Exceptional Darwin Leaders to drive global change over the coming decades
CHANGE THE WORLD
Join us as we embark on a journey of discovery to re-trace Charles Darwin’s voyage around the globe.
CHANGE THE WORLD
Join us as we embark on a journey of discovery to re-trace Charles Darwin’s voyage around the globe.
OUR MISSION
DARWIN200 is a planetary conservation initiative which aims to change the world for the better.
We are sailing a historic tallship around the world following Charles Darwin’s voyage aboard HIMS Beagle two centuries ago.
Using our ship as a floating laboratory and media platform, we will harness the legacy of Charles Darwin’s passion for natural history to engage worldwide audiences and advance global conservation.
Discover our project goals below & join our mission.
Where are we on our Global Voyage?
Our journey will consist of 32 voyage legs and we will be making landfall at key locations where Charles Darwin stepped ashore. But where are we now….
50.3755° N, 4.1427° W
DEPARTED
15th AUG
2023
FROM
PLYMOUTH UK
01
GOAL 1
EMPOWER
Train exceptional DARWIN, LEADERS, one from each of 200 countries and states around the world. These young conservationists will become tomorrow’s environmental leaders.
02
GOAL 2
INSPIRE
Create the WORLD’S MOST EXCITING CLASSROOM to reconnect global audiences with nature, science and conservation.
03
GOAL 3
solve
Undertake citizen science RESEARCH PROJECTS tackling many of the world’s most critical environmental problems to engage global audiences in practical solutions.
DARWIN Leaders
DARWIN200 is selecting the world’s top young (18+ year old) conservationists – one from each of two hundred countries and states around the world.
These exceptional young conservationists (known as ‘Darwin Leaders’) are carefully chosen for their abilities, initiative and determination. Many have already accomplished inspiring conservation feats (such as setting up projects to save endangered species or efforts to educate audiences in their home countries). All show the raw, burning passion to protect the natural world and drive positive change for a better future.
From August 2023 to July 2025, groups of 4-8 Darwin Leaders will travel to our ship in each of the ports Charles Darwin visited, using our ship as a floating laboratory and media platform.
World’s Most Exciting Classroom
During the DARWIN200 2023-2025 Global Voyage, our goal is to engage with millions of students at schools across the planet via continuous streams of free online activities, research projects, experiments, lectures, competitions and weekly ‘nature hour’ events.
We call these outreach activities ‘the world’s most exciting classroom’.
All our outreach activities will be completely free of charge for students, teachers and the general public. Our goal is to engage 200 million students worldwide during our two-year global voyage and for years to come.
Research
In continuation of Charles Darwin’s work aboard HMS Beagle, the DARWIN200 ship will offer a unique platform to support 8 research projects into many of the world’s most critical environmental problems. Results will be displayed via live data feeds, results presentations, online lectures and interviews with the professional teams of researchers behind each initiative.
12.02.1809 – 19.04.1882
CHARLES DARWIN
In 1831, at the age of 22, Charles Darwin stepped aboard HMS Beagle in Plymouth, England to being a five year journey around the world. DARWIN200 builds on Charles Darwin’s legacy to educate global audiences about the threats our planet faces and the inspiring conservation work that can save the natural world.
FACTS &
FIGURES
200
200
Million
Reaching 200 million students worldwide
50
Meter
Historic tall ship Oosterschelde
32
Voyage Legs
8
Interactive Citizen Science Research Projects
2023
Voyage starts
The Global Voyage will be undertaken aboard the historic 50 metre long tall ship Oosterschelde. Built in 1918, this uniquely restored, three masted schooner is one of the most beautiful historic vessels afloat.
press releases
Meet the World’s Oldest Living Land Animal – Jonathan the Giant Tortoise! ✨🐢
Join our next World’s Most Exciting Classroom episode on Thursday, May 15 at 9am ET / 2pm UK.
🌍 The Oosterschelde has landed on St. Helena – and we’re bringing the island to your classroom!
Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/qE5GKam5UdA
🎥 Highlights include:
🐢 Meet Jonathan, the 192-year-old Seychelles Giant Tortoise
🦈🐧 Shark cage diving & penguin encounters in Gansbaai
🔬A classroom-friendly science experiment
🎁 Kahoot quiz with a $50 gift card prize
🤔 A brand new Curiosity of the Week
Perfect for students, educators & curious minds of all ages. Don’t miss it!
#Darwin200 #WorldsMostExcitingClassroom #JonathanTheTortoise #StHelena #ScienceEducation #LiveLearning #ClassroomAdventure
Our eyes are always on the horizon – flying fish, seabirds, and maybe even a whale tail. Every nautical mile brings a new discovery.
Today’s highlight: a Shearwater, effortlessly skimming across glassy seas.
