Exploring Science by Crossing the Ocean
Julie Angus Rowed Across the Atlantic to Observe Nature Directly
Oct 17, 2008
After rowing across the Atlantic Ocean from Portugal to Costa Rica, Julie Angus (then Julie Wafaei) wrote Rowboat in a Hurricane (Greystone Books, 2008). On the website of Angus Adventures, Julie says she now devotes her time to exploring nature directly. Suite101 asked Julie about making a living as an adventurer - scientist, keeping science education on the agenda at any age, her favourite online science resources, and finally, about the risks of combining science and adventure.
How do Adventurers and Explorers Support Themselves?
Suite101: Is there a business opportunity in scientific expeditions such as yours? You work in a non-traditional niche that complements the traditional education system. How does this fit with the practicalities of making a living?
Julie Angus: It can be extremely difficult to make a living as an adventurer. Support for my row across the Atlantic came from several sources, including sponsors and advance book royalties, but much of it was self-financed. My husband and I put all our savings into the journey and then took on quite a bit of debt, hoping that we could recoup it afterward through our film and book tour, which we thankfully did.
Environmental Education for All Ages
Suite101: The education of school children is undeniably important, but how do you think environmental education and scientific literacy can stay on the agenda - or return to the radar screen - of people of all ages?
Julie Angus: I think media can play a tremendous role in this. The more we see science explained in a way that is understandable, interesting and relevant to our lives, the more we embrace it. It’s also important for universities and teaching institutes to reach out to the public and share their research through public lectures targeted to a general audience. Scientific literacy is more important now than ever as we battle with one of the biggest challenges our planet has faces, but the relatively low profile climate change has had in this [2008 Canadian] federal election is a tell-tale sign that we need to do more.
Science Websites and Information Sources
Suite101: What websites, blogs, or traditional media do you think are effective at getting people excited and informed about science?
Julie Angus: Fortunately there are many places you can go for your science fix. Two of my favourite online resources are Grist for environmental headlines and SeaWeb for marine news. And of course, Suite101.com has a fantastic repertoire of articles covering a broad spectrum of topics in science and environment.
Managing the Risks When Rowing Across the Atlantic
Suite101: Do you take a lot of risks on your rowing expeditions? It looks life-threatening.
Julie Angus: There are inherent dangers due to uncontrollable factors, such as the weather, that will always be there regardless of preparedness. Nonetheless, we did as much as we could to minimize these risks. On our boat we carried back-ups for all essential equipment, including our desalinator and satellite phone, and materials to fix everything else. We chose our route across the Atlantic to minimize our exposure to storms by avoiding the hurricane belt during hurricane season, but clearly that didn’t work as we were hit by two oddball hurricanes – the most eastern hurricane in history and another which formed after the storm season ended.
Julie shares more of her ideas in the article Learning Through Exploration with Julie Angus: National Geographic Adventurer of the Year Observes Nature.
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