Dr Richard Hale said of the event: “Sitting on the jury was a tough challenge given the quality of submissions which demonstrated the real concern of the young to publicise issues of environmental concern in the categories of Water, Waste, Energy,Climate Change, Cities, Biodiversity and Agriculture and nature. I am so excited that our relationship with the Federation for Environmental Education continues to grow and we are inviting Young Reporters to visit the Feet of Green team in order to research and report the many valuable experiences from the Crossing of Greenland.”

Shown below are members of the jury with Peter Herbert and Richard Hale - the jury comprised:

The International Jury is composed of:

* Mr. Bernard Combes - UNESCO
* Ms. Fabienne Pierre - UNEP
* Ms. Morgan Strecker - UNEP
* Mr. David Ainsworth - Convention on Biological Diversity
* Mr. Alan Chambers - Feet of Green
* Mr. Peter Herbert - Feet of Green
* Dr. Richard Hale - Feet of Green
* Mr. David Solon - Chief Redactor of the “TerraEco” magazine
* Mr. Thierry Lerévérend - FEE France Director
* Mrs. Sarah Winterton - FEE political responsible for YRE

Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) is an international network of secondary school teachers and pupils, represented in 21 countries. Each group involved defines its own investigation project about an environmental issue, with the goal being to communicate relevant information to the public.

The programme has two levels of activity. At the local level the students carry out journalistic enquiries of a problem, linking environmental and scientific issues, and report it to the local community via their chosen media (local press, radio, television, conference, exhibitions). At the International level the students cooperate with young reporters from other countries making use of the Internet to share information and produce joint articles.

Every YRE project must follow 3 main objectives:
1) Investigate local environmental issues, with a problem and solution oriented approach
2) Deliver a journalistic production (articles, photos, exhibitions, radio, etc)
3) Communicate towards a local audience

An International Network of Young Reporters
The international network created between the different groups of students and teachers serves as an international press agency, specializing in producing and delivering information about the environment. The ambition is to enrich local productions with data, advice, information, and photos from other countries.

The YRE teams are supported in their work by the national coordinators and by the YRE website, which aids by proposing a large number of activities, tools and services that can be used in the member communities, according to their own needs and ambitions.

Publications and Awards
Each year the best YRE productions from each country are collected and put into a book, resulting in an international collection of articles in English as well as in national languages, photos and national news. This book serves to illustrate the diversity of the YRE projects and as inspiration for future projects.

A number of articles and photos are chosen by the International YRE Jury each year to receive an award. The awards are given within the categories of agriculture, cities, energy, coastline, waste and water. Among the 6 awarded articles, one is nominated for the Super Award.

YRE Today
In 2008, more than 500 investigation groups have been carrying out YRE activities. Together, these groups have made a network that functions as an international press agency specialised in producing and delivering information about the environment.

MEANWHILE… Alan Chambers has recently led a group to the South Pole - and I had a call from him today just as he had arrived there - he said it is amazing and he is getting plenty of photos and videos which we will post up here. Guess who he met there - Prince Albert of Monaco ! Anyway he has been raising money for a good cause relating to two Royal Marines who were injured in Afghanistan - they are seeking to raise enough money to pursue their new ambitions Zapcat racing and to inspire other injured military to overcome their adversity. See the attached information an if you are able to donate to this cause the details are provided here…

fletch-and-clarky-fundraiser

All for now - Richard

On the 19th June they also presented the highlights of the Crossing of Greenland to the FEE delegates and to the students of Cockermouth School which then received its green flag in recognition of its achievement in becoming an eco-school.

Richard Hale said of the event: “This was a remarkable occasion and location. We were delighted to be asked to visit Cockermouth School in Cumbria. The event took place in an amazing eco-centre and it was evident that the students work in genuine partnership with the teachers at the school and have created an exemplary environment. We are also most excited to be working with Encams which manages the Eco-schools initiative which is now reaching over 10,000 schools in the UK and growing. It was also a tremendous cross cultural event with FEE representatives from all over the world descending on Cumbria to share their interests and learning.”