📸 Photo: @joshclarkephotos
#Darwin200 #MarineLife #oosterschelde #birdsatsea
After 13 days of beautiful sailing from Cape Town, the Oosterschelde and her crew made it to St. Helena. Everyone on board is excited to see what this tiny, remote island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean has to offer. Thank you to all of our fantastic guests who made this voyage so memorable and we look forward to welcoming many of you back to join us on our next trip!
📸 @joshclarkephotos
#darwin200 #Leg29 #CapeTowntoStHelena #atlanticocean #ExpeditionAdventure #Oosterschelde #SailingToInspire #LifeAtSea #Capetown #sthelena #VoyageHighlights #oosterschelde
From watch shifts to deck work, cleaning to stargazing – our guests and crew are embracing every salty second of life aboard the Oosterschelde.
It’s hands-on, all-in, and unforgettable.
📸 Photo credit: Josh Clarke
#Darwin200 #SailingLife #Oosterschelde
From science to sail work, every day onboard Oosterschelde is full of purpose.
🔬 Our onboard researcher Mariana has been busy collecting eDNA samples to help us understand marine biodiversity in the deep.
🌊 Meanwhile, everyone’s been hands-on with the lines and sails – learning the ropes (literally!) and keeping the beautiful Oosterschelde tall ship moving forward.
Adventure, learning, and teamwork all in one.
Photo credit: Josh Clarke
#Darwin200 #CitizenScience #SailingLife #Oosterschelde
Charles Darwin visited St Helena in 1836. Nearly 200 years later, DARWIN200 sails in his wake aboard the Oosterschelde – exploring, documenting, and protecting our natural world, while inspiring the next generation to do the same.
Less than 1,200 nautical miles now separate us from this remarkable island. The DARWIN200 journey continues!
Photo Credit: Josh Clarke
#Darwin200 #DarwinLegacy #HistoryMeetsFuture #oosterschelde
📅 Tomorrow, Thursday, 8th May
🕘 9am Eastern / 2pm UK
Watch live or afterwards via the link in our bio.
We’ve just set sail from Cape Town, and this episode is packed with incredible stories and live science:
Hear from big cat biologist Andrew Stein, founder of CLAWS, who tracks lions in Botswana to reduce conflict with local communities
Darwin Leader Thiago Costa shares his work with octopus fishers in Peru
Joe brings video and photos from shark cage diving and penguin conservation in South Africa
Try out a new classroom science experiment
Play Kahoot for a chance to win a $50 gift card for your class
Discover the latest Curiosity of the Week
Don’t miss it—this is one of our most exciting line-ups yet.
#Darwin200 #WorldsMostExcitingClassroom #STEMeducation #LiveLearning
After the sun sets and the world has gone to sleep, the Oosterschelde and her crew sail on through the night.
When you’re sailing, you’re at the mercy of the ocean and she never rests. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week there is someone manning the helm with a team standing by to set sail however the wind decides.
This trip, we are mostly sticking to the trade winds that have carried ships around these oceans for hundreds of years, so light breezes carry us downwind at a steady speed of 4-5 knots.
These consistent winds and light sail work give the voyage crew a chance to sit back and appreciate their place as a tiny spec of light in what seems like an endless sea of black.
📸 @joshclarkephotos
#darwin200 #Leg29 #CapeTowntoStHelena #atlanticocean #ExpeditionAdventure #Oosterschelde #SailingToInspire #LifeAtSea #Capetown #sthelena #VoyageHighlights #oosterschelde #midnight #nightsailing
Our first week since leaving Cape Town has been jam packed with everything you could ask for from a sailing trip! Beautiful weather, great sailing, good fishing, plenty of wildlife and great company! What more can you want?
We are now well over half way to St. Helena and look forward to seeing what else this part of the Atlantic has to offer!
#darwin200 #Leg28 #CapeTowntoStHelena #atlanticocean #ExpeditionAdventure #Oosterschelde #SailingToInspire #LifeAtSea #Capetown #sthelena #VoyageHighlights #oosterschelde
Join the World’s Most Exciting Classroom – LIVE! 🌍
Get ready for another episode of the World’s Most Exciting Classroom today, Thursday, May 1st at 9AM Eastern / 2PM UK time!
Watch live or later on YouTube via the link in our bio.
We’ve got a jam-packed program lined up:
🌊 The Oosterschelde has just set sail from Cape Town after an unforgettable few weeks with Darwin Leaders and incredible conservation action. Join us for an inside look at what’s next!
Special guest Hailey Shchepanik from the Vancouver Aquarium returns to share her adventures sailing with us from Sydney to Hobart.
Go on safari with Joe as he shares stunning photos and footage from tracking wild dogs, lions, leopards, and more in the Greater Kruger!
Try a new classroom experiment—easy to replicate and sure to spark curiosity.
Play Kahoot for a chance to win a $50 gift card for your class!
