YEP Meeting

Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

July 15, 2011

Hey All,

OK, so a while ago I thought : “why don’t I organize a YEP meeting in Cape Town?” I mean, it’s great to be active on a social network site like Pangaea-yep.com , but is it not better to actually meet other YEPs face-to-face ?

So, full of energy and motivation I created a YEP meeting Cape Town facebook event , searched all the SA YEPs profiles, invited them and also e-mailed them via the Pangaea website. Off course, to find a date that will suit everyone is just about impossible, but in the end we decided it to be the last Friday of the winter holidays as meeting on a term Saturday with everybody participating in sport, would be impossible. (Advice 1 – everybody has busy programs, accept that not everybody will be able to attend. And you cannot edit/add info to a fb event after 7 days from creating the event L – rather create a fb group).

Jana was the 1st to respond positively & slowly but surely other YEPs started contacting me . Some were very disappointed not to be able to join us since they were still travelling (thanks Charne & Rickous for rsvp – I am sure you’ll make it next time around!). Anchen convinced her folks to cut their holiday short so that she can also attend and Stefan came all the way from Struisbaai (wow, that’s commitment you 2!). Sure, there were some who just did not bother to respond L . (Advice 2 – Keep on trying with invites / SHOUT OUTs / emails…. Eventually YEPs will respond J – use their positive energy to carry on.)

Originally I thought to incorporate YEP flyer distribution as well, but as Kai advised – we needed to get to know each other , share ideas & create a database for easier future communication. This was to be the 1st YEP Cape Town meeting for most of us, so it was important to network and learn from each other’s strengths. I am sure this will prove to be invaluable in planning our future common projects. (Advice 3 – YEPs need to keep their profiles up to date with their contact info! Make it easy for others to contact you.)

Sharing our Selection camp/ Expedition experiences with new YEPs is a great way of getting everyone motivated & excited again – reliving those special moments reminds one of the incredible opportunities we have in promoting the Pangaea message. (Advice 4 – It’s great to help new YEPs and make them feel welcome in the community. Their fresh energy will be to the advantage of your projects! Motivate them to get active!)

With the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant disaster still fresh in our minds, our visit to the Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant proved to be very informative . Many ideas & concerns were shared amongst everybody and the presentation certainly made us aware of all the issues surrounding renewable & sustainable electricity generation in South Africa. ( Advice 5 – Learning from experts are important. Only then can you make an informed decision /opinion.)

During our picnic lunch break we had an impromptu discussion about possible future group projects. ( Advice 6 – Don’t be too structured with your meetings. Go with the flow, let all relax & create opportunity for informal discussions – this sometimes create the best ideas!)

Feeling energized, we all went on a hike through the Koeberg Nature Reserve. It was great to breath in the fresh air and feel the salty spray on our faces! The hike reminded me of the Raid, only at a much slower pace! ( Advice 7 – YEPs all love nature . Enjoy it together! )

We all greeted and went our own ways, feeling full of renewed enthusiasm for the Young Explorer Program!

Was it worth the effort to arrange a YEP meeting? Certainly! It is now much easier to ask help from other YEPs and we have encouraged each other to start with new projects and support each other. For me, that is definitely the highlight of meeting the

other YEPs – knowing that we can now personally share our passion & help each other because we are no longer just names on a social network, but real life friends with a common cause – spreading the Mike Horn YEP Pangaea message! ( Advice 8 – Don’t be scared , just Do it J )

Hope to be reading about your meetings soon!

Cheers

Henko

Comments

I really looked forward to the meeting and was not disappointed. I stayed at Louise the previous night so in the morning I went with Louise and Daniel to Big Bay where we found Henko and Juriaan, introductions were made and we started to chat (it was nice meeting people you always talk to on the site). We then went to cafe Sofia and soon the rest of the yeps filterd in, it was wonderful hearing about the experiences of the raid and the camp and made me even more enthusiastic to be a part of YEP.

Carpe diem

Jana

Hello YEPPERS!

Hope there are many more meetings and soon!

Anchen

Pangaea is on it's way to Nome, we will sail along the Alaska peninsula then through a narrow and dangerous passages called false pass into the Bering sea. From there head up North to Nome 1100nm. The weather is good steady winds of 20 knots from the NW and the most beautiful landscape surrounds us.

Pangaea is on it's way to Nome, we will sail along the Alaska peninsula then through a narrow and dangerous passages called false pass into the Bering sea. From there head up North to Nome 1100nm. The weather is good steady winds of 20 knots from the NW and the most beautiful landscape surrounds us.

For us to be able to protect the fragile ecosystem of the arctic we need action. Please share this messages below to all your friends, like or write a comment on your thoughts so we can set up a document about our concern opening up the North West Passages to commercial shipping. All together we can make a difference.

In 10 min I will be boarding my flight from Tokyo to Seattle then up to Anchorage and Kodiak. Early morning on the 12th we will sail up North to the Arctic. The North West Passages will soon be open to commercial vessels as there is less and less Ice. My question to you. Is this a good or bad thing? the Arctic is such a fragile environment and until now it has been naturally protected by the ice.

Singapore was great to promote the Pangaea expeditions and I want to thank Wolfgang his team at Mercedes Benz and all the young explorers for all the hard work they have put into the event. I'm heading back to Kodiak and can not wait to start the sail through the North West Passages.

Singapore was great to promote the Pangaea expeditions and I want to thank Wolfgang his team at Mercedes Benz and all the young explorers for all the hard work they have put into the event. I'm heading back to Kodiak and can not wait to start the sail through the North West Passages.

The Pangaea and Mercedes Benz photo exhibition launch in Singapore was a great success yesterday. We had over 170 attendees and the the hall was packed with young people. All the Old YEPs spoke very well on their expedition and project experience. We need more youths from Singapore to join now.

Kodiak must be one of the most beautiful islands in the world. It's wild!!! Full of amazing fauna and flora, the isolation and severe weather has kept it in tact. The salmon fishing season is open and we have been enjoying fresh fish every day. That is what a call a luxury!

On the 18th of June, Young Explorer, Saraya D'Ath was presented with an award at the Young Star Gala Awards dinner for the Arts/Education category, recognising the work that she has conducted in Russia and Borneo following her expedition to Kamchatka, Russia, with Mike Horn and the Pangaea Expedition in December 2011.

The Young Star Awards are held monthly and a nominee is chosen in each of three different categories; Arts/Education and Sport and Community. Saraya won the Arts/Education category and won $5000.

The gala evening is a big event in Brisbane city with around 1000 people attending including many VIPs who recognise the achievements of their young local people. Well done Saraya!