Our Year 9 student Dylan set out on an exciting mission earlier this year, as a participant of the 2041 ClimateForce Antarctica Expedition.
You feel so small, yet part of something so big. Antarctica is such a magical place and we need to fight to preserve it. - Dylan
As the youngest member of the expedition and after two years of preparations and fundraising, Dover Court Year 9 student Dylan set out on an inspiring adventure earlier this year. Our school mascot DC Bear also came along!
Organised by polar explorer and environmentalist Robert Swan, OBE (Order of the British Empire), the first person to walk to both the North and South Poles, Swan has dedicated his life to the preservation of Antarctica through the promotion of recycling, renewable energy and sustainability to combat the effects of climate change.
We caught up with Dylan to get a first hand account from Antarctica and how the polar regions are suffering from climate change.
"It was quite a process to be selected to be part of the expedition, but I am so proud that I was chosen to go. There were only a few other under-18s on the trip. Most were adults. I was excited to be representing the younger generation and to get that deeper insight into the problems our planet is facing" Dylan said.
"Change starts with us and you might think that it is impossible to make a difference as a student, but it's all down to the choices we make. In my family we decided to get rid of our car and we now cycle or use public transport. We are very conscious of the waste we produce and I always try to make wise choices. Simple things such as always bringing a water bottle to top up instead of buying bottled water, not buying products with excessive packaging, turning the aircon off and generally not over-consuming" Dylan continues.
"It is obviously a tricky balance when you travel somewhere so far away to raise awareness for the environment. We can't explore these places and also being a part of the problem that affects them. An important part of the expedition was carbon compensation. 2041 ClimateForce supports a carbon capture technology which removes CO2 from the atmosphere and turns it into a solid form. The expedition is also part of the "Polar Carbon Negative Initiative”, which not only offsets the carbon footprint of the entire Expedition by going ‘carbon neutral’ but which goes even further than that and makes the expedition carbon negative" Dylan tells us.
"We travelled by boat from Ushuaia at the southern tip of Argentina, it took two days to cross Drake Passage, with winds pushing 50 knots. During the trip we participated in lectures and workshops, during a lecture we looked out through the window and we could see the first sight of land, it was just amazing! We had five days in Antarctica, I will carry the memories from these days with me forever. As fantastic as it was, it was also pretty sad to see how much the climate changes are affecting Antarctica" Dylan says.
Apart from environmental issues Dylan also has a great interest in photography and videography. Upon his return he shared a video with the students in our Secondary School, that was filmed during the course of the expedition. "I loved watching Dylan's video, it was so inspiring" Year 7 student Albert said. "That was brilliant! Thank you so much for sharing your experiences from your trip Dylan. The form group loved it, lots of ooos and aaahs every time a whale appeared on screen and a huge cheer when Dylan was interviewed!" Mr Mainstone, Dylan's form tutor commented.
Dylan looks forward to continue his work with raising awareness for the environment in Year 10. He is participating in the Duke of Edinburgh and is also excited to work with fellow students around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly focussing on Goals 13, 14 and 15: Climate Change, Life Below Water and Life On Land. He was awarded the Dover Court Charity Award at the end of the academic year in recognition for his participation with the 2041 ClimateForce Antarctic Expedition and for raising awareness and taking meaningful actions on sustainability and climate issues .
Watch Dylan's video from the expedition here: 2041 ClimateForce Antarctica Expedition
