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[2011]Highlights


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[2011]

Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation | 2011 Highlights

Table of ContentsMessage from the Executive DirectorWhy We ExistBenegas BrothersExpedition to the ClassroomGrand Canyon DiatomsCitizen-ScienceTres Chicas LocasLonnie DupreAdvisory CouncilDonorsWords from the Chairman

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With the arrival of 2012, we want to take a moment and thank you

for believing in ASC in our inaugural year. With your support wehave begun a movement that has the potential to greatly increase theavailability of scienti c information throughout the world.

In our first year, we have asked adventurers traveling around the world to collect much neededdata as they climb the worlds highest peaks and raft down the deepest gorges.

ASC has seen tremendous success in its first year. On Mount Everest, athletes working withus collected a sample of the highest known plant life of Earth, which will help researchersmake crops around the world more resistant to a changing climate. During a citizen-scientistweekend, we found definitive signs of grizzly bears in a wildlife corridor that is facing increasedthreats from human encroachment. This will allow managers to make informed decisions whendeciding appropriate restrictions for this area. Our Expedition to the Classroom initiativehas allowed students to directly interact with researchers studying penguins on the AntarcticPeninsula, and promises to inspire far more students as we continue this project.

Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation | 2011 Highlights2

A Message from the Executive DirectorGregg Treinish


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In the coming year we have many new and exciting projects planned. This October we will launchthe first part of a project that will ultimately survey the entire coastline of the United Statesfor plastics that have been deposited in the oceans sediment layer. We will offer citizen-scienceoutings that will allow scientists to better understand the distribution of the threatened lynx andwolverine in the Northern Rockies. Athletes working with ASC will travel to the far reaches of theglobe and bring back otherwise unattainable information about this planet.

Again, thank you for your incredible support; we could not exist without your generosity. Everydonation is put toward our mission of improving the accessibility of scientific information aroundthe world. We want to change the way people spend their time in the outdoors. In nearly every

location on Earth, we must know more if we are to make proper management decisions. Thearmy of citizen-scientists that we have mobilized will help us achieve this goal. Please continue tosupport this effort and together we will improve the information with which decisions about thefate of the planet are made.

Have a happy and healthy 2012!

Cheers,

Gregg TreinishFounder / Executive Director

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Why We Exist

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We believe that management decisions should be made onlythrough true scientific understanding of the perils facing anarea. Currently, a great void exists in our scientific knowledge

of the natural environment. In the wake of a changing climateand a rapidly expanding human population, it is imperativethat the choices we make are based on relevant scientific in-formation. We know that the collection of data can be expen-sive, time consuming, and physically challenging.

Adventure athletes constantly travel to areas of great need.These ambassadors of the outdoors often want to do more forthe areas in which they travel, but simply have not acquiredthe skills to do so. Throughout the last several months, wehave been organizing an army of adventure athletes turnedcitizen-scientists that is now collecting scientific data on allseven continents.

The time is now to harness the unique abilities of people whoare already traveling to difficult-to-reach areas. Adventurersand Scientists for Conservation provides the world with theopportunity to learn about these areas on an unprecedentedscale.


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While countless organizations have worked to gather scientific data, none have specifically uti-lized the invaluable skills of climbers, mountaineers, divers, paddlers, and other adventurersto acquire this data. There are thousands of people in remote areas every day who are ready,willing, and able to help protect our planets most vital resources; they simply need the toolsto do so.

Where Weve Been, Where We Are,And Where Well Go


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[Nepal]Featured Connection

Benegas Brothers Climb Mt. Everest

In May, Willie and Damian Benegas collected samplesof the highest known plant life on Earth from Mt.Everest. Their contribution will give researcher RustyRodriquez valuable information about plant life inextreme environments. Dr. Rodriguez is workingto develop the technology to make plant life moreadaptable to extreme environments and climatechange.



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Receiving the highest documented plant life on Earth from the Benegas brothers has furthered

my research in countless ways. Without ASC, this connection never could have happened. I look forward to continuing to access the worlds highest peaks and encounter rare plants in extremeenvironments through my connection with ASCs outstanding adventure athletes.

--Rusty Rodriquez


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ProgrammingExpedition to the Classroom

We believe that one of the main ways to have a positive impacton natural environments is to inspire the next generation of

adventurers and scientists alike.We will work directly with teachers to ensure that studentshave a hands-on learning experience. In many cases ourstudents will collect similar data sets to our athletes in theareas around their school. This provides an opportunity tomake science cool. If children can see tangible ways they canget outdoors and simultaneously learn, contribute, and pushthemselves, there is no doubt that the impact will be lastingand profound.

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In November we launched our Expedition to the Classroomprogram with some 40 high school students in Bozeman,Montana. Students were able to connect with two youngexplorer-researchers half a world away. This marked ASCsfirst major Expedition to the Classroom and provided aunique opportunity to visit Antarctica without leaving Mon-tana.

The class tracked progress of the expedition as it departedfrom Ushuaia, Argentina, and traveled across the DrakePassage, following the map and blog entries on trip leaderDoug Stoups Ice Axe Foundation website. The scientificgoal of the journey was to observe penguin colonies andrecord behavior and movement patterns. ASC paired theexpedition with researcher Julie Hagelin, from the Insti-tute of Arctic Biology at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks.Hagelin asked the team to assist with her research about brain lateralization, a trait that determines how birds andother animals process information.

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[Arizona

]Featured ConnectionGrand Canyon Diatom Sampling

This past summer, river rat Lucy Marcus floated the 18-daystretch of the Colorado River that runs through the GrandCanyon. Along the way, she participated in a study collectingsamples of river diatoms of the rocks that line the river. Although diatoms (single celled algae) are used extensively as

indicators in environmental studies, we know that thereare many species that remain undiscovered. The purpose of this investigation was to explore new habitats, document newdistributions, and describe new species.Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation | 2011 Highlights


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Working with researcher Sarah Spaulding from INSTARR atthe University of Colorado, samples from several locationsaround the world were collected. These sites included Sri

Lanka, Venezuela, and the Green River. This sampling providedSpaulding with information from diverse and remote aquatichabitats. This information is being used in both scientificpublications and public outlets to inform students and citizensabout microbial biodiversity around the world.

I loved collecting data on an adventure to a remote location,which is dif cult to get rafting permits for. Combining scienceand adventure is the way to go! --Lucy Marcus


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ProgrammingCitizen-Science

We work with NGOs, management agencies, guidecompanies and businesses to design and implement reward-ing and engaging citizen-science programs. Our goal withthese projects is to offer the skills so that participants will beable to contribute on an ongoing basis.

A great void currently exists in our understanding of the planet. Collecting data that can shed lighton these impacts is often expensive, time consuming, andphysically challenging. By working with volunteers, we can begin to overcome this void at a fraction of the cost.


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Last fall, we conducted three weekend-long workshops, each con-sisting of one day of training and supervised data collection,

and one day of independent data collection. Volunteers were trainedto recognize grizzly bear tracks and hair, collect samples, anddocument locations with a portable GPS unit. Volunteers weretaught to identify the typical characteristics of grizzly bearhair as opposed to black bear hair. All samples were checked byexperts and then sent to a laboratory for species verification. Volun-teers were also trained to record data on whitebark pine conditionas they completed their grizzly bear surveys.

We found definitive evidence of grizzly bears in the CentennialMountains, which will be used to inform conservation planning particularly regarding oil and gas development in this increas-ingly important linkage area. In addition, the 40 volunteer scientistswe trained now have a deeper understanding of the complex issuesregarding the corridors, connectivity, and grizzly bear management.We hope to continue this project in future years, focusing on other

areas that are similarly important for grizzly bears.

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SouthAmerica

Featured ConnectionTres Chicas Locas

When finished with their year-long journey, Sarah Field,Shelley Brook, and Trinity Ludwig will have traveled morethan 7,500 miles through the Andes Mountain Range. Their journey, completed partially on foot, will trace the route of ASC founder Gregg Treinish and Deia Schlosbergs Across theAndes Expedition.

Our project has become part of our expedition instead of simply a supplement. Weare grateful to ASC for taking the time and energy to pair us with a project that nat-urally integrates into our mission. Through our data collection, we feel that our expe-

dition now has a greater purpose and that were giving back through our adventure.We hope that the data we are collecting will lead in some small way to protect theamazing wilderness weve been lucky to experience.


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ASC has partnered the Tres Chicas Locas with the PacificBiodiversity Institute as well as the Lupins project at Wash-ington State University - Vancouver. Throughout the courseof their journey, they are collecting data on the flora, fauna,

ecology, archeology, culture and other characteristics of SouthAmericas wildlands through photographs, GPS coordinates,and detailed notes.

