[2011]

Highlights

adventureandscience.org

Table of Contents
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 19 20 Message from the Executive Director Why We Exist Benegas Brothers Expedition to the Classroom Grand Canyon Diatoms Citizen-Science Tres Chicas Locas Lonnie Dupre Advisory Council Donors Words from the Chairman

Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation | 2011 Highlights

Bringing the Adventure and Science Communities Together

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A Message from the Executive Director Gregg Treinish

With the arrival of 2012, we want to take a moment and thank you for believing in ASC in our inaugural year. With your support we have begun a movement that has the potential to greatly increase the availability of scientific information throughout the world.
In our first year, we have asked adventurers traveling around the world to collect much needed data as they climb the worlds highest peaks and raft down the deepest gorges. ASC has seen tremendous success in its first year. On Mount Everest, athletes working with us collected a sample of the highest known plant life of Earth, which will help researchers make crops around the world more resistant to a changing climate. During a citizen-scientist weekend, we found definitive signs of grizzly bears in a wildlife corridor that is facing increased threats from human encroachment. This will allow managers to make informed decisions when deciding appropriate restrictions for this area. Our Expedition to the Classroom initiative has allowed students to directly interact with researchers studying penguins on the Antarctic Peninsula, and promises to inspire far more students as we continue this project.

Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation | 2011 Highlights

In the coming year we have many new and exciting projects planned. This October we will launch the first part of a project that will ultimately survey the entire coastline of the United States for plastics that have been deposited in the oceans sediment layer. We will offer citizen-science outings that will allow scientists to better understand the distribution of the threatened lynx and wolverine in the Northern Rockies. Athletes working with ASC will travel to the far reaches of the globe and bring back otherwise unattainable information about this planet. Again, thank you for your incredible support; we could not exist without your generosity. Every donation is put toward our mission of improving the accessibility of scientific information around the world. We want to change the way people spend their time in the outdoors. In nearly every location on Earth, we must know more if we are to make proper management decisions. The army of citizen-scientists that we have mobilized will help us achieve this goal. Please continue to support this effort and together we will improve the information with which decisions about the fate of the planet are made. Have a happy and healthy 2012! Cheers, Gregg Treinish Founder / Executive Director
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Why We Exist
We believe that management decisions should be made only through true scientific understanding of the perils facing an area. Currently, a great void exists in our scientific knowledge of the natural environment. In the wake of a changing climate and a rapidly expanding human population, it is imperative that the choices we make are based on relevant scientific information. We know that the collection of data can be expensive, time consuming, and physically challenging. Adventure athletes constantly travel to areas of great need. These ambassadors of the outdoors often want to do more for the areas in which they travel, but simply have not acquired the skills to do so. Throughout the last several months, we have been organizing an army of adventure athletes turned citizen-scientists that is now collecting scientific data on all seven continents. The time is now to harness the unique abilities of people who are already traveling to difficult-to-reach areas. Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation provides the world with the opportunity to learn about these areas on an unprecedented scale. 4
Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation | 2011 Highlights

While countless organizations have worked to gather scientific data, none have specifically utilized the invaluable skills of climbers, mountaineers, divers, paddlers, and other adventurers to acquire this data. There are thousands of people in remote areas every day who are ready, willing, and able to help protect our planets most vital resources; they simply need the tools to do so.

Where Weve Been, Where We Are, And Where Well Go

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Featured Connection Benegas Brothers Climb Mt. Everest

[Nepal]

In May, Willie and Damian Benegas collected samples of the highest known plant life on Earth from Mt. Everest. Their contribution will give researcher Rusty Rodriquez valuable information about plant life in extreme environments. Dr. Rodriguez is working to develop the technology to make plant life more adaptable to extreme environments and climate change.

Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation | 2011 Highlights

Receiving the highest documented plant life on Earth from the Benegas brothers has furthered my research in countless ways. Without ASC, this connection never could have happened. I look forward to continuing to access the worlds highest peaks and encounter rare plants in extreme environments through my connection with ASCs outstanding adventure athletes. --Rusty Rodriquez adventureandscience.org 7

We believe that one of the main ways to have a positive impact on natural environments is to inspire the next generation of adventurers and scientists alike. We will work directly with teachers to ensure that students have a hands-on learning experience. In many cases our students will collect similar data sets to our athletes in the areas around their school. This provides an opportunity to make science cool. If children can see tangible ways they can get outdoors and simultaneously learn, contribute, and push themselves, there is no doubt that the impact will be lasting and profound.

