December2016

TheylettheirimaginationsrunwildthenmetthePOCcrew!

OursummercompletionwinnersdescribewelcominghomethePOC.

2,5

InsidePOCcrewvisitschools

Over300childrentalktoexpeditionmembersabouttheiradventures….

4

Newsletter

OnThursday20October,NorthaboutandhercrewreturnedtoBristolfromtheirperilousArcticadventuretocircumnavigatetheNorthPoleinoneseason.ThehistoricPolarOceanChallenge(POC)wasasuccess,butitbringshomeanimportantmessage-thisjourneywasonlypossiblebecauseclimatechangeiscausingthenorthernicecaptomelt.Untilrecentlytherehasbeentoomuchiceforaboattogetthroughinonesummer.TheNortheastandNorthwestpassagesusedtotake2-3yearseachtocompletebutduetotherecessionofArcticseaicethenumberofice-freemonthsinthePassageshaveincreased,openingthemsimultaneouslyandsignallingtherapidprogressofglobalwarming.IttookthePOCjust4monthstocompletethewholejourney.Theexpeditionwastoughforallofthecrew,butparticularlyforBenjiEdwards,theyoungestandonlycrew-membertocompleteallfourlegsoftheexpedition.

Above:DavidHempleman-Adams,FounderofWickedWeatherWatch.

Continuedonpage3

ThePolarOceanChallengebringshomemessageofclimatechange

Issue04:Inspiringthenextgeneration

LoremIpsumDolor [Issue]::[Date]

2

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’.

LoremIpsumDolor Issue[#]::[Date]

3

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”.

Continuedfrompage

WWWusesuniquefirst-hadinsightstocreatefresh,newmaterialsforteachersandchildrenalike.(Seepage6).FormoreinformationonthePOCandclimatechangevisit

wickedweatherwatch.org.ukorcontactusaboutwhatwecanofferyourschool.

1

LoremIpsumDolor [Issue]::[Date]

4

“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.

LoremIpsumDolor Issue[#]::[Date]

5

BringingthePolarOceanChallengetolifeHazelRichardsonwasacrewmemberonthefirstlegofthePolarOceanChallenge,

sailingfromBristoltoVardoandcrossingovertheArcticCircle.ShevisitedStAndrew’sschoolinCongresburytotellstudentsallaboutheradventure.

Havingsailed1,900nauticalmilesfromBristoltoVardo,anislandsurroundedbytheBarentsSeaintheHighArcticandneartheRussianboarder,Ireturnedaricheradventurerwithuniqueexperiencesandaconcernforclimatechange.WhenaskedbyWickedWeatherWatchifIwouldhelptobringtolifethewondersofthePolarOceanchallengeIjumpedatthechancetoinspireyoungpeople.Morethan70childrenacrossyears1and2atStAndrewslistenedintentlyandIwashugelyimpressedwithquestionsrangingfrompolarbears,thereductioninseaice,sealifeandtheeffectsofclimatechangeonhabitats.TheylovedtryingontheArcticclothesandbootsandlearningabouttheequipmentusedtosavespace,weightandtime.Beforeleaving,Iremindedthemofpastexplorersandhowimportantitwasforthemtoworkasateamandsupporteachother.AsIwalkedthroughtheschoolcorridor,oneofthepupilsaskedmetorememberhisnameashewasplanningtobeanexplorerhimselfoneday.IsmiledknowingIhadinspiredthemalltolearnhowtheycanplaytheirpartandensureseaiceandpolarbearscontinuetosurvivetheharshworldofclimatechange.

CalmwatersnearVardoHazelaboardNorthabout

LoremIpsumDolor [Issue]::[Date]

6

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

putitonourwebsite.info@wickedweatherwatch.org.uk

Inthenews

Contactus

GillJohnson:info@wickedweatherwatch.org.uk

VickyOram-Ahern:schools@wickedweatherwatch.org.uk

www.wickedweatherwatch.org.uk