Mountaineering guide Willie Benegas spotted a pop of green moss wedged in granite, high up on Mount Everest. At Montana State University, microbiologist Tim McDermott analyzed the bacteria living on its surface. Then it went to US Geological Survey microbiologist Rusty Rodriguez, who was researching how plants form symbiotic relationships with fungi that help them survive extreme conditions. The findings helped increase crop yields, and Rodriguez developed Adaptive Symbiotic Technologies, which manufactures fungal spores to enhance crop tolerance to extreme weather. Benegas collected the moss samples for Adventure Scientists, founded in 2011 by Gregg Treinish. Since then, more than 10,000 trained volunteers have gathered data for more than 120 partners.
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