Programming Expedition to the Classroom

Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation | 2011 Highlights

In November we launched our Expedition to the Classroom program with some 40 high school students in Bozeman, Montana. Students were able to connect with two young explorer-researchers half a world away. This marked ASCs first major Expedition to the Classroom and provided a unique opportunity to visit Antarctica without leaving Montana. The class tracked progress of the expedition as it departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, and traveled across the Drake Passage, following the map and blog entries on trip leader Doug Stoups Ice Axe Foundation website. The scientific goal of the journey was to observe penguin colonies and record behavior and movement patterns. ASC paired the expedition with researcher Julie Hagelin, from the Institute of Arctic Biology at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. Hagelin asked the team to assist with her research about brain lateralization, a trait that determines how birds and other animals process information.

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[Arizona]
Featured Connection Grand Canyon Diatom Sampling
This past summer, river rat Lucy Marcus floated the 18-day stretch of the Colorado River that runs through the Grand Canyon. Along the way, she participated in a study collecting samples of river diatoms of the rocks that line the river. Although diatoms (single celled algae) are used extensively as indicators in environmental studies, we know that there are many species that remain undiscovered. The purpose of this investigation was to explore new habitats, document new distributions, and describe new species.

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Working with researcher Sarah Spaulding from INSTARR at the University of Colorado, samples from several locations around the world were collected. These sites included Sri Lanka, Venezuela, and the Green River. This sampling provided Spaulding with information from diverse and remote aquatic habitats. This information is being used in both scientific publications and public outlets to inform students and citizens about microbial biodiversity around the world.

I loved collecting data on an adventure to a remote location, which is difficult to get rafting permits for. Combining science and adventure is the way to go! --Lucy Marcus
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Programming Citizen-Science

We work with NGOs, management agencies, guide companies and businesses to design and implement rewarding and engaging citizen-science programs. Our goal with these projects is to offer the skills so that participants will be able to contribute on an ongoing basis. A great void currently exists in our understanding of the planet. Collecting data that can shed light on these impacts is often expensive, time consuming, and physically challenging. By working with volunteers, we can begin to overcome this void at a fraction of the cost.

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Last fall, we conducted three weekend-long workshops, each consisting of one day of training and supervised data collection, and one day of independent data collection. Volunteers were trained to recognize grizzly bear tracks and hair, collect samples, and document locations with a portable GPS unit. Volunteers were taught to identify the typical characteristics of grizzly bear hair as opposed to black bear hair. All samples were checked by experts and then sent to a laboratory for species verification. Volunteers were also trained to record data on whitebark pine condition as they completed their grizzly bear surveys. We found definitive evidence of grizzly bears in the Centennial Mountains, which will be used to inform conservation planning particularly regarding oil and gas development in this increasingly important linkage area. In addition, the 40 volunteer scientists we trained now have a deeper understanding of the complex issues regarding the corridors, connectivity, and grizzly bear management. We hope to continue this project in future years, focusing on other areas that are similarly important for grizzly bears.

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When finished with their year-long journey, Sarah Field, Shelley Brook, and Trinity Ludwig will have traveled more than 7,500 miles through the Andes Mountain Range. Their journey, completed partially on foot, will trace the route of ASC founder Gregg Treinish and Deia Schlosbergs Across the Andes Expedition.

South America
Featured Connection Tres Chicas Locas

Our project has become part of our expedition instead of simply a supplement.We are grateful to ASC for taking the time and energy to pair us with a project that naturally integrates into our mission.Through our data collection, we feel that our expedition now has a greater purpose and that were giving back through our adventure. We hope that the data we are collecting will lead in some small way to protect the amazing wilderness weve been lucky to experience.
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ASC has partnered the Tres Chicas Locas with the Pacific Biodiversity Institute as well as the Lupins project at Washington State University - Vancouver. Throughout the course of their journey, they are collecting data on the flora, fauna, ecology, archeology, culture and other characteristics of South Americas wildlands through photographs, GPS coordinates, and detailed notes. The primary goal of the project is to identify and characterize wildland areas that are vulnerable to fragmentation, development and biodiversity loss. Our goal is to provide a rich source of information on wildlands and related biodiversity that can inform conservation initiatives at local, national, and global scales.

