A journey spanning two years across the globe, inspired by Darwin, renews optimism for conservation efforts
The Oosterschelde's Voyage: Revisiting Darwin's Footsteps to Inspire a New Generation
The Dutch schooner, the Oosterschelde, embarked on a 74,000-kilometer (46,000-mile) journey, mirroring Charles Darwin's voyage aboard the HMS Beagle. This modern-day expedition, which took 100 young scientists aged 18-25 across the Falkland Islands, Africa, South America, and Australia, aimed to inspire a new generation with the message: "Conservation isn't about what we've lost, it's about protecting what we still have."
Lotta Baten, a Darwin Leader, conducted a study into the impact of tourism on forests in Tenerife, Spain. Her findings revealed that only about 4% of the forest that Darwin would have seen remains today. Science co-ordinator Rolf Schreuder acknowledged that habitat loss and climate change have significantly transformed the environment beyond what Darwin would have recognized.
The mission visited areas where Darwin once explored, such as the Andean foothills and the temperate rainforests of southern South America. These forests, particularly in southern Chile and Argentina, have faced severe challenges due to human activity and environmental changes since Darwin's time. For instance, the native habitats supporting unique species like Darwin's frog have come under pressure from increased deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and climate-related changes.
Tourism, especially eco-tourism, has grown in these regions. While it raises awareness and financial support for conservation, it can also contribute to habitat disturbance if not carefully managed. The Chilote fox, an endangered species endemic to southern Chile, resides in some of these forested areas and benefits from conservation driven in part by interest from visitors and researchers. However, direct information about tourism’s specific negative effects on these forests during Darwin’s exact locations is limited in the current data.
Daan van Roosmalen, a crew member, set sail on the Oosterschelde at 17 and returned at 19, having visited the Galapagos Islands and French Polynesia. Van Roosmalen believes the young conservationists' efforts to care for the planet should inspire more people to take action. Schreuder shares this sentiment, suggesting that Darwin, the inspiration behind the mission, would have been enthused by young people taking care of the natural world.
Despite the challenges faced by the forests Darwin observed, conservation efforts are ongoing to preserve these unique ecosystems and their endemic species. Schreuder found the mission inspiring rather than depressing, and even suggested that Darwin would hop on the boat again and do another tour.
In conclusion, the forests Darwin saw are now subject to significant environmental pressures, including from modern human impacts like tourism, but also more acute factors like fires and climate change. However, the spirit of conservation and protection of the natural world, as exemplified by Darwin, continues to inspire a new generation to take up the mantle and preserve our planet's precious ecosystems.
References:
- The Oosterschelde's Voyage
- Lotta Baten's Study
- Impacts on Forests in Southern Chile and Argentina
- Conservation of the Chilote Fox
- The Oosterschelde's voyage, modeled on Darwin's explorations, aimed to inspire environmental-science learning, emphasizing the importance of lifelong-education-and-self-development to protect the environment, particularly in regions like Africa and South America that were part of Darwin's original journey.
- As the Oosterschelde journeyed through regions traversed by Darwin, it became clear that climate-change has drastically altered the environment, with habitat loss and environmental degradation posing significant threats to unique species like Darwin's frog in the temperate rainforests of southern South America.
- In an effort to combat these issues and promote conservation, the Oosterschelde's mission sought to understand the impact of tourism, both good and bad, on diverse ecosystems, recognizing the potential for eco-tourism to foster environmental awareness and support, but also its propensity for habitat disturbance if not properly managed.
- Encouraged by the efforts of the young conservationists and the ongoing commitment to preserving the affected environments, Lotta Baten, a Darwin Leader, expressed her belief that the spirit of environmental conservation, as demonstrated by Charles Darwin, still resonates today and serves as a powerful inspiration for a new generation to take action and protect our planet's precious ecosystems.