Discover our latest Curiosity of the Week… and much more!
Don’t miss out 🌎📚
#Darwin200 #WorldsMostExcitingClassroom #STEMeducation #LiveLearning #YouthForNature
After an amazing few weeks in Cape Town, we’ve officially set sail on Leg 29 of our global voyage! 🌊⛵
Our next destination is the remote and historic Saint Helena Island, a fascinating outpost in the South Atlantic known for its natural beauty and unique wildlife.
So far, the Oosterschelde has covered over 36,250 nautical miles during a journey that has spanned just over 597 days. Our voyage is empowering up to 200 young environmentalists worldwide through hands-on conservation in the same places Darwin explored nearly 200 years ago.
The adventure continues as we follow in Darwin’s footsteps – sharing discoveries, science, and stories from the ocean along the way.
📸 Photo credit: @tomdixonfilm @joshclarkephotos
#Darwin200 #Leg29 #CapeTownToSaintHelena #VoyageOfDiscovery #SailingAdventure #ScienceAtSea #YouthForNature #oosterschelde
🌍 Two Weeks. Countless Moments. One Mission.
As the second week of the DARWIN200 Leaders programme in Cape Town comes to a close, we’re reflecting on an unforgettable two weeks of learning, sharing, and connecting — all in the name of conservation.
From rescuing sea turtles and observing urban baboons, to diving into the secrets of fynbos and carnivorous plants, our brilliant young leaders from across Africa have spent the past fortnight immersed in hands-on fieldwork, expert mentorship, and community engagement.
💬 “These two weeks have changed how we see the natural world — and our role in protecting it.”
To our NGO’s, sponsors, mentors, and partner organisations — thank you. And to our Darwin Leaders: your passion, curiosity, and commitment give us so much hope for the future.
#Darwin200 #DarwinLeaders #CapeTownConservation #YouthInScience #AfricanLeadership #EnvironmentalStewardship #ScienceForChange #BiodiversityChampions #CapeTownToTheWorld
🎭 Darwin: A Curious Mind – A theatrical tribute that left a mark over the past two weeks, Darwin: A Curious Mind played to full houses and standing ovations at the Galloway Theatre, with encore performances in Simon’s Town on 19 & 20 April – all as part of the DARWIN200 celebrations.
Written with sensitivity and depth by Sir Alexander McCall Smith, this extraordinary play offered a rare window into the life and inner world of Charles Darwin. Through a brilliant performance, audiences were taken on an emotional and intellectual journey that brought the man behind the science to life in new ways.
The response was overwhelming – a testament to the power of theatre to connect us to history, curiosity, and the timeless relevance of Darwin’s ideas.
#Darwin200 #DarwinACuriousMind #CharlesDarwin #AlexanderMcCallSmith #CapeTownTheatre #SimonsTown #TheatreRecap
⛰️⛵ Where History Meets the Horizon
The Oosterschelde sailed past Table Mountain, bathed in golden light — a perfect symbol of the DARWIN200 voyage, where heritage, nature, and exploration converge.
Along the way, nature put on a show: we spotted a Southern Right Whale, a pod of Common Dolphins, Heaviside’s Dolphins, and Cape Fur Seals — a reminder of the richness we’re here to understand and protect.
As she retraces Darwin’s historic route, this Dutch tall ship is more than just a vessel — she’s a moving classroom, an ambassador for conservation, and a beacon for young scientific minds across the globe.
Cape Town, you’ve helped shape not only memories, but the minds that will shape the future of conservation.
Photo credit: @joshclarkephotos
#Darwin200 #Oosterschelde #TableMountain #CapeTownSunset #SailingHistory #CharlesDarwin #TallShip #OceanExploration #NatureAndLegacy
🌿 Adapting to Survive – Lessons from the Cederberg
“My experience of Cederberg has been amazing – from the interconnected mountain views to the incredible diversity of fynbos species that have evolved to thrive in harsh conditions.”
As part of the Darwin Leaders programme, Loswitha Murugani from Zimbabwe explored the Cederberg Wilderness Area alongside world-leading fynbos botanist Rupert Koopman. Together, they are studying one of the most remarkable ecosystems on Earth — where plants like the ancient cedar tree, capable of living up to 500 years, have developed strategies to survive wildfires, low-nutrient soils, and rocky terrain.
This wasn’t just a field study — it was a powerful reminder that resilience and adaptation are key to survival. Lessons from nature, rooted in deep time.
#Darwin200 #DarwinLeaders #Fynbos #Cederberg #BotanyInTheField #AdaptToSurvive #YouthInConservation #SouthAfricanFlora #BiodiversityMatters #LoswithaMurugani #RupertKoopman #FieldworkReflections
Join the DARWIN200 Community and follow our Journey of Discovery
Sign up to our newsletter and follow the DARWIN200 global voyage as we sail around the world.