Press Releases
Historic DARWIN200 Expedition Reaches New Zealand, Advancing Global Conservation Efforts
The iconic DARWIN200 voyage aboard the historic Dutch Tall ship OOSTERSCHELDE is in New Zealand during its two year planetary conservation mission retracing Charles Darwin’s voyage of The Beagle.
The ship arrived in Whangarei in early October where it underwent some well deserved rest recuperation having sailed over 22,500 nautical miles since its departure from Plymouth, just over one year ago.
On Thursday 17th October a new group of DARWIN Leaders joined the ship to immerse themselves in local environmental conservation projects.
The ship will sail to Auckland where members of the public can have a tour of the ship during an Open Ship on Sunday 27th October 11:00 hrs and 13:00 hrs and 13:30 hrs to 16:30 hrs – The ship will me moored at the quay at Princes Wharf West and open to the public.
Charles Darwin’s time in New Zealand was brief but marked by a series of significant observations and experiences that contributed to his broader understanding of natural history, geology, and the impact of European colonisation on indigenous cultures. He visited New Zealand during the final leg of his voyage on the HMS Beagle, arriving in the Bay of Islands on December 21, 1835, and staying until January 30, 1836.
Meet The Darwin Leaders
Darwin Leader Moana Tepano from Rapa Nui, Chile
Project: Mohimohi Moana, is a project led by Howard Reti of Ngatiwai Ki Whangaruru, a Māori subtribe in the Bay of Islands, NZ. Moana will focus on the challenges of restoring an aqua space for indigenous communities to gather customary food from the shoreline. Moana’s project will look into issues of biodiversity loss, ecosystem imbalances, climate change, and pollution. It aims to protect the marine environment through community-led initiatives and education. During field visits, Moana will engage in experiential learning. Moana will direct three films to be shot and edited by camera operator Elliot Connor, from Bristol, UK.
Darwin Leader Enrique Haag, from Puerto Montt, Chile
Project: Sea urchin barrens – how to deal with this ecosystem induced imbalance. Enrique, an engineering student, passionate about developing practical solutions for conservation, will look into how scientists and communities are addressing the explosion of sea urchin populations creating areas devoid of kelp forests. Enrique will investigate the science being carried out to understand the problem and engage with the community of Leigh (north of Auckland) to see how they are trained to address the issue. Enrique will direct three films to be shot and edited by camera operator Olivia Allum from Wellington, NZ.
Darwin Leader Nardi de la Torre, from Quito, Ecuador
Project: Can we save bittern from extinction in New Zealand? The ecologist Alex Flavell-Johnson will guide Nardi to understand the efforts of the communities to save the critically endangered Australasian bittern in New Zealand. With fewer than 1,000 bitterns remaining, habitat loss and predation are key threats. Nardi will be involved in the “Great Matuku-Muster” a community-driven, nationwide monitoring to estimate the bittern population and measure conservation success in Mangawhai wetland, Northland, NZ. The activities will include monitoring, participating in a wetland restoration workshop, and predator control. Nardi will direct three films to be shot and edited by camera operator and wildlife filmmaker Franco Elgueta, from Viña del Mar, Chile.
Since its departure from Plymouth, one year ago, the historic tall ship Oosterschelde has docked in over 26 ports, and hosted over 80 exceptional DARWIN Leaders representing over 40 countries. The work carried out has covered a rainbow of critically important conservation projects from endangered giant tortoises to howler monkeys, golden lion tamarins, orchids, penguins, albatrosses, reef fish, dolphins and more. Thousands of children around the world have visited the Oosterschelde and many have sailed aboard her on day trips, attended live events and tuned into our weekly educational broadcasts ‘The World’s Most Exciting Classroom’ all inspired by Charles Darwin’s HMS Beagle voyage that famously ignited a scientific revolution almost two centuries ago.
The magnificent Oosterschelde has navigated across the Atlantic, south along the coast of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, to the Falkland Islands, through the Straits of Magellan, north through the glacier-strewn Chilean Fjords and along the arched western coast of South America. In May the ship finally arrived in the Galápagos Islands, the place that famously inspired Darwin’s theory of natural selection, which became the foundation of evolutionary biology.
Research projects during the voyage include surveys of seabirds, so far, over 300 species have been recorded via thousands of observations over the last year, as well as studies of cetaceans, ocean plastics, coral reef health surveys and a comprehensive survey of invertebrates across the Pacific, which has resulted in the discovery of several new species that children around the world will shortly select names for.
Download the full press release here.
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