A ship named Oosterschelde has embarked on a two-year voyage from the south coast of England to retrace the journey taken by Charles Darwin nearly 200 years ago. This journey led to his groundbreaking theory of evolution. The ship’s mission, known as Darwin200, aims to inspire and train a new generation of naturalists and conservationists by working on projects related to species discovered by Darwin.
Around 200 young naturalists and conservationists from various parts of the world will participate in the project. The ship will serve as a floating laboratory both at sea and in port, allowing participants to study and work on projects to conserve species facing extinction.
The voyage is designed to bring hope for the future and raise awareness about the importance of environmental conservation. The ship will visit various locations, including the Canary Islands, Brazil, South America’s coastlines, the Galapagos Islands, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, before returning to England.
Sarah Darwin, Charles Darwin’s great-great-granddaughter and a botanist, supports the mission for highlighting the importance of environmental change. She emphasised that Charles Darwin’s legacy lies in recognising humanity’s place within nature and its shared origins with all living beings.
Who was Charles Darwin?
- Charles Darwin was a scientist who lived a long time ago: He was born in 1809 and died in 1882.
- He came up with a big idea called “evolution.”
- Evolution is about how animals and plants change over a really long time.
- Darwin studied birds and animals on a special trip to faraway places.
- His ideas helped us understand how all living things are connected and change over time.
