Johannesburg, South Africa
Flying into London on our way to Mozambique brought to mind
some of the great British explorers.
They were true explorers of life on Earth. These adventurous geographers, geologists, and biologists
covered the globe, charted new territories, and returned with unique specimens
both mineral and biological. Sir
Robert Falcon Scott and Sir Wilfred Thesiger are two such heroic explorers.
Scott’s incredible journey to discover the South Pole was
both heroic and tragic. The
British expedition reached the Pole just days after the successful Norwegian team
led by Roald Amundsen. On the
return trip to rejoin the remaining crew and provisions at their base camp, Scott and his men faced blizzards, the most challenging terrain on the planet,
and inadequate rations, yet they resolutely hauled the geologic specimens they had collected along the way. The cumbersome
collection of rocks was found with their frozen bodies the following year. The pursuit of science didn’t die with
them.
I had the good fortune to visit Scott’s Hut at Cape Evans on
Ross Island while working in the Antarctic. These men conducted scientific
research in some of the most challenging conditions in he world. They lived on seal meat, canned goods,
and penguin eggs when they could get them. The hut is now a museum of sorts
preserved by the frozen surroundings. Their expedition was comparable to a moon landing. The planning was extensive and the
courage to explore the unknown was more than admirable.
 |
The early explorers typically focused on a particular region
of the planet.
The modern explorer
has many options with our network of transportation to every continent.
|
Sir Wilfred Thesiger explored warmer climes and was infatuated
with deserts and their inhabitants in North and East Africa. He also conducted cultural studies of
the marsh Arabs of Southern Iraq. Besides achieving feats such as crossing
the Empty Quarter (Rub' al Khali) in Arabia, he also took stunning photos and wrote rich stories
of his expeditions. I met Sir
Wilfred Thesiger 25 years ago in his flat in London far from the deserts he
explored. The walls were decorated
with his own dramatic photos of Morocco, Ethiopia, and Arabia. There were also daggers and other relics
he picked up along the way. He
asked me if I could identify the skull on his desk.
“A large reptile,” I safely said. “Yes, a desert tortoise,” he explained with a story of
its way of life in the desert—"better adapted than the Bedouin." He too was
fascinated with the wildlife that lived in the arid regions he explored. Thesiger was nearly as well adapted to
these conditions as the people and wildlife he studied along the way. National Geographic named him the greatest explorer of the 20th century.
With this expedition to Mozambique we will also share photos
and rich stories of our discoveries in Gorongosa National Park. These endeavors are focused on
sustaining life on Earth. Our team represents E.O. Wilson's Life on Earth, the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, High Tech High, and the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology. We will
be conducting biodiversity surveys, collaborating in efforts to restore
Gorongosa National Park, partnering with local environmental education efforts,
studying human evolution and our origins, and discovering new stories within
this beautiful and dynamic place. Welcome to our journey to Gorongosa.
No comments:
Post a Comment