Ynés Mexía Unstoppable Explorer and Botanist
Adventure Almanac Episode 5
Ynés Mexía was a Mexican-American woman and adventurer who found her purpose late in life and became an unstoppable explorer and botanist. She traveled across North and South America cataloging thousands of plants and self-funded her solo travels from Alaska to Chile. She explored the wildest places and proved that it is never too late to start your next adventure.
Adventures of Ynés Mexía
Ynés Mexía started her international expeditions when she was 55 years old and traveled across Mexico, Alaska, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile collecting plant specimens. She funded her expeditions by selling specimens to museums and collectors. She collected over 145,000 species of plants and animals from 1925 – 1938.
Listen to Episode 5, Ynés Mexía Unstoppable Explore and Botanist, for a short story about how she decided that the best time to start is always now. (17 min)
Listen Now: Apple Podcast | Spotify
This episode was researched, written, and produced by the team at Adventure Nerds.
Music in this episode was by:
Julius H and others.
Quasi Motion, Tikopia, Rite of Passage, by Kevin Macleod, licensed CC BY 3.0
Ynés Mexía Background Resources and Bibliography:
Ynés Mexía archives at University of California, Berkeley
Bracelin, N.F. (1982). The Ynés Mexía Botanical Collection Oral History Conducted 1965 and 1967 by Annetta Carter.
Bracelin, H. P. (1935). Itinerary of Ynés Mexía in South America.
Mexía, Y. (1929). Botanical Trails in Old Mexico – The Lure of the Unknown.
Mexía, Y. (1933). Three Thousand Miles Up the Amazon.
Mexía, Y. (1937). Camping on the Equator.
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