Everyone is welcome to come along to the airport to cheer Alan and Peter as they come through the Arrivals terminal at Bristol Airport - I’m sure you would all like to join the rest of the Feet of Green team in celebrating Alan’s and Peter’s amazing achievement of the unassisted crossing of Greenland 2008.

See you there!

Sandra - Bristol Base Camp

Alan and Peter had a last minute cancellation opportunity and ended up getting the 1400 hrs flight today from Kulusuk to Reykjavik. We have now booked them on the Reykjavic flight to Amsterdam tomorrow morning and then from Amsterdam to Bristol arriving 16.55 at Bristol airport. There is much media interest in their return and we hope you will be able to welcome them back. I spoke with Alan at 21:30 hrs and he and Peter are settled in a hotel ready for an early start tomorrow and just off for a well earned beer and steak!

UPDATE: Sunday 1st June 22:00 UK time.

Alan and Peter have now taken a helicopter out of Isortorq to Taliisaq and are hopeful tomorrow they will complete the next stage - a helicopter on to Kulusaq. If they make this before 1400 they will hopefully be able to take the flight to Reykjavik, Iceland, overnight there and then back to the UK. There has been good coverage on BBC Points West today of their experiences in Isortorq and the links now emerging with the school there and schools in the UK.

UPDATE: Friday 30th May 21:00 UK time.

No flight has come in to take Alan and Peter out of Isortoq today and they are waiting still in the village community hall. They are being given a good welcome and support from the small local community and are safe and well but obviously keen to be taken out as soon as possible. we are in regular contact and looking to get them flown out as soon as possible. Frustrating for all and media interest continues to grow in their return.

I will update here tomorrow as soon as I have anything more to report.

Richard

The last two days have seen mixed emotions for both Alan and Peter and for me and the team and family and friends back home. Elation at their achievement in making the crossing of Greenland, relief that they are safe and frustration as they remain stuck in the remote Inuit outpost, Isortorq.

I have been doing all I can to try and get the guys back home as soon as possible over the past few days and as of Friday 30th May at 07:00 UK time this is the latest news:

The fog which was causing problems in terms of helicopters being able to get into Isotorq has lifted. We thought this was good news as the scheduled helicopter flights would then recommence but not so. The schedule flights via Air Greenland it would seem, from discussion with Alan, have been taking weather information which is lagging behind the reality. So whilst the weather is clear they believe is still difficult to land.

Yesterday we had booked a chartered helicopter via Air Greenland but this had earlier experienced technical difficulties which are are now resolved, but it means our guys were way back in the queue for airlifts out of the east coast areas of Greenland.

behind in the queue and they are not guaranteeing anything date for collection but say Saturday would be the earliest.

Yesterday I had contacted the Inuit leader of the dogs and boats, who organised the dog teams to bring Alan and Peter off the ice. One option, is that on Saturday he will set sail to reach Isotorq from Tasiilaq to collect them. This will take two days each way. He has said that part of the problem in terms of the changing climate and unpredictability and extremes of the weather. There have been North Easterly storms which have compacted the ice into the shore making it very difficult to get the boats to reach the shore. In contrast Alan and Peter have reported that it is impossible to ski this journey because the unusually warm weather has created problems with skiing because there are several feet of melted ice on the surface. So we are now seeing at close quarters the impact of climate change which is challenging even the local Inuits who are experts in reading the ice and weather conditions.

As of 18:21 Thursday evening I received a call from Alan saying he had just met Hans, one of the dog handlers who with his girlfriend was planning to take a scheduled flight in the morning. So it may be that local knowledge is the best knowledge and I am going to try to verify this with the airline. Furthermore this has been verified with the Air Greenland base and If this collects them today before around midday local time they will hit the connections from Kusulak to Reykyavik, Iceland and then be overnight there ready for a return to the UK on Saturday.

Meanwhile Peter and Alan are keeping their spirits up and making positive use of the time. You will see in the section http://www.feetofgreen.com/gallery/on-the-ice-greenland-2008/ some of the latest photos form the Inuit community and the school there where Peter and Alan have given some lessons to the children.

