by Catherine Henderson-Ruff

“When I stood out and watched the first sunset in Antarctica, I felt more present than ever with neither internet nor car noises. It was a simple yet intricate first encounter.”
- Sherry Xue

In March, Chicago Voyagers showed our support of Northwestern student Sherry Xue’s Antarctica expedition by equipping her with some of our awesome gear. Sherry was one of an elite few selected by the 2041 Foundation to join the 2041 ClimateForce Antarctic Expedition in 2022.⁠

The Expedition

⁠Through lectures, shore landings, hikes, group discussions, workshops, and more, the Expedition trained participants on up-to-date climate science, sustainability, and leadership skills while equipping them with the tools to create meaningful impacts in their communities, institutions, companies, and governments to benefit this planet that we all call home.⁠

Sherry was one of 170 participants from 30+ nations who were nominated for this opportunity: a ‘carbon-negative’ expedition designed to inspire, develop, and train the next generation of leaders to promote a more sustainable future.

Why 2041?

The 2041 Foundation was founded by renowned polar explorer and sustainability leader Robert Swan O.B.E.

Swan was the first person to walk to both the North and South Poles. He has dedicated his life to the preservation of Antarctica through the promotion of recycling, renewable energy and sustainability to combat the effects of climate change.

The Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959, declared Antarctica to be a demilitarized zone. The treaty preserves Antarctica as a natural reserve, devoted to scientific research and environmental preservation.

Unfortunately, in 2041, the treaty allows for a new decision to be made about Antarctica. If the Antarctic Treaty isn’t renewed, there could be a renegotiation of the moratorium on mining in Antarctica, which could be absolutely devastating for the continent.

Antarctica is a critical bastion when it comes to climate change, deflecting the sun’s rays away from the Earth and keeping temperatures liveable. Even small amounts of melting of the ice sheets raises global sea levels, which causes global flooding.

Why Chicago Voyagers Loves This

“I’ve known for a while that life really is about the relationships we build. But for some reason, I didn’t expect that philosophy to extend to a place as distant as Antarctica.”
- Sherry Xue

Sherry’s experience in her expedition with the 2041 Foundation is in the same spirit that we host Journeys and Adventures that we host here at Chicago Voyagers.

By building relationships between youth, and helping to build their relationships with our environment, we foster a unique climate of mental health and environmental stewardship that allows program participants to truly find peace and self-actualization in nature.

We believe that experiential learning is invaluable to one’s life experience, and that communing with nature through expeditions like Sherry's benefits both the individual and our environment. This is especially true as we consider how to move forward with significant global health issues like climate change, an issue that is all too real in summer 2022.

Learn More

Sherry wrote a beautiful article about her experience, and you can read more about her amazing journey through her own words here: What I learned in Antarctica by Sherry Xue.

We are so glad to have been a small part of Sherry’s journey as a young leader creating a more sustainable future, and we are so looking forward to seeing what she does next!

Congratulations again from the Chicago Voyagers team, Sherry!