www newsletter 04 final 8.12.16 - wicked weather watch€¦ · excerpts from benji’s blog on the...
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December2016
TheylettheirimaginationsrunwildthenmetthePOCcrew!
OursummercompletionwinnersdescribewelcominghomethePOC.
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InsidePOCcrewvisitschools
Over300childrentalktoexpeditionmembersabouttheiradventures….
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Newsletter
OnThursday20October,NorthaboutandhercrewreturnedtoBristolfromtheirperilousArcticadventuretocircumnavigatetheNorthPoleinoneseason.ThehistoricPolarOceanChallenge(POC)wasasuccess,butitbringshomeanimportantmessage-thisjourneywasonlypossiblebecauseclimatechangeiscausingthenorthernicecaptomelt.Untilrecentlytherehasbeentoomuchiceforaboattogetthroughinonesummer.TheNortheastandNorthwestpassagesusedtotake2-3yearseachtocompletebutduetotherecessionofArcticseaicethenumberofice-freemonthsinthePassageshaveincreased,openingthemsimultaneouslyandsignallingtherapidprogressofglobalwarming.IttookthePOCjust4monthstocompletethewholejourney.Theexpeditionwastoughforallofthecrew,butparticularlyforBenjiEdwards,theyoungestandonlycrew-membertocompleteallfourlegsoftheexpedition.
Above:DavidHempleman-Adams,FounderofWickedWeatherWatch.
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ThePolarOceanChallengebringshomemessageofclimatechange
Issue04:Inspiringthenextgeneration
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ChildrenfromRiverMeadpresentedtheirPOC
acrosticpoemtoDavid.
Possibleonlythroughclimatechange
October2016,whenitallbegan
Let’sraiseawarenessofGlobalWeatherChange
Atonly14yearsofage,Benachievesadream
Recordings,observations,scientificdatacollected
Outstandingviewsoficesohigh
CircumnavigatingtheNorthPolelikeneverbefore
Everybodydoyourbit,flicktheswitch
Allhandstothedeck!
Northaboutboat,thevesselmakingitallhappen
Challengingthinkingabouthowwetreatourplanet
Haveyouthoughtaboutthefutureofourworld?
Animal’shabitatschangingtoofasttoadapt
Lossoflifeisbecominginevitable
Lookaroundyouseethedamagedone
Everyoneunitetoslow,still,stopthefastchange
Nothingstoppedthemfromachievingtheirgoalsasone
Giveitallyoucan,gottokeepgoing–fightagainstclimatechange
Everybodynowneedstodotheirbittoslowclimatechangetogether!
AbigwelcomeforDavidatTheMead
On23rdNovemberDavidHempleman-Adamsvisited240childrenfrom5Wiltshireschools;TheMead,TheGrove,Holt,CastleMeadandRiverMead.
ThroughlinkingwithWWW,theschoolsavidlyfollowedthePolarOceanChallenge,learningaboutclimatechangewith2schoolslinkinguplivetoNorthaboutduringthevoyage.
Ontheday,Davidarrivedtobigcheersandtoldthechildrenaboutthechallenge,theroute,lifeonboardandwhyitwasanimportantvoyage–bittersweetthattheyachievedarecordbutnotgoodfortheworldastheysawfirsthandtheextentoficemeltingandtheimpactofclimatechangeontheArctic.
ChildrenfromeachschoolpresentedamazingworktoDavidthroughpoetry,slideshowsandevenacomputergamewherehehadtonavigatethroughtheice!Theirprojectsshowedtheenthusiasmtolearnaboutclimatechangeandtheexpedition.
ThechildrenalsohadtheopportunitytoaskBen,WWWYouthAmbassador,aboutwhatitwaslikebeingtheyoungestmemberofthePOCcrewatjust14,aswellashavinggreatfunpiecingtogetheragiantpuzzleoftheArcticandtestingtheirknowledgethroughapolarbearquizattheWWWstallandseeingeachothersworkthroughthe‘marketplace’.
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WhenBenjisteppedontodrylandweallgotasenseofwhatamomentousachievementthiswasforaboyofjust14yearsold.AsWWWYouthAmbassador,BenjiwillbetalkingtoyoungpeoplearoundthecountryabouthisincredibleexperienceandtheimpactofclimatechangeonlifeintheArctic.Butfornow,heishappytoreturntostudyingforhisGCSE’s!YoucanreadexcerptsfromBenji’sblogontheWWWwebsite.AmongstthosegreetingtheArcticadventurershomewereBristol’sDeputymayor,CouncillorEstellaTincknellandoursummercompetitionwinnersfromTheGroveSchoolinTrowbridge.ForDavidHempleman-Adams,renownedexplorerandWWWFounder,thisexpeditionwasaboutmuchmorethanbeingarecord-breaker.Havingwitnessed1/3oftheArcticicedisappearingoverthelast30years(thissummertheiceshranktoitssecondlowestlevelsincemonitoringbegan)Davidwantstodrawattentiontotheimpact.Talkingofthetrip,Davidsaid:‘ThepossibilitytocircumnavigatetheArcticwasoneIwantedtotakedespitetherisksinordertofocustheworld’sattentionontheArctic.Whilstwearedelightedtohavesucceeded,itisextremelyworryingtoseethislackoficesostarkly.Itshowswe'vegotrealproblemswithclimatechange.’
