawling beside crocodiles – getting up close and personal with some of the world’s most dangerous creatures has always been part of a day’s work for Dr. Brady Barr. A 20-year career with National Geographic has taken the Severna Park resident all over the world, to more than 80 countries and into interaction with countless creatures, in his adventures as a scientist, educator and TV personality.

But now Dr. Barr has brought his passion for hands-on learning a bit closer to home. Serving as the resident animal expert of EcoAdventures (previously Chelonia Eco-Adventures), he works with his accomplished marine biologist wife, Dr. Mei Len Sanchez, the center’s executive director, to bring ecological experiences to community members of all ages.

After years of offering mobile programming, Barr and Sanchez recently opened a new EcoAdventures facility in Millersville, where curious minds of all ages can receive personal education from the popular National Geographic adventurer. Within the 4,000-square-foot simulated jungle, Barr has been sharing his dynamic personality and engaging talent for demonstration as he introduces his audience to pythons, crocodilians, tarantulas, scorpions, frogs and toads.

The myriad activities available provide practical, interactive learning that, Barr observed, is harder and harder to find these days. For Barr, this gives him a chance to do what he loves best: teaching. “That’s my real passion,” said Barr, noting that the Severna Park community has been incredibly receptive to the opportunities he and Sanchez have created. “The community has been fantastic. They can’t get enough of this stuff.”

Barr recalled how he grew up in the cornfields of Indiana, far from any zoos or aquariums where he might meet wildlife firsthand. His teachers were supportive of his passion for science, and he went on to become an educator himself. Teaching high school science, he encouraged his students to appreciate zoology, biology and earth and life sciences through a highly interactive classroom style.

Eventually, a desire to continue his own education led Barr to pursue his Ph.D. at University of Miami, where he met Sanchez, who was getting her B.S. in marine science.

It was also in Florida that Barr was discovered by National Geographic. When working on his dissertation about the diet of the American alligator, he took film crews with him on his excursions, and that was when the world’s leading scientific and education institution recognized his ability to engage an audience. “They were really interested in him because of his quirky personality and passion,” Sanchez recalled. “They saw he was really good on camera.”

Many people from Severna Park and across the country probably recognize Barr from his prominent role of host for more than 100 documentaries and TV programs, more than any other in National Geographic’s history. Viewers followed him on “Dangerous Encounters,” which premiered in 2005, as he traveled across continents to confront all kinds of creatures. He pursued deadly predators and mingled with monstrous beasts, venturing into dens and burrows and even suiting up as one of them to get a closer look. In addition to being the first person to capture and study all 23 species of crocodilians (his order of expertise), he has encountered bears, sharks, lions and hippopotami.

But Barr said that as he got older, his reaction time slowed and he was beginning to get injured more often. He decided that, as he put it, he didn’t want to get eaten, and he left television.

A return to the suburbs did not mean Barr was going to say goodbye to scaly, sharp-toothed friends; he was just going to do it at a more local level alongside his wife. In 2010, Sanchez began offering classes and camps at the Severna Park Community Center. Her 20 years’ experience as an esteemed educator showed as she introduced local families to all kinds of animals, and the business became so popular, it eventually needed its own permanent home with a full staff.

With the new Millersville facility, Barr hopes that he and Sanchez will be able to inspire more budding scientists and explorers than ever before – which could make a huge difference in years to come. “It’s seeing the excitement in kids and making a difference – you can’t put a price on it,” he said. “These kids are the next stewards of the planet. We want them to play fewer video games and watch less TV, and get excited about nature.”

Discover more about Dr. Barr, Dr. Sanchez and all the opportunities available at EcoAdventures at www.cheloniaeco-adventures.com.