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I, a 16-year-old girl from Washington State, am less than a year away from becoming a polar explorer. With a name like Amelia, how could I do anything else? That idea sounds insane; I’m on the brink of an extraordinary adventure to Greenland—and I'm still in high school. This concept keeps rolling around in my head, and I can’t help but ask myself: Why am I doing this?

Ever since I was little, I have loved two things: learning and science. As I’ve grown older those things have evolved but the cores remain. While growing up, I’ve aged into the idea of marine science because it contributes to my love of the ocean, exploring, and my desire to help with our planet's climate crisis. The longing for adventure and meaning has always been prevalent in my life and that is a huge reason why I want to go on this Polar Expedition to Greenland. Not only does it launch my career as I go into college, but thanks to The Seabirds I have the incredible opportunity to gain this experience when I’m only 17. What shows living rather than just surviving more than following your dreams? 

Rossella is a fourth grader on a mission: to study the effects of ocean acidification on shells for her school science project. Follow her progress through our newsletters and blogs as she shares her findings on this crucial topic.

Reel Earth Films is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the creation of nature-oriented films. One of the biggest reasons we do what we do here at Reel Earth Films is to not just create awareness for nature, but to facilitate change for the greater good of this planet through impact. Every one of our original films is accompanied by an impact campaign that is designed to give back to nature. We give back by providing resources that help the organizations we partner with continue doing their vital work to protect this planet. We believe that our films can do more than just create awareness; they can create measurable impact that will facilitate a healthier future for nature. For example, we recently produced a short film about southern resident killer whales in the Salish Sea–which you can watch here: https://reelearthfilms.org/southern-residents/ Over the years, we have not only produced our own films, but have collectively worked on films for PBS Nature, National Geographic, BBC One, and Disney+.

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United States Army Major Christine Keating comes from a family with a strong history of military service, which inspired her to also raise her hand and join the peacekeeping military of pre-September 11. “What attracted me to it was this idea that I could travel the world and have an impact on maintaining peace,” she says candidly during our interview. “That changed really quickly during my freshman year of college when the towers came down. Though it wasn’t the life that I had envisioned when I was eighteen, it turned into a good life for me and my family.”

And this, in a nutshell, sums up the major’s career. Now, let’s meet the woman behind the uniform.

“This is so much bigger than you,” Samantha Gomolka, national guard spouse, told her husband, Michael. It was Memorial Day weekend 2017, a beautiful day of Spring in New York, where the family was stationed. Michael, who had been serving in special operations for seventeen years by then, decided that he was going to pay homage to his fallen brothers-in-arms the next Memorial Day by running from the beach to his favorite brewery, which was close to seven miles away. “I want to take part in it as well,” Samantha said. “And you know that the people of Hamburg will want to participate too.”

Have you ever wondered what the deep sea is really like? The deep dark parts that we haven't reached yet but we know are there, with creatures and ecosystems we can only dream of? Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) Benthic Rover is looking to answer some of those unknowns and deepen our understanding of our beautiful planet.