WASHINGTON, Nov. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Dan Stone, National Geographic magazine's newest reporter, embarks today on an environmental road trip through California in search of new ideas, big thinkers and innovations that will power the planet's future. For the next two weeks, Stone will tweet, blog and "Instagram" on NationalGeographic.com's Change Reaction blog (NationalGeographic.com/changereaction) and his Twitter feed @NatGeoDan.

"California is a real hotbed of innovation and new ideas, some of which will change how we get around and others will affect what we eat," said Stone. "I'm excited to get on the road to explore the best ones and to share them with my followers."

Along the way, Stone plans to cover such concepts as the tiny house movement, car sharing and water-saving landscapes. He'll take story suggestions from fans through his blog, his Twitter feed and the hashtag #CAroadtrip. The trip, sponsored by Volkswagen, will kick off at San Diego State University. Stone will drive a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid, which won't be available to the public until next month.

"Our magazine has never done anything like this before," said Margaret Zackowitz, a National Geographic senior editor. "We know Dan will find some great stories on the road, and thanks to social media, we can all go along for the ride."

Stone covers energy and environmental science for National Geographic magazine. A former White House correspondent for Newsweek and The Daily Beast, he joined National Geographic to report on innovation and the people powering the future. His work has appeared in Scientific American, E (the environmental magazine) and on CBS's "60 Minutes." He lives in Washington, D.C., and, back in college, he spent two summers in California's central valley as a sniffer and taster on the hunt for the perfect strawberry.

SOURCE National Geographic