My First Glimpse of Antarctica

I went to the ice free zone of Antarctica. King George Island.  We landed on Ernest Shackleton's birthday!

Travel is Educational

One of my donors said he wished he knew I was only going to Antarctica for a short time.  I  thought a short time was plenty, but I see now it's not.   Patagonia is amazing and I keep thinking about Antarctica!  John Behrendt of INSTARR, who is one of my Polar scientists mentors, went 12 times.  My father applied to go again before he retired from the Navy.  It's clear to me there is an energy present that's precious.  I don't know anything else like it on earth.  Scientists are studying rocks fallen from Mars, group dynamics are exaggerated after long periods of time, and again, people return.

Firsts are also important.  Some of us have a first kiss to remember.  My father wrote about the first time he was in airplane, the first time driving a dog sled, the first time seeing a sleeping bag, all at 22 years old.  This is my first time on a small aircraft.  The plane had no toilet and in the end, it didn't bother me to wait.  Excitement took over. I was in an altered state for two days.

Patagonia Kaweskar Indigenous tribal people

My plan is to do a non linear view of my journey.  It's the art of objective reality, right?  Where past,
present and future converge in one moment. One of the things that caught my eye in my father's journals is the reference to the Alacalufe Indigenous tribe of Chile. When I first read it, I wondered if he spelled the name correctly and if I could ever find out more. Not only did he have the spelling correct, but he tells a wonderful story of the contact he had with them on the ship.  Here I am, in the midst of Chile, discovering the customs and way of life of this nomadic, sea dwelling tribe. It turns out they prefer the name Kawésqar, or Kaweskar instead of Alacalufe. I've been researching this and thought they were two different tribes. Even my Chilean host, who is part Mapuche,  didn't know.  They are the same people.  The pictures are from a mural in Puerto Natales, two blocks long. The stone, from this hunting tool, was found in Torres Del Paine national park.  It's very rare to find one in the park now.  The stone is weapon or for humting animals. Both of my Chilean friends have a stone  in their homes. The stones are shown tied, as they were once used.  The picture is from the Museum of Puerto Natales. Ciao!

Valentine's Day ending in Punta Arenas

I found this in my drafts.  Thought I posted it on Valentines day.!!
Punta Arena is the southern most city in the world.  I'm here!  I immediately felt the cool air and high winds, at baggage claim.  They are giving us royal treatment.  Only 3 other people besides me.  Tonight we have a dinner and leave at 9am for King George Island and Nelson Island, etc.  The big surprise is that we are going in a boat to look around!!  Finding or connecting with Wi Fi is very difficult here.  There won't be any in Antarctica I doubt.  Received a jacket today for wind, also a surprise.

Alejo Contreras Staeding, guide in Antarctica

Alejo Contreras Staeding is an excellent guide.  Little did I know how excellent.  He is the first Chilean to ski to the South Pole.  It took him 97 days on a solo trip.  He is the embodiment of an Antarctic explorer.  I learned to appreciate the beauty and mystery of polar exploration from the short time with Alejo.  His enthusiasm for going places no human has ever touched is something I hadn't thought of. 
We received a certificate of exploration from the company who prepared the tour.  DAP Antarctica hosted Bill Gates last year on this same trip!

Trip to King George Island Pics

I've had so much trouble getting internet.  The glacier is Nelson Island. We went there in a zodiac boat.  The penguin pecked at my pants, great close up!  We were in an ice free zone and visited places that were iced in over the winter.  Off to Torre Del Paine park where the fire was last month.

Back yesterday from the Southern Continent!!

I came back happy, hungry and disoriented. Beautiful, amazing place. Of course I saw one percent of one percent Of Antarctica:) It is warmer in some ways than I thought and colder than I imagined too. When the wind blows, you're done! We step off the plane into a cloudy, mystery , -5 Celsius temp. (windchill factor ). We're all a little worried we can handle this cold. My companions on the flight are Teresa from Spain, Petr and Alenka from the Czech Republic. Alejandro is our guide. He is a world reknown mountaineer and Antarctic explorer. The main purpose of going is to see first hand what it feels like to be here, so I can share the adventure of the expedition my father took and link it to the present and future of humanity. It all makes a lot more sense now! P.S. There is wi-fi there at the Russian station but I wasn't granted permission to use it. No surprise!  I am organizing pictures and video now so i can post gradually. Off to the market in Punta Arenas.  Then bus to Puerto Natales.

Feb. 13
I'm Blogging with Spanish instructions. Good thing the buttons are in the same place! I feel the mild addiction to wi-fi, or at least staying connected.  It's been very difficult to find!   If it's not easy to blog in the city, the rural areas will be interesting. The Customer service has a warm, friendly tone in Santiago. I feel relaxed, knowing that people care. The language barrier feels manageable so far. I didn't pack as light as I thought.
Met someone from San Francisco on the plane.  We started a conversation about climate change.  One environmental hotspot is mining in Chile and moving glaciers to do it.(have to find out more).

Walked Bella Vista tonight, beautiful balmy weather.

Waiting to leave for Santiago by way of Toronto.  It's been very hectic but I think I have what I need. Maybe even more than I need :).  Feeling a bit lonely and homesick, wondering if I made the best decision to do this.  Just a roller coaster of emotions, which is normal.  One of the 7th graders asked me if I was nervous last week during my presentation.  I said yes, but now I'm feeling it.  Abientot.

Can you imagine how amazing the water tastes, from the lake the Russian's found last weekend?? Lake Vostok is the first lake to break through to liquid water, down two miles!  It hasn't seen light or air in 15 to 34 million years!!  See the ice cores they pulled up.
Yesterday, a first grader at Gibbs Elementary asked what do I want to see in Antarctica?  I want to experience the ocean, the rocks, the horizon, the penguins, whales and speak to the scientists that are on King George Island year round.
Today, I discovered that you get very dirty from penguin waste on your shoes and your pants.  If you want to film them, you have to sit on your butt and get on their level.  Makes me want to visit the 'gently used' clothing store.  I need waterproof/wind proof pants that I won't worry about soiling!