The primary goal of the project is to identify and characterizewildland areas that are vulnerable to fragmentation, devel-opment and biodiversity loss. Our goal is to provide a richsource of information on wildlands and related biodiversity

that can inform conservation initiatives at local, national, andglobal scales.


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[Alaska]Featured Connection

Lonnie Dupre


In January, the darkest month of the year, LonnieDupre collected microbe samples as he attemptedthe first January solo climb of Denali, North Americashighest point. The samples that he collected havebeen sent to researcher Dragos Zaharescu from theBiosphere 2 project at the University of Arizona.The samples will provide researchers with informationabout biological weathering in the upper limits of our world. Knowledge of the role of microbes inthese nutrient cycling processes will improve ourunderstanding of how extreme environments mayrespond to a changing climate.

Only nine expeditions totaling 16 people have everreached the summit of Denali in winter. Six deathsresulted from those climbs. Of these expeditions, onlyone team, comprised of three Russian climbers, has evermade the summit in January.

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This expedition is part of a larger effort to get Dr. Zaharescuand his team samples from mountains around the world. Byworking with ASC mountaineers, Dr. Zaharescu can accessenvironments that would otherwise be impossible to research.

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Working with ASC has allowed me to get data from some of the most remote placeson Earth. Without climbers like Lonnie Dupre, my microbe research would not havebeen as robust as it now is.--Dragos Zaharescu

I have always thought over the years of exploring, Wouldnt it be nice if there wassome way scientists could use our hands to help gather information in these hard to

get places? Well we have that now - ASC.--Lonnie Dupre


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Advisory Council

Conrad Anker Special Advisor

Joel Fogel Chairman Roz Savage Vice Chairman Jon Bowermaster Secretary Cline Cousteau Treasurer

Beth Holland Geoff Pampush Trip Jennings Lance Craighead

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Donors

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SupporterElyse DeFranco John MagullianTrinity LudwigMelissa LarmoreLauren OakesNathan PiekielekPeter Garcia Jonathan SumersRoy McCarthy James HolmesMichael Reidy James LutzNatalie GrantTiia AntereConstance SojaMerri Lisa TrigilioTerry DumontSarah MenonTyler HicksSarah GarlickTatiana Hernandez Drewry

Diana VanekNecla SarikayaDavid ThomaCody GlasnappDragos ZaharescuDrew ErdelackSteve WeilemanDevin CowanKevin SheaMarshall Schlosberg

Adventurer SupporterConserVentures JM AbbottLinda Shafran Jewel DirksBrad & Amy SmithBrenna BoydErrol BrickKathleen RobertsonAllison Fultz

Joseph T YoungMark RutmanLori Compton

Inaugural SupporterThomas Bosche James MurrayMac FelsingRobert RutmanDavid CookThaddeus Sweet Joel Fogel

Summit SupporterRonna & Alan Treinish

Founding MemberRobert CrabtreeBlue Ocean Innovation CenterPatagonia


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Words from the ChairmanAdventurers and Scientists for Conservation has accomplished a number of very impressiveactivities this year including collecting the highest known plant life on Earth from Mt. Everest,ice worms from remote Alaskan glaciers, diatoms from rivers around the world, documenta-tion of pika on three continents, and much more.

In order to continue in these endeavors we need your help and support as we progress andgrow in this very challenging economic time. Our organization is new, but composed of somevery experienced explorers, adventures, and scientists. With your help we can achieve greatheights in our efforts to increase the body of scientific knowldege through our ambitious ad-venturers as they travel throughout the world.

Please be generous in your assistance whether you are a sponsor or a patron of science andexploration. We depend on your generosity and assistance in order to achieve our goals.With the numerous challenges facing our country and our world, we feel it is our responsibil-ity as adventurers and scientists to do something which will help in our efforts to understandthe rapid changes occurring in the environment. With your help, we have the potential to become a leading edge organization capable of making a true difference.

Please join us today as an adventurer, supporter, or by telling your friends and family about us.

Very Truly Yours,

Captain Joel S. FogelChairman Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation

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ASC Team

Contributors

Gregg Treinish Executive Director Nikki Simon Graphic Designer Cheyenne Osmundsen Graphic Designer

Larkin Guenther Executive AssistantDiana Vaneck Education ConsultantGeneva Gersten Administrative Assistant

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Deia Schlosberg

Lucy MarcusWillie BenegasDamian Benegas

Lonnie Dupre

Trinity LudwigWhitney Leonard


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Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation isdedicated to improving the accessibility of

scienti c knowledge through partnershipsbetween adventure athletes and scientists.


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