Theydidit!Arecord-breaking18week
adventureatsea
13,500nauticalmiles
20crewmembers
ThefirstBritishyachttosailanticlockwisearoundthe
ArcticOceaninonesummerseason
‘PermanentirreversiblechangeintheseaicelandscapeoftheArcticseemsinevitable.Thelivesofpeoplelivinginthenormallyyear-roundiceboundcommunitieswillalterdrastically,aswillthehabitatsofwalruses,whales,seals,polarbearsandwholeecosystemsinthesea.Wecantrytomakesurethatthischangeishandledcarefully,sustainably,responsibly.’DavidlaunchedWWWtoraiseawarenessabouttheimpactclimatechangeishavingintheArctic.“Iwanttoinspireyoungpeopletogetinvolvedandbepartoftheconversation,tothinkabouthowwecanprotectthefutureoftheArcticbeforeitchangesbeyondrecognition,howweareaffectedhereintheUKandwhatsmallstepswecanalltaketohelpmitigatetheimpacteffectsofclimatechange.IhopethatschoolsacrosstheUKwillpartnerwithus.Weareallinthesameboat”.
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WWWusesuniquefirst-hadinsightstocreatefresh,newmaterialsforteachersandchildrenalike.(Seepage6).FormoreinformationonthePOCandclimatechangevisit
wickedweatherwatch.org.ukorcontactusaboutwhatwecanofferyourschool.
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“Wecouldn’tbelieveitwhenwefoundoutthatwewerethecompetitionwinners.Wehadallbeensetthechallengeforhomeworkandwedecidedtoenterthecompetitionaswell.WehavebeenfollowingthePolarOceanChallengeatschoolaspartofourAdventuresandExplorerstopicsoitwasamazingtomeetthecrewinperson.WhenwewavedthembackintoBristol,Benletusgoontheboatandwegottoseewheretheysleptandmadetheirfood.Wealsopretendedtosteertheboat!Kindly,Bencutsometeddiesfromthefrontoftheboatandgaveusoneeach.Therestofourclasswereveryjealous!“
CaitlinandEthan
EthanandCaitlinaboardNorthabout
ReadEthanandCaitlin’scompetitionentriesonwickedweatherwatch.org.uk
EthanandCaitlinwith:DavidHempleman-Adams,themascotsfromNorthabout,andBenjiEdwards.
Overthesummer,WWWranacompetitionaskingchildrentotelluswheretheywouldexplore,whattheywouldtakeonanexpeditionandwhy.
Itwastoodifficultto
choosejustonewinnerandsotheprize-tomeetthecrewofthePOC–was
jointlyawardedtoCaitlinandEthan,bothfromtheGrovePrimarySchoolin
Wiltshire.
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BringingthePolarOceanChallengetolifeHazelRichardsonwasacrewmemberonthefirstlegofthePolarOceanChallenge,
sailingfromBristoltoVardoandcrossingovertheArcticCircle.ShevisitedStAndrew’sschoolinCongresburytotellstudentsallaboutheradventure.
Havingsailed1,900nauticalmilesfromBristoltoVardo,anislandsurroundedbytheBarentsSeaintheHighArcticandneartheRussianboarder,Ireturnedaricheradventurerwithuniqueexperiencesandaconcernforclimatechange.WhenaskedbyWickedWeatherWatchifIwouldhelptobringtolifethewondersofthePolarOceanchallengeIjumpedatthechancetoinspireyoungpeople.Morethan70childrenacrossyears1and2atStAndrewslistenedintentlyandIwashugelyimpressedwithquestionsrangingfrompolarbears,thereductioninseaice,sealifeandtheeffectsofclimatechangeonhabitats.TheylovedtryingontheArcticclothesandbootsandlearningabouttheequipmentusedtosavespace,weightandtime.Beforeleaving,Iremindedthemofpastexplorersandhowimportantitwasforthemtoworkasateamandsupporteachother.AsIwalkedthroughtheschoolcorridor,oneofthepupilsaskedmetorememberhisnameashewasplanningtobeanexplorerhimselfoneday.IsmiledknowingIhadinspiredthemalltolearnhowtheycanplaytheirpartandensureseaiceandpolarbearscontinuetosurvivetheharshworldofclimatechange.
CalmwatersnearVardoHazelaboardNorthabout
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WorkingwithschoolsInspiredbythevisitsofDavidandHazeltotalkinschools?Inneedofnewresourcesforlessons?ThenwhynotworkwithWickedWeatherWatch!KS2resourcesWWWhasdevelopedaschemeofworkthatmeetsKS2curriculumforGeography.The6lessonscanbetaughtoveratermorindividuallessonsusedasaone-off.Thethemeis“Let’sgoonanawesomeArcticAdventure”andtopicsincludecoldclimates,theArcticCircle,ImagesoftheArctic,afocusonGreenland,ArcticwildlifeandtheArcticinthefuture,withinsightsintoclimatechangewoventhroughout.AllresourceswillbeavailableinJanuary.ConnectingyoungpeoplegloballyWWWismakingconnectionswithschoolsintheArcticandhopetobeabletolinkthemtoschoolshereintheUK.Letusknowifyourschoolwouldbeinterested.FirsthandinsightsIfyouwouldlikeaspeakertotalktoyoungpeopleaboutthePolarOceanChallengeorclimatechangethencontactusonthedetailsbelow.
WWWYouthAmbassador,BenjiEdwards,featuresintheRoyalYachtingAssociationmagazineWinteredition:“Ontopoftheworld–theArcticAdventuresofoneremarkableyoungsailor”.TheGuardianonwhyweneedtobreakthesilenceonclimatechangeandtalkaboutit–toeveryone.Readanarticlethatyouwanttoshare?Emailusthelinkandwe’ll
Inthenews
Contactus
GillJohnson:[email protected]
VickyOram-Ahern:[email protected]
www.wickedweatherwatch.org.uk