Environmental Expedition off the Florida Coast and to the Everglades

By Aya Anholt (Grade 10 student)



The Pangaea Young Explorers Program is a project consisting of twelve expeditions from 2008- 2012 created by extreme adventurer, Mike Horn. Mike Horn has embarked on unbelievable solo expeditions before this endeavor such as, ‘Latitude Zero’ and ‘Arktos’, the circumnavigation of the equator and the arctic circle, unmotorized. Previous expeditions from this project include the Antarctic Peninsula, the Himalayas, India, and the Gobi Desert. Mike’s goal is to expose youth to the world’s most beautiful nature, to share his wisdom and passion for outdoor exploration. This would then motivate young people aged 15-20 representing countries from around the globe to take initiative to protect our natural environment.

In September 2011, I was flown to Chateaux D’Oex, Switzerland, the location of the Pangaea Mike Horn headquarters for the selection camp. This was to decide which young people would participate in the expedition. Challenges that evaluated our teamwork, personality, and attitude are what followed, testing our mental and physical potential. As the selection camp drew to a close, I was informed that I was selected as one of the seven youth that would accompany Mike Horn on the Pangaea vessel in the Florida Coast.

There were youth representing four other nations that would be on the expedition: Germany, Switzerland, South Africa, New Zealand. I was the only Canadian, in fact the only person from North America. It was an honour being the youngest of the group, and the very first young explorer from Western Canada.

The expedition jump started in November 2011, and I realized that life on the Pangaea sailing vessel was entirely different from my life back home. Being that it was a constantly moving home, I quickly learned to adapt. The sail procedures, boat and anchor watches, and deck upkeep are all tasks that are expected when living aboard the ship. A new sense of accomplishment fulfilled us on the first day that we put all five human strength maneuvered sails up and solely ran on wind power.

The next challenge was the kayak expedition through the marsh lands of the Florida coast. We kayaked nearly two hundred kilometers from Key Largo, through Everglades National Park, around the southern tip of Florida and finally up to Chokoloskee Island in five days and five mosquito-filled nights. My physical limits were stretched, and mental energy was strengthened, as our group daily kayaked further than the horizon.

My first encounter with a shark in its natural habitat, took place during this trip. Our society tricks us into believing that sharks are blood thirsty, which is a common misconception. The world shark population is rapidly becoming endangered, mostly due to shark fining. The shark was less than a meter away, swimming with the fluid tail sway motion as sharks do, gliding through the clear calm sea grass filled water. I had never seen a creature quite this exquisite. The coastal saltwater mangroves are a life source that all the existing wildlife in the region is dependent on to thrive. While kayaking near the mangroves, we managed to see hundreds of species of sea animals and creatures of the sky, including flying fish called mullet, flamingos, the endangered manatee, a scorpion, laid back alligators and the great blue heron. It was then that I recognized how unbelievable this journey was, to be traveling through an environment that few have had the opportunity to discover.

The underwater discovery section of the expedition was truly remarkable, and I was completely out of my element after learning to scuba dive just a mere couple weeks before the expedition. My initial descent in the Florida Keys was a moment like no other. I sucked in a deep breath through my regulator as I took in all the brilliant colored coral, and abundance of tropical fish. Everything seemed unreal, resembling a childhood picture book, and in the warm water. When we did deep wreck dives, we entered confined narrow hallways, plunged down into dark rooms with no natural light to investigate, and felt our way to the exit when we had poor visibility. The night dive we executed was the highlight of my scuba diving experience in Florida. Molasses Reef was a completely different world after sundown. Throughout all the dives, I encountered many sea turtles, a sting ray, puffer fish, barracudas, a nurse shark, and a moray eel.

It is impossible for human beings to live beneath the surface of the water. This fact is intriguing, as one knows that the visiting hours are limited. Living temporarily underwater is the most remarkable sensation. A greater respect towards the marine life was developed within me during this diving experience in the Gulf of Mexico.

Nearing the end of the expedition, we completed a beach cleanup. Surveying the ocean debris in the area clearly illustrated the human impacts in the region. We conducted this experiment in a stretch of coastline mangroves in Key Largo, parallel to a highway. It allowed us to analyze the type of materials that people litter. Plastic bags, fishing nets, and drink cans were among the most reoccurring trash that we collected.

The Pangaea Young Explorers program has made me realize that young people are the leaders of tomorrow. It is necessary to build the foundation to act to preserve our natural environment now, not later. My bond with nature was energized, new life skills acquired, and international lifelong friendships were created. This experience motivated me to implement environmental stewardship projects back home, while translating this passion to others, and ensuring that other young people take advantage of this incredible opportunity.

You can learn more about future expeditions at www.mikehorn.com

The Sonic Junkies: The Melodic Melting Pot

By Chris Spangenberg, Grade 10

Music. Since forever mankind and humanity could remember, there has always been music. The haunting notes of a flute, played by a child in the middle of a battlefield. The rapid drumming of an African tribe member to instill courage in his fellow kin before heading off to battle. The simple, yet beautiful melody of a banjo strummed by a blind man in Mexico. The braggadocio stanzas issued from a young rapper living in the slums, to express his anger at his situation. The passionate agony flowing like an ocean from piano keys, which tells a story of bloody massacres and heartfelt personal pain. The art of noise has been mastered and perfected worldwide, by people of all ages, sizes, colours, cultures, and sexes. From Edith Piaf to Nina Simone, from the Wu-Tang Clan to Dumbfoundead; music has been, and always will be the ultimate melting pot.

