13 November 2019 The Heroic Age...of Women

"Who Run the World...Girls" -Beyoncé

As we sped across the ice I thought about this gang of women I was with...the ones who fly past slow moving Pisten Bullys with a quick wave. They are the ones who work together, currently all women here in Antarctica, studying seals, who come off the ice helmets in their hands decked out in their goggles faces covered with orange bags slung over their shoulders after a day spent in the wind and cold studying the fascinating pinnipeds. After their long days, they eat together laughing and sharing stories of their day. I felt fortunate that I had a chance to spend time with some of them. Check out their research by by going to icyseals.com

Today we were headed to the Terra Nova Hut, Scott's Hut and the one Shackleton used too in a time called the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration. This was my 3rd trip out to Cape Evans in 3 days and my 2nd on snow machines to visit Scott's Terra Nova hut. As we hugged turns on the snow machines and bumped across the snowy sections I thought about the word hero and what the word heroic even means.

The women down here in Antarctica, especially the scientists and all of those supporting the scientists, are in a growing group of female heroes. They are the ones little girls see as role models and mentors. Who make an 8 year old girl sitting at home dreaming of being a scientist, perhaps studying seals, sea spiders, fish, or using robots and hoping to go on great journeys think...yeah, I can do that. All of the PolarTREC educators and all of the researchers paired with the PolarTREC educators are women...all working hard, through education and science, to make this world we live in a better and more informed place.

As I kept my eyes on the icy road in front of me and tightly gripped the handles of my snow machine, I also thought about my mom who always encouraged me and made me think I could do absolutely anything. She was the first person in her family to go to college, she was in the first group of women to study business at her university and she was in the first group of women hired as accountants and auditors at Arthur Anderson in Chicago. As a businesswoman in the 1960s she faced the challenges of being a female professional in a field that had been dominated by men. She was invited to meetings she couldn't attend because they were held at men's only clubs, she had to use back staircases, and was asked by clients if it was "Bring your daughter to work day" when she showed up to meetings with the rest of her male team. The interesting thing about these stories is my mom didn't tell them to me until recently. Instead, she encouraged me to work as hard as I could and instilled in me the thought that anything is possible.

This year Antarctica celebrated 50 years of Women's Exploration in Antarctica and the first all-women's research team who also journeyed to the South Pole in Antarctica. Here is a quick run down on women in Antarctica:

• 1935-Caroline Mikkelsen the first woman in Antarctica, accompanied her husband on his expedition

• 1947-Edith Ronne and Jennie Darlington arrived on the continent as part of their husbands' expeditions.

• 1956 marine geologist Maria Klenova the first female scientist to set foot on the icy continent

• early 1969 Christine-Muller Schwarze came to Antarctica to study penguins.

It wasn't until mid-1969 that the imposed U.S. Navy ban on women conducting fieldwork in Antarctica was finally challenged. That year, Dr. Lois Jones, a geochemist at Ohio State University, applied for a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to conduct fieldwork and collect samples in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica. NSF approved the grant and the U.S. Navy had no choice but allow Jones and her all women's research team to conduct their research in Antarctica. The team included scientists Eileen McSaveney, Kay Lindsay, and Terry Tickhill Terrell. To find out more check out NSF's The First Women in Antarctica and visit Public Radio International's site to see some amazing photos from this 1969 expedition.

Though the barrier for women was broken at the U.S. station it wasn't until 1987 that the British Antarctic Survey's ban on women ended when a field team welcomed glaciologist Elizabeth Morris. Thank you to all of these women for opening the doors to scientific research conducted by women in Antarctica!!

I felt the freedom of the open ice as my snow machine buzzed across it, as I thought about my nieces Addie and Evie and my friend Lori's 4 year old twins, Katherine and Julianne. These are curious girls, they are strong, smart, clever, witty, and always willing to try new things. They are being raised by moms and dads and grandmas who encourage them to dream big, care about others and the planet, laugh a lot, and support them in the belief that they achieve anything through hard work, dedication, and perseverance.

Interested in ways to support women's education, women in the outdoors, and women in science?

• Check out NatureBridge's Armstrong Scholars program- a funded Yosemite backpacking trip for high school girls.

• Visit Naretoi, which means women helping women, a non-profit supporting girls education and women's cultural exchange in Kenya.

• Support organizations that support women and girls.

• Learn more about these incredible women and girls who are changing the world through science, curiosity, passion, and bravery: Sylvia Earle, Mae Jemison, Jane Goodall, Tiera Guinn, Jennifer Doudna, Katherine Freese, Sara Seager, Sau Lan Wu, Greta Thunberg, Kate Marvel, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Isra Hirsi, Autumn Peltier, Mari Copenny, and Helena Gualinga.

• Share stories of the incredible women out there...feel free to list them below!

• In the comments section below, add your ideas to this post.

Encourage, support, and believe in your daughters, your sisters, your mothers, your aunts, your grandmothers, your nieces, your granddaughters...really all of the women in your life!

This one's for you Mom! I love you!

Who is your favorite female hero? Write your answer in the comments section below!

I did see an Adélie penguin yesterday! Here's a quick picture...more information about penguins and this fun experience coming soon.

Don't forget...

YOU CAN JOIN ME LIVE FROM MCMURDO STATION IN ANTARCTICA!

This will be a 45 minute to 1 hour live presentation and conversation. All are welcome to join! It will be geared towards K-12 classrooms so be sure to tell your teacher friends, or if you are a teacher please join in!!!

When: November 22, 2019 8:30 AM AKST (9:30 AM PST, 10:30 AM MST, 11:30 AM CST, 12:30 PM EST)

How: You need to register for the event by clicking HERE. You'll need to select November 22 Amy Osborne under Event Choice.

I hope you can join me!!

Also, don't forget to answer the trivia questions from November 8th Going Down to Find the Stars post. You can end up with a postcard from Antarctica!