He’s led over 120 expeditions to the polar regions. Many of these trips have been in the company of students, educators, artists, and leaders. While others are planning family holidays, Geoff Green prepares to take sixty teenagers to Antarctica with the Students on Ice Program. He took some time to talk with the host of our Explorers podcast, Richard Wiese, and share some of what he’s learned.

He’s got “stuff” in warehouses all over the place—heavy-duty clothes and equipment which can be pressed into service on short notice.  Geoff tells us that the way to keep kids focused on learning about the environment is to keep them busy physically and mentally with things about which they’re passionate.

What does Geoff accomplish during these expeditions? Students learn to connect with themselves, each other, and nature… all on the same trip.  He remarks that these journeys have a habit of breaking people down and allowing the real person to come out.

The future guardianship of the earth comes down to today's youth, and they are leading the charge to help with environmental causes. Focusing on the next generation of environmental enthusiasts is critical as we move from discovery to solutions in preserving our planet.

We know that experiential education works, but how can we make it available to all students? Most students get scholarships to participate in the program, but outreach towards awareness is a challenge.  Now that we have youth delegations participating in environmental summits, we can look forward to increasing enrollment in essential programs such as these.

To learn more about Geoff Green and his exciting career as a polar explorer and educator, visit his website. To hear about other explorers, join us for new episodes of Life’s Tough: Explorers are TOUGHER!! At https://www.lifestough.com/podcast/explorers/.

Richard Wiese, the host of this podcast, is an American explorer. He is the author of the guidebook, Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. He became the youngest person to become president of the Explorers Club in 2002. Richard is also Executive Producer and Host of the PBS weekly television series Born to Explore with Richard Wiese.