Henry Evans follows in Scott's footsteps - one hundred years later

Henry Evans follows in Scott's footsteps - one hundred years later Henry Evans, Marine Biologist and Polar Explorer posts about his visit to our school today. Our students were amazed, curious and inspired by the expedition and preparations that an explorer undertakes. Read about his story here. I was delighted to have the chance to meet so many of the children at BSB Sanlitun today and share my story and some fun facts about marine biology and the south pole.

I’m a 24 year old British marine biologist, polar explorer and science communicator who entered a national competition launched by the Daily Telegraph and run by the Royal Navy to select one individual to trek to the South Pole as part of the two man International Scott Centenary Expedition (ISCE). On being announced the winning candidate, I was launched into the tough realities of polar training and the world of media. From live BBC television interviews and meeting with David Attenborough to running fundraising marathons in a penguin costume. And that’s before I’d even set off for the South Pole!

I shared some facts from my expedition, the highs and the lows. We had volunteers to try on some equipment and my most prized penguin costume. I love penguins!

The students were incredibly engaging and the penguin costume was a massive success! I had some great questions and was impressed with some of the knowledge the students already have. I hope they were inspired by my story and learnt some new things too. There were definitely lots of hands up when I asked who is interested in science.

Since returning from Antarctica in January 2013, Henry has set up his own company called Magnificent Ocean (www.magoce.com), which aims to inspire and educate others through its live, learn, laugh ethos. So far he has visited over 100 schools across the world, reaching out to over 150,000 students. With his passion for exploration and polar science Henry is now inspiring a generation and creating awareness of the importance of the Antarctic landscape to the progression of present day science and our understanding of the future of our planet.