Field Notes: Volume 2, Issue 5

Dear Friends,

Last week I shipped WINGS Flag #14 to Sunniva Sorby so she can carry it with her to Svalbard, Norway. Sunniva and her expedition partner, Hilde Fålun Strøm, will spend 9-months in living in a trapper's hut with no running water or electricity, and in complete darkness for 90 days. They plan to record and broadcast extreme climate change events as they happen, in real time. Stay tuned for an invitation to our live-stream broadcast from Svalbard.

Flag #14 started its life in 2007 in North Africa, and has since been to the Ganges in India, the Arctic waters of Canada, and Antarctica with the Homeward Bound women’s leadership initiative. All of these expeditions were spearheaded by teams of women studying issues affecting global sustainability, such as climate change, access to safe water, and how women will be key stakeholders in the solutions.

Each WINGS Flag has a story, and each Flag Carrier chooses which flag they will take on their expedition, whether it’s because of the landscapes that flag has seen, the inspiration of prior carriers, or the issues studied during its journeys. We are proud to share the stories, results and lessons learned with you through the Flag Reports, Explorer Talks, interviews, and other avenues.

Yours in exploration,

Yael Jekogian

In this issue:

• Alexandra Morton and the battle over salmon

• Save the date for a WINGS Junior Council event with Kate Harris

• Kristi Karanth is a 2019 Rolex Award winner

• And more from Edie Widder, Jill Tarter, Meenakshi Wadhwa, Vera Rubin and Sylvia Earle