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In January, the darkest month of the year, Lonnie Dupre collected microbe samples as he attempted the first January solo climb of Denali, North Americas highest point. The samples that he collected have been sent to researcher Dragos Zaharescu from the Biosphere 2 project at the University of Arizona. The samples will provide researchers with information about biological weathering in the upper limits of our world. Knowledge of the role of microbes in these nutrient cycling processes will improve our understanding of how extreme environments may respond to a changing climate. Only nine expeditions totaling 16 people have ever reached the summit of Denali in winter. Six deaths resulted from those climbs. Of these expeditions, only one team, comprised of three Russian climbers, has ever made the summit in January. 16 Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation | 2011 Highlights

[Alaska]
Featured Connection Lonnie Dupre

This expedition is part of a larger effort to get Dr. Zaharescu and his team samples from mountains around the world. By working with ASC mountaineers, Dr. Zaharescu can access environments that would otherwise be impossible to research.

I have always thought over the years of exploring,Wouldnt it be nice if there was some way scientists could use our hands to help gather information in these hard to get places? Well we have that now - ASC. --Lonnie Dupre

Working with ASC has allowed me to get data from some of the most remote places on Earth. Without climbers like Lonnie Dupre, my microbe research would not have been as robust as it now is. --Dragos Zaharescu

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Advisory Council

Joel Fogel Chairman

Roz Savage Vice Chairman

Jon Bowermaster Secretary

Cline Cousteau Treasurer

Beth Holland Conrad Anker Special Advisor

Geoff Pampush

Trip Jennings

Lance Craighead

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Donors
Supporter Elyse DeFranco John Magullian Trinity Ludwig Melissa Larmore Lauren Oakes Nathan Piekielek Peter Garcia Jonathan Sumers Roy McCarthy James Holmes Michael Reidy James Lutz Natalie Grant Tiia Antere Constance Soja Merri Lisa Trigilio Terry Dumont Sarah Menon Tyler Hicks Sarah Garlick Tatiana Hernandez Drewry Diana Vanek Necla Sarikaya David Thoma Cody Glasnapp Dragos Zaharescu Drew Erdelack Steve Weileman Devin Cowan Kevin Shea Marshall Schlosberg Adventurer Supporter ConserVentures JM Abbott Linda Shafran Jewel Dirks Brad & Amy Smith Brenna Boyd Errol Brick Kathleen Robertson Allison Fultz Joseph T Young Mark Rutman Lori Compton Inaugural Supporter Thomas Bosche James Murray Mac Felsing Robert Rutman David Cook Thaddeus Sweet Joel Fogel Summit Supporter Ronna & Alan Treinish Founding Member Robert Crabtree Blue Ocean Innovation Center Patagonia
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Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation has accomplished a number of very impressive activities this year including collecting the highest known plant life on Earth from Mt. Everest, ice worms from remote Alaskan glaciers, diatoms from rivers around the world, documentation of pika on three continents, and much more. In order to continue in these endeavors we need your help and support as we progress and grow in this very challenging economic time. Our organization is new, but composed of some very experienced explorers, adventures, and scientists. With your help we can achieve great heights in our efforts to increase the body of scientific knowldege through our ambitious adventurers as they travel throughout the world. Please be generous in your assistance whether you are a sponsor or a patron of science and exploration. We depend on your generosity and assistance in order to achieve our goals. With the numerous challenges facing our country and our world, we feel it is our responsibility as adventurers and scientists to do something which will help in our efforts to understand the rapid changes occurring in the environment. With your help, we have the potential to become a leading edge organization capable of making a true difference. Please join us today as an adventurer, supporter, or by telling your friends and family about us. Very Truly Yours, Captain Joel S. Fogel Chairman Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation 20 Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation | 2011 Highlights

Words from the Chairman

ASC Team

Gregg Treinish Executive Director Larkin Guenther Executive Assistant Nikki Simon Graphic Designer Diana Vaneck Education Consultant Cheyenne Osmundsen Graphic Designer Geneva Gersten Administrative Assistant

Contributors
Deia Schlosberg Lucy Marcus Willie Benegas Damian Benegas

Lonnie Dupre Trinity Ludwig Whitney Leonard

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Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation is dedicated to improving the accessibility of scientific knowledge through partnerships between adventure athletes and scientists.

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Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation | 2011 Highlights