Just think about it. In this generation, you can find a Cuban love song, nestled in between a hallucinogenic Dub track, and a nostalgic dark Britpop track, all in the very same album. I'm appreciative and upbeat that albums and artists like this exist; fusing and splicing together genres to create a virtual collage of symphonies and tunes. I believe more people should do this; cut and paste different sonic styles. It's a pinnacle of human society and culture. It unites the world in a spirit of belonging, and creation. Everyone has their own opinion on what the best genre, band, or song is of course. But ultimately, everybody gets together and belongs in this soundscape of rolling hills, vaudeville theatres, and weathered streets.





And that's what counts in the end.

The Mysterious Vase

By: Mana Moshkforoush, Gr. 8

      

Once upon a time, there was a land ruled by a very cruel and heartless king. The king had a daughter who seemed too perfect to be human. As soon as she walked into a room, everyone was silenced, awed by her mysterious beauty. As she carried herself, pale and slender, gracefully and elegantly she seemed like a queen, high and regal, with a strange air of mystery about her. She had dark, dark wavy hair, with strikingly pale blue eyes, blood-red plump lips, with what looked like a natural rose blush, brushed across her pale and lightly freckled face, and this porcelain face, that seems, if anyone had tried to hit it, would break into a million pieces.

The king was a man who took pleasure in scenes of death and one who could not easily be entertained unless there was violence involved. One day there was a ball at the palace. The king was watching his daughter and could see how the males in the room were mesmerized by her elegance and beauty. 

This gave him an amusing idea. 

The next day, the king had a very important announcement for the people of his country. There was going to be a contest where a vase would be hidden in the pool of the palace, the person who could swim to the bottom of the pool and bring back the vase could have his daughter’s hand in marriage. If one dove to the bottom of the pool and came back without the vase, he would be beheaded. 

It seemed like a very easy task, and so It only took days for all the men in the country to head to the palace to try and win the princess’s hand in marriage. Skilled and competitive swimmers from all over the country and the countries surrounding it confidently made their way to the palace. The swimmers each examined the pool before the contest began. Each one could see the refraction form of the vase in the pool. The contest began. 

One after the other, the men, skilled and non-skilled, dove to the bottom of the pool where they could see the vase, and after a few seconds swam furiously back to the surface without the vase. All of their excuses would be that they could clearly see the vase before they dove into the pool, but right when they entered into the clear blue waters there was nothing to be found. It was like the vase would suddenly disappear in front of their eyes. Too bad it would be their last time telling this tale, for each one was soon beheaded after failing. 

Many were scared but they would take a glance at the beautiful princess and would get fooled. The contest went on for days and nights for there were so many men in desire of the princess. There was one young man who was waiting for his turn to dive into the mysterious pool. After constantly hearing about all the men who had been killed, he left the palace and made his way to his father’s house. 

The young man’s father was a very very wise man. After listening to his son’s problems, he thought to himself and then understood how to get the vase, he then told his son and together, they came up with an idea. 

The next day the young man went back to the palace and waited until it was finally his turn. The young man went up to the king and asked him, "Do you solemnly promise to give me your daughter’s hand in marriage if I bring you the vase that is seen in the water?"
 

The king answered with a smirk on his face, "Yes, you have my word for it." The young man then turned back and walked towards the pool. He did not stop there, he passed the pool and came to a stop in front of the ancient tree beside it. He started climbing up the tree and disappeared into the leafy branches of the tree. After a few seconds he climbed back down with the vase. 

The huge crowd was in complete shock of what they had just witnessed. The young man explained to the startled crowd that the vase they could see in the water was only a reflection, and that the actual vase was hidden in the branches of the tree. The young man then took the vase to the king and placed it down in front of him. The king was still stunned and speechless. Finally the king asked the young man how he figured it out. The young man confessed that it was not his own wit but that of his father. The king then announced the young man soon to be his son in law and promised to give the young man’s father one of the most important positions in his council. 

          What I’m trying to say through this story, is that we should never let a thing's intrinsic quality or worth escape us. Look beneath the surface, go beyond appearances to try to perceive the true nature of something, do not get fooled by superficial glitter or plainness. 

"There are two sorts of curiosity - the momentary and the permanent. The momentary is concerned with the odd appearance on the surface of things. The permanent is attracted by the amazing and consecutive life that flows on beneath the surface of things."

~Robert Wilson Lynd

We, The Auto-Tuned

 By: Chris Spangenberg, Grade 10

Auto-tune: The number one killer of talented young women and men globally. The one thing that rappers and pop stars alike have a dying fetish for; the “finishing touches” to every good pop song these days. Or is it?  Auto tune, for those who don't know, is a audio tool used to correct mistakes when singing, or in these days, hide the fact that you can't sing.It was developed by Antares Audio Technologies, to disguise off-key inaccuracies and mistakes. I beg to differ. Auto-tune was a tool created by Satan, so that false icons can smear their guano all over the music industry, and enslave the minds of millions all over the world. A tool used by talentless, distasteful men and women to create mindless, distasteful music.

I don't hate it at all really. In the right hands, it is a useful tool in the virtual repertoire of singers and rappers, when they've ACTUALLY made a mistake. And not every auto-tuned song can be THAT bad.

But in the twisting and endless corridors of the music industry, I feel we've all taken a wrong turn somewhere. By inventing the damn thing. Many, many, many singers and rappers abuse it, and I have no idea why. You were born with an unique, beautiful voice. Why you would want to sound like a zombified android with a cold, strikes me dead. Music used to be good. Now most of the pop scene has turned into a reenact of “Dawn of the dead”: Mindless, soulless people, with drool coming out of their mouths, with the same stupid ideas... But hey, who am I to talk about music? I'm just another member of the enslaved after all.