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15 – 20 days
25 – 55k
The below itinerary represents the most recent iteration of the program. Alterations will be made to best fit the educational objectives of traveling participants.
The World Itinerary
Convening and London
DAYS 1-3
The group convenes in London and proceeds to our central accommodations. We spend the initial day deep in conversations about our individual learning plans that introduce a framework for our travels and bring the group together as a traveling team. We also set out to explore the remarkable architecture and historical sites of one of the world’s true ‘capital of capitals’. We then travel to Wakehurst, where we begin our focus on conservation through an immersion at the Millennium Seed Bank, a unique underground collection of over 2.4 billion seeds from around the world, held with the goal of conserving them for future generations. In sub-zero chambers constructed to be secure against floods, bombs, and radiation, seeds collected around the world are held as part of a global partnership. With Seed Bank scientists, we track the journey of a seed from the drying chamber through cleaning and processing to the research stations.
Travel
Day 4
Travel to London
Flights to Copenhagen and transfer to Thy, Denmark. Known as Denmark’s final frontier, the tiny hamlet in northwest Jutland is known for its legendary wind and tangled forests. Thy is an epicenter for wind energy, noteworthy as over 50 percent of Denmark’s electricity in 2020 was powered by wind and solar.
A Danish View of Renewable Energy
DAYS 5-6
Local experts lead us through an immersion of the renewables in the area, starting with the Østerlid windmill center. Students learn about wind and wind power in Denmark and witness the massive turbines firsthand. Østerlid engineers teach us how wind turbines function and the ways that the technology has evolved over time. We continue to the Nordic Folkecenter for Renewable Energy, meeting with the research team to see what constitutes innovation within renewable energy technologies. We close our time in Denmark with a hike through the sprawling Thy National Park, rippling with dunes, meadows, marshes and lakes, big and small and then return to Copenhagen to spend the night.
Copenhagen
Day 7
Copenhagen is a global leader in the development of sustainable urban spaces and internationally renowned for its cycling, sustainable construction, adaptation to climate change and ambitious CO2 targets. That is why we will spend the day getting to know the most important projects and end in CopenHill, at the largest climbing wall in the world and the allyearround ski slope. We close our time in Denmark with a hike through the sprawling Thy National Park, rippling with dunes, meadows, marshes and lakes, big and small and then return to Copenhagen to spend the night.
Greenland, Ilulissat and Boat to Glacier Lodge Eqi
Days 8-9
We will travel from Copenhagen to Ilulissat, Greenland and stay at the Eqi Glacier Lodge, located about 80 km north, only accessible by boat or helicopter. We pass by tiny settlements, steep fields, beautiful waterfalls and icebergs in incredible shapes and colors to reach our glamping accommodations.
Day 10
Over seven kilometers wide and over one kilometer thick, Kangia Sermeq is among the world ‘s largest glaciers. Students choose from a variety of excursions led by Inuit guides, ranging from dogsledding to kayaking to hiking, with the optional extension of a private helicopter ride to the Icefjord.
Days 11-12
Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, is a small city on the country’s southwest coast, with a lively waterfront is dotted with brightly colored houses against the backdrop of Sermitsiaq mountain.
Climate Research in Greenland
Day 13
We visit Pinngortitaleriffik, the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, where local scientists conduct research into Arctic ecosystems, monitor the living resources and the environment in Greenland and advise the authorities on sustainable exploitation of living resources and safeguarding the environment and biodiversity. We continue on to meet with scientists at the international Greenland Climate Research Center, learning more about the impact of climate change on arctic communities and ecosystems.