Right now, the 4th cohort of Homeward Bound is on their 3 week expedition to Antarctica - the southern end of the earth (poetically, not literally because the earth is an oblate spheroid and not a flat surface). I've been following their journey rather obsessively, watching them cross the Drake Passage and seeing where they are at each day. Check it out here: https://www.cruisemapper.com/?imo=8802882
It's cool the technology we have that allows us to follow a ship, in Antarctica, and see where they are in real time!!
And the next cool thing is that HB4's ship - the Hebridean Sky - is currently (as I'm writing this) next to HB5's ship the MV Ushuaia. And in one year I'll be there. In Antarctica. On the MV Ushuaia. IN ANTARCTICA.
That's right y'all - I'm going to Antarctica next year as part of Team HB5 - the 5th cohort of Homeward Bound.
Homeward Bound is a year long global initiative training women in STEMM in strategy, visibility, and leadership so that we can take our place at the table and be leaders of the future. Women are underrepresented in leadership roles and we're changing that. And after a year of online training, homework, meetings, collaboration, and everything else, we're going to Antarctica together for 3 weeks in November 2020!
Antarctica is the frame for this, for many reasons. It's at the forefront of climate change. It's an extremely fragile ecosystem. It's remote and also incredibly iconic.
But this journey isn't just about Antarctica. It's about women in STEMM. About climate change. About becoming a leader. About scientific literacy. About global collaboration for change. About increasing the visibility of women in STEMM who are changing the world.
About the worldwide network of those very same women working together to protect our one and only planet. And sure, it's a little bit about Antarctica. Because Antarctica is a place at the front lines of climate change - what happens there impacts us all.
But Antarctica is also a symbol - of how women in STEMM have changed the world, of global collaboration for the greater good, and it's a symbol of scientific exploration. Because it isn't just about Antarctica. It's about becoming a leader and protecting the planet.
HB4 is making a splash this year and there's been loads of media coverage. I assume next year we will be doing the same and I am ready to take my place!! Even Al Gore is talking about it:
With this year’s 24 Hours of Reality coming to a close, I want to extend my deepest thanks to the @ClimateReality Leaders who put #TruthIntoAction and helped spread the message of climate action and solutions around the world. pic.twitter.com/eDDJWuEFfA— Al Gore (@algore) November 22, 2019
And Forbes wrote a brilliant piece on this, that came out just the other day: The Largest Ever Women’s Expedition To Antarctica Will Upscale Science Diplomacy
Make Them Mainstream, which I just discovered, also covered Homeward Bound! Homeward Bound – Women’s Leadership in STEM
And so did Polar Latitudes - Mother Nature needs her daughters
And by the dream master herself, the woman who created Homeward Bound, Fabian Dattner - I am willing and able to lead
As you can see this is a brilliant endeavor and I'm so beyond excited to be part of it. I'll be writing about it more, because it IS conservation related in the broadest sense. The entire world is connected, science is awesome, climate change is happening and we all need to do our part. So that's why I'm going on this mental, emotional, knowledge filled, and literal journey.
Also you can check out my fundraising page for more info HERE.
