“The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man.” ― Author Unknown

With proposed budget cuts on the table that would put our wild lands and natural resources at risk, and an administration that is dismissing science and scientific evidence as fantasy, there is no more important time in our history to emphasize our critical need for wilderness. As educators and scientists, outdoor enthusiasts and artists, our mission is to educate and inspire folks of all ages and backgrounds to get outdoors, act sustainably, care about the earth and the diverse peoples, cultures, and wild things it nurtures, and get involved protecting the things they are most passionate about.

Iceland has given us reason for hope. It is a country that has transformed itself within a fifty year span from almost total reliance on fossil fuels to being a renewable-energy powerhouse. One hundred percent of Iceland’s electricity and heat comes from indigenous renewables (hydropower and geothermal), and nine out of ten homes in Iceland are heated directly with geothermal energy.

Iceland is also a country that is investing heavily in education and the future of its youth. From keeping a university education accessible and affordable for all, to promoting innovation and collaboration within its schools, we found hope and inspiration in the schools we visited and the teachers and students we spoke with here.

In case you missed Aaron’s Instagram posts during our Iceland trek, we encourage you to check them out, as they provide some great insight into the philosophies behind adventure learning, and the reason that we care so much about this changing earth and the amazing diversity of life, human and otherwise, that is found here. We leave you with these thoughts, and encourage you to step outside today and #choose2care about the beautiful world beyond.

The more one explores, the more we all gain. That’s the basic principle behind my life’s work, something I call #AdventureLearning. . It all started when I was a middle school teacher and realized that the best way to teach is to inspire. To hook students with an experience that they can engage in, one they can become immersed in, one they can practically FEEL. Like the wind-ridden, uninhabitable highland #desert you see here, which my team and I crossed the only way possible–by ski and snowshoe–and then captured with a drone and shared videos of, practically live. . I’ve now spent over 15 years pushing the limits of #adventure and #technology in this way. For this project, the point is to bring lessons about #thechangingearth into classrooms and homes around the world. And while my time in the field has shown me the importance of providing quality educational content (personal challenges be damned) and of innovating (this year we made VR videos too), I’ll know everything we’ve done is worth it when people follow along, share and even more important, take action against #climatechange in their own locales. . So that’s my ask of you. How will you create change around the issue you value most? Whatever corner of this beautiful #earth you live in, I hope you’ll #choose2care about science. Or #choose2care about the environment. Or #choose2care about other cultures who need you to give them a voice. Please, get outside, educate yourself about the world and people who are not like us, and then show others how they can #choose2care about that too. . . Just think: if each of us do that, all of us win. . #scienceserves #sciencematters #wind #outdoorlife #leadership #travelwithmeaning #mnproud #Iceland #expedition #neverstopexploring #instatravel #adventure #liveyourtruth #inspodaily #stayandwander #teachersofinstagram #adventuretravel #passionpassport #pioneeringspirit #makeadifference

A post shared by Aaron Doering (@chasingseals) on Mar 14, 2017 at 5:32pm PDT

Even when so much looks the same, life can hold a vastly different experience for each of us. Take the Chukotka people of the #Arctic, for example. Though they live at almost the exact same latitude as the people I recently met in #Iceland, their situations couldn't be more different. . The Chukotka are a group of nomads who live in yaranga tents, traveling with reindeer in a subsistence life. With a population said to be around only 15k, the members of their community earn an average of only US $165 yearly and are struggling to make a life in this post-Soviet period. In fact, if it wasn’t for Roman Abramovich, who has invested billions, the infrastructure would not be what it is today. . Comparing that with the gorgeous #geothermal energy system coursing through Iceland is perhaps just as breath-taking as the experience of flying from Nome, #Alaska across the Bering Strait to Providenyia, #Russia with planes full of dogs, dogsleds and all our gear was for me. So, for this #FlashbackFriday, I wanted to remind you how much we learn when we take the opportunity to #explore, experience and appreciate other cultures. . #scienceserves #sciencematters #outdoorlife #travelwithmeaning #mnproud #expedition #neverstopexploring #instatravel #adventure #liveyourtruth #inspodaily #stayandwander #teachersofinstagram #adventuretravel #passionpassport #Chukotka #tentview

A post shared by Aaron Doering (@chasingseals) on Mar 17, 2017 at 7:07am PDT