The children have also sent a message back to schools in the UK and you will see this in the video section:http://www.feetofgreen.com/video-logs/

You will also see some of the images from the seal hunting which is taking place around them. We have had to think carefully about publishing these and on balance feel it is important for the schools in the UK to see life as it is amongst this Inuit culture, where survival is key, where the Inuit people respect the importance of the food chain and nature and where absolutely no resource goes to waste.

I will be posting an update as soon as I know more.

Richard Hale, 30/5/08

“We have been helping the local community clear up some of the waste that is lying around everywhere and were rewarded with coffee and biscuits in one of their houses so we passed a few hours on this on Saturday.

However the sea and bay around is melting so the locals have decided to go fishing for two days. As if this isn’t the quietest place in the world anyway now it is deserted.

People are getting in boats and also walking around the coast to set up fishing camps. They take rifles because of bears and a change of clothing and go and fish.

We have been informed that there is a very large pod of narwhal heading this way so they are excited as it feeds the dogs plus it is sunday dinner every week for ten months and they eat the skin as its full of nutrition. They are waiting to see if the pod comes into Isortorq bay - so exciting times here!

Many more photos have been and will be added to the On the Ice section of the gallery.

]]> http://www.feetofgreen.com/2008/05/ice-log-31st-may-2008/feed/ http://www.feetofgreen.com/2008/05/bbc-radio-bristol-feet-of-green-update-31st-may-2008/ http://www.feetofgreen.com/2008/05/bbc-radio-bristol-feet-of-green-update-31st-may-2008/#comments Sat, 31 May 2008 10:31:01 +0000 SHalward http://www.feetofgreen.com/?p=311 Click below for the BBC Radio Bristol interview where I provided an update on the Feet of green expedition and our efforts to get Alan and Peter out of Greenland.  Nothing more to report on that yet but I am in regular communications and will keep the website updates as soon as I have any news.

Richard

310508-radio-bristol-interview

UPDATE AT 13:00 HRS UK TIME 28th MAY 2008

Unfortunately Alan and Peter are currently stuck in the remote outpost of Isortoq in Greenland (Photographs below and in the On the Ice gallery section) which is where they were taken by the dogs as the las leg of their journey off the ice. They had planned to get airlifted out of Isortorq on Monday 26th and this was delayed due to bad weather. The fog has now lifted but the problem now is getting a helicopter to take them and there is a possibility they will be getting a boat led by a local Inuit. I am in regular phone contact with Alan and Peter and they are fine in terms of their health but naturally very frustrated at being stuck. There is food at the hamlet but it is such a remote place most of the locals survive by hunting - indeed yesterday Alan reported he had just seen an Inuit dig a hole in the ice, harpoon a seal and prepare it for consumption by the locals and the dogs.

I had been hoping their return will be delayed by just 24 hours so they would be back on Friday evening into Bristol but even this now is questionable.

I WILL KEEP THIS ICE LOG UPDATED WHENEVER I RECEIVE ANY NEWS OF THEIR MOVEMENTS OUT OF ISORTORQ.

Sandra Halward can be contacted on sandra@feetofgreen.com

RIchard Hale can be contacted on richard@feetofgreen.com

Advance notice…

Bristol Festival of Nature - Bristol Harbourside Sunday 8th June

If you are unable to come to the airport for the welcome home event then you may be interested in attending the talk that Alan, Peter and Richard will be giving at the Bristol Festival of Nature at the Bristol Harbourside on Sunday 8^th June at 12:15 – 1:00. Everyone is welcome to come along and hear first hand about the amazing Great British Mobility Group Feet of Green adventure.

Alan, Peter and I would all like to extend their huge thanks to all the directors of Great British Mobility Group for enabling the expedition to happen, namely to :

Peter Kitson

Tim Hedgecock

Rob Nicholson

Steve Lewis

and to all the staff at GBMG for their support.

They look forward to telling you first hand of the adventure on their return.

Richard