Denver Post Front Page Article Link

I'm delighted by who's reaching out to me because of yesterday's Denver Post Article.  Relatives of expeditions members, authors, publishers, customers and friends!  Today, I took questions from Gibbs Elementary, in Rochester, MN first graders.  They had very thorough inquiry about Antarctica and my trip.  There's more to say about audiences 7th grade and younger!

I'm on the Front Page of the Denver Post Today!

New Denver Post article by Colleen O'Connor.

Doubt is a weapon in the PR industry!

Thanks again to Richard Branson's blog Antarctica log 2 "No lie is forever".  He posted Climate Realitiy Project's Doubt video to emphasize that the information about global warming is being treated, in the media, like the truth about the addiction of nicotine.  My colleagues at Deep Democracy Institute do an amazing job of  addressing the polarization around global issues, such as climate change.  Their first Open Forum on Climate Change will take place in Portland, OR on June 2. Stakeholders of different opinions will gather for an interactive process to seek out and hear all the voices around climate change.  The beginning questions for this forum are:

Is facing Climate Change as urgent as some suggest - And what if anything needs to be done about it?

What are you thoughts and feelings? Feel free to comment!

Also, check out Barefoot Leaders Camp for youth!!

 

Antartica is on our minds and hearts!

I found out yesterday that Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Group is touring Antarctica.  More great footsteps to follow!  He's blogging everyday.  His Antarctic log 7 :Antarctica is closer than you think" is something to think about.  More people every day are realizing climate change is important to understand.  This has been a busy week.  I made presentations to 55 seventh graders at Fitzsimmons Middle School, who fired great questions at me for 20 minutes.  Yesterday,  a local home school group gathered for my presentation.  Students of all ages (3 to 9) were very engaged for an hour!  I brought some my clothing for the trip.

Here's some of the girls and their parents from the WWA Home School Connection Fine Arts and Enrichment Program saying, "We are All Antarctica!"

My Travel to Chile

Part of my research about the United States Antarctic Service Expedition (1939–1941) takes me to Valparaiso, Chile.  The USS Bear stopped at several port cities on the way back to the U.S., in 1940.  Today, while meeting with a colleague, we found an entry in my father's journal that talks about his adventures in Chile. I realized I'll be able to visit the area to see O'Higgins Hotel, in Vina Del Mar, built in 1936!  Admiral Byrd stayed there.  Here's another journal excerpt from George W. Gibbs Jr.,

April 23(1940) At Valparaiso Chile.  Was up this morning early to get the ship in shape for visitors and do my daily routine.  This morning at eleven we were anchored off from the dock about two hundred feet and I went ashore in a taxi.  Bought a watch and went to Vina Del Mar, which is eight miles from Valparaiso.  Went sight seeing and had dinner at the Hotel Higgins where the Admiral is staying.  In the U.S. it would have been impossible for me to be as welcomed (as I felt there).

Climate Change and Penguins

Two weeks from today, I will be on the way to Santiago, Chile and then Punta Arenas, Chile, where I fly to Antarctica!  I'm most excited to see penguins, since my father was "volunteered" by the U.S. Navy and the Smithsonian, to catch them for science, with his bear hands.  I want to imagine, from being with them, how one would go about it.  Thankfully, I won't have to do that! I've heard that it's illegal to touch the wildlife in Antarctica. However, I've seen pictures where they come and snuggle on your feet.  So much has changed for penguins, since 1940.

Complexity, Learning and Change

Global challenges such as population control, climate change, global economics, environmental justice are complex. Complexity requires learning, creativity and collaborative action.  I see a future in which we understand that collaboration is essential to move through local community and global challenges. All stakeholders are inspired to take responsibility in collective outcomes.
  My work aligns with Cameron D. Norman's thoughts on complexity. Another great piece by Olivier Oullier and Mark Turrell, Complexity, Leadership and New Policy Making

Thanks to April Rinne for the latter!

I felt the Coronal Mass Ejection this morning at 11am EST on my birthday! I greatly admire the work of HeartMath's Global Coherence project that links solar flares to human activity on the planet.  This seems relevant to polar shifting and how no matter what happens or who caused what, we need, as a human race to pull together to solve complex global challenges. 
This is the heart of We are All Antarctica:
"A major contribution each and every one of us can make is to increase emotional balance and coherence within ourselves. This will enable us as individuals to use these energy influxes to our advantage." - Annette Deyhle, Ph.D., and GCI Research Team

We Are All Antarctica project update

If you've been following me, since December 2011, I'm sure you've seen this project unfold with increasing clarity! I have three schools following my trip to Antarctica: Platte Canyon Fitzsimmons Middle School, Bailey, CO; Gibbs Elementary in Rochester, MN, (1st grade class) and a Free school group who will do a field trip to Denver to learn more about climate change and how we are personally connected through our thoughts, feelings and history.  Start Some Good is a partner for the next phase.  I will design and pilot interactive, curricular materials for students to realize the value of collaboration, based on my father’s community leadership, Antarctic history and climate change. If you have interested groups or leads for schools to participate, please contact me.  A big thanks to Matt Nathan for his coaching and production of the latest video!

A little history from Rochester, MN where my parents settled

My father loved Rochester, MN. He at one time considered running for mayor. We called him 'Ambassador' of the city! My parents arrived during the civil rights time frame. My mother, Joyce Gibbs is on PBS OFF 90, sharing some history in Rochester.