Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Jenkins Expeditions : North Pole Expedition 2008  (North Pole Expedition ‘08)

Outline
We aim to trek to the North Pole as a two man team. Starting and ending in the Arctic region, we will depart from Northern Canada and man-haul sledges to the ‘Geographical North Pole’ via the ‘Magnetic North Pole’. Leaving in mid February of 2008 and finishing in early June, a total of approximately three and a half months will be spent on the ice. We have given ourselves a large time window allowing for bad weather and open water. The proposed method of transport is by skiing and snowshoe. This will ensure a low-impact, low pollution journey. All waste will be collected and disposed of on Canadian soil as per their requests. Our primary aims are to raise awareness of the fragility of our environment and to highlight the importance of the polar regions. By educating the young and old alike through our website and raising awareness of the IPY, we believe this is possible. Whilst on route, we wish to aid the scientific community by gathering snow/ice data. We hope that the information we collect will further research into climate change.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
We will be exploring otherwise seldom travelled areas on our expedition to the North Pole. In collecting data for scientific research we hope to contribute to the expansion of our understanding of the current state of the polar environment and its changing climate. Because the nature of the expedition is exploration and adventure, it appeals to a global audience as well as to the youth. Through an informative website, links to www.ipy.org and post expedition talks and media attention, we aim to educate people about the effects of climate change and the beauty of the polar regions. Considering our relatively young age, we believe that we will have a large influence over the youth of our generation.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
There is not much international collaboration as the scale of the expedition is small and self supported. We will be using the services of and working with people and companies from the UK, Greenland, Canada and our home country of South Africa.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
We will fly into Cape Isachsen via Resolute Bay in Nunavut, Canada. Departing Cape Isachsen on foot we will trek to the Geomagnetic North Pole over the sea ice and continue to the North Pole. The latitudes we will be operating in will be between 79°N and 90°N.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 02/08 – 06/08            
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
There will be no support systems as the nature of the project is an unsupported expedition.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
There will be no physical impact or infrastructure left behind. We will, however, maintain the website and continue the message of sustainable environmental responsibility into future expeditions.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
The “Jenkins Expeditions : North Pole Expedition 2008” is an independent, unsupported expedition and as such is funded through sponsorship.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
Yes

The project is an autonomous expedition.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The project will be organised and managed by Morgan Jenkins of “Jenkins Expeditions”.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
We will educate through an up-to-date and informative website with links to www.ipy.org. It is envisioned that a large portion our audience will be South African and as such our expedition will highlight climate change both in the polar regions and in South Africa. We believe the polar regions are the responsibility of all nations and our changing climate should be addressed on a global scale. We wish only to do our part.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
All data collected will be available freely and as of 07/2008. It will be available to download off the website and through the “National Snow and Ice Data Center” (NSIDC) or another such organisation.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
The project will be privately funded as well as by corporate and private sponsorships.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
None

PROPOSER DETAILS

Mr Morgan Jenkins
“Jenkins Expeditions”
P.O.Box 916-1570
Garsfontein East, Pretoria
0060
South Africa

Tel: +27 12 9987408
Mobile: no
Fax: no
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation