Volunteer blogs

Blogging for change

During the Voyage for the Future, our participants - or Ambassadors for the Future - wrote blogs, recorded video and took lots of photos to record their thoughts and experiences.

For links to all or our participants' blogs, please scroll to the bottom of this page, past the slideshow of photographs from the trip.

Or, CLICK HERE for more information about our Ambassadors for the Future.

Day nine: Take action! Take action!

Playing with the huskies at the Polish research station at Hornsund, Svalbard

Russian volunteers Ekaterina and Dmitry describe the group's visit to a research station, and take one last trip in the Zodiacs, dodging jagged floating sea ice and bearded seals.

Today we made it to the Polish Research station in Hornsund. It was created in 1957 and ever since it has much improved: the station itself is modernly equipped, consists of several laboratories and bedrooms for the scientists. CLICK HERE to read more ...

Day eight: Whales and thoughts

The Voyage for the Future vessel, the Aleksey Maryshev

Swedish Ambassadors Nanny-Maja and Sven report for the Voyage for the Future ahead of their last night on the boat, and say the voyage for the present is just getting started.

Nothing beats the Arctic, this is the most beautiful place we’ve ever been, and for every day that passes out here it’s getting clearer and clearer to us how magnificent and wonderful the world is. CLICK HERE to read more ...

Day seven: Mind-blowing lecture

Voyage for the Future volunteers walk on a glacier on Svalbard.

Norwegian volunteers Karl Oskar and Maria are full of praise on their workshop on how to communicate climate change; the volunteers also visit a whale graveyard, and have a close encounter with a 'polar bear'.

We woke up to an amazingly sunny day with an even more amazing lecture on how to communicate climate change. CLICK HERE to read more ...

Day six: Dear prime minister ...

The Voyage for the Future team invite Norwegian PM Jens Stoltenberg to a meeting via YouTube.

Dutch Ambassadors Evanne and Michiel say that the Voyage for the Future group are so determined to meet the Norwegian prime minister, Jens Stoltenberg, they even made this YouTube video to invite him to a meeting.

These days are we learning a lot. Not only concerning technical stuff about climate change, but also how to communicate this with people who can really make a big difference. CLICK HERE to read more ...

Day five: Beach time

Voyage for the Future participants brave the chill and swim - in the freezing Arctic Ocean.

German Ambassadors, Greta and Johannes, describe the day's lecture on how climate change affects the marine environment, Zodiac speedboat exploration of a glacier, seal-spotting - and swimming in the freezing Arctic Ocean!!

When we woke up today in the harbour of Longyearbyen we could already see the sun shining. Our first thought: “This is a great day for a beach trip!” CLICK HERE to read more ...

Day four: This is why we're here

The Voyage for the Future group spot a polar bear on day four of the trip.

The volunteers experience the thrilling sight of a polar bear in the wild, hear a lecture from WWF International Arctic Programme director Dr Neil Hamilton, and explore icebergs in Zodiac speedboats.

By far our high of the day, this morning we saw our first polar bear – the King of the North Pole. Words cannot describe our excitement. It was incredible. CLICK HERE to read more ...

Day three: A little slice of heaven

Voyage for the Future volunteers exploring Svalbard.

The Ambassadors receive a lecture about climate change and the polar region, visit Ny-Alesund and Blomstand Halvoya, and conduct a brainstorming session.

Today, more than any day we have spent up here so far, we really realised that the Arctic is a little slice of heaven and we are so incredibly fortunate to have this amazing opportunity. Also, today made us appreciate how fast this oasis of ice is disappearing and will continue to disappear in years to come. The time to act is now! CLICK HERE to read more ...

Day two: Splish splash

The Voyagers for the Future take in the scenery during a walk on Svalbard

Hello world from the Canadian Ambassadors for Change (Jeremy and Jayme)!

We are now aboard the Alexsy Maryshev and we are speaking to you from the Arctic ocean, off the coast of Svalbard at approximately 78 degrees north. We are steaming our way northward around Prins Karls Forland to our destination of Ny-Alesund. In time, we plan to reach 80 degrees north, turning around just a stones throw away from the infamous pole. CLICK HERE to read more ...

Day one: Post from Longyearbyen, Svalbard

American participant, Ben Wessel, writes from the first stop on the Voyage for the Future.

Well, we made it! Today is day one in Svalbard, the Norwegian archipelago lying far north of the mainland within the Arctic Circle. As Michel Schuurman, one of our trip leaders from Holland, pointed out earlier today, nothing stands between us and the north pole! This place is truly awesome and I feel so lucky to be here! CLICK HERE to read more from Ben's blog.