News for the Canadian Chapter

This snake ingested two things? Any guesses? See page 18.

Vol. 4 No. 1 Summer 2012

The Explorers Club – Canadian Chapter 1 www.explorersclub.ca Message from the Chapter Chair John Pollack FI’06

With the factional war on the NY Board now settled, a lot of Chapter Chairs and members are breathing sighs of relief. For better or worse we have a reconfigured International Board of Directors and a new President - Alan Nichols - and we wish them well.

Their first job will be to re-establish professional and democratic governance that supports the goals of the Club while respecting the many different views of the membership. All of us need to give them a bit of time in that regard, and recognize the large demands of TEC, including the organization of two major annual events and the ongoing maintenance and repair of the Headquarters Building.

In Canada we are fortunate to have a strong Chapter with a number of outstanding upcoming events. An annual field trip is being held at Crowsnest Pass this June, and the West Coast Symposium is scheduled for the Gulf Islands in September. Details of both are contained in this issue of Far Afield, and the Toronto monthly lectures / dinners, and Victoria student events, continue on a regular basis. All of these sessions are possible because of the work of a dedicated group of volunteers, many of whom are Directors of the Canadian Chapter.

And in the background, our membership still ventures out onto the oceans and into the mountains , and we do what we love - explore. I am continually astounded at the emails that dribble in from Mongolia, the Antarctic, SE Asia and the far corners of the world. Be assured our members are “out there” right now, doing field science. Let us ensure our Chapter continues to serve as a clearing house of exploration and field science in Canada, and we remain a friendly and learned group of explorers who gather periodically to share our experiences and knowledge. Finally, we need to congratulate Drs. Phil Currie FI’02 and Phil Nuytten FI’85 on their world-class accomplishments as scientists and explorers. Their receipt of two of the top TEC medals at the March 2012 ECAD, was well deserved.

Carpe diem, my friends!

John Pollack

The Explorers Club – Canadian Chapter 2 www.explorersclub.ca Communications Director Jason Schoonover FE’86

What happened to books donated for Banffanalia?

After our tenth year, I rolled up the banner for the final time on our promotion booth at the Banff Mountain Book and Film Festival because of sharply declining traffic at the fair portion of the event. What happened to the books many of you donated?

They’re much too heavy and expensive and too many to mail back to donators who were frequently publishers in any case. The large formatters – Bob Bateman’s and Lorie Karnath’s – will go the next Autism Gala silent auction here in Toontown where the Dragon Lady is in charge of gathering prizes (among much else). Half are going to my right hand man of the last half dozen years at Banff, PNW Chair Capt. Lynn “Snorkel Master” Danaher, who will use them for display and raffles at her Compass Symposiums and other chapter events (and who I’m seeing on the Red Deer River Flag expedition with Phil and Eva this summer for a no cost transfer). William Pruitt, your two Japanese language books go to my friend Kumiko “Good Yoko” Yokoyama who is always hungry for books in her native language.

The rest will find a home in my home town high school library in Carrot River, and all will be marked, “A gift of The Explorers Club, Canadian Chapter.” At John Pollack’s suggestion, I’m keeping what I want – and that’s all on dinosaurs from Phil & Eva, Sue Hendrickson and Michael Brookfield for my own library.

Banffanalia, as we fondly called it, was a lot of fun. On some we had up to 11 members flying in from as far as Western Europe. I’ll miss it.

The Explorers Club – Canadian Chapter 3 www.explorersclub.ca Regional Director: BC/Yukon Mary Morris FI’10

Most of the recent organized activities in the BC/Yukon chapter have been thanks to the student group and friends. See Maeva Gauthier SM’08 and Denise Gabriel SM’09 reports in this issue.

Steve McGehee FI’07, Annie Bourbonnais SM’09 and Maeva Gauthier have organized three great events recently. Two were in Victoria: in February, a screening of Mark Terry’s MI’08 film The Polar Explorer, and in April, an informal gathering organized around John Pollack’s visit in Victoria afloat at Fisherman’s Wharf.John Pollack FI’06 presented all the steps to a shipwreck discovery, which fascinated many people. In May, Adam Gordon SM’11 hosted a Student Symposium in Vancouver. Wonderful reports came from that event about the positive combination of youthful energy and enthusiasm with mentor Explorers worldly experiences and wisdom.

The west coast group is getting details worked out for a fall event, September 6 - 9th at Montague Harbour on Galiano Island in the Gulf Islands. This will be hands-on workshop activities and talks, about “A Sense of Place”. The workshop focus will be human habitation of this coastal region over the past several thousand years with particular emphasis on the benthic characteristics of Montague Harbour. This site, now underwater, was very likely home to a thriving native community when just a few thousand years ago sea water levels were 20 – 30 meters lower.

See further details elsewhere in this Far Afield and if you want to get on the mailing list for further announcements, register with Maeva at [email protected]

Regional Director: Atlantic/Quebec

The Atlantic/Quebec members of the Explorers Club are currently in the field around the world, and will report on their adventures and discoveries in the Winter issue.

The Explorers Club – Canadian Chapter 4 www.explorersclub.ca Regional Director: Prairie/NWT Murray Larson FI’05

A geoscientist in the Antarctica By Susan R. Eaton

Susan R. Eaton MI’11, a Calgary-based geologist, geophysicist, science journalist and extreme snorkeler, has recently returned from Antarctica where she participated in the 2012 International Antarctic Expedition (IAE) led by Robert Swan, the first person in history to walk to both the North and South poles. On May 19, 2012, Susan was the keynote speaker at the HGS Annual Guest Night. She delivered a multi-media presentation, entitled “A Geoscientist in Antarctica: Following in Shackleton’s Footsteps One Hundred Years Later,” at the IMAX Theatre of the Houston Museum of Natural Science. On May 21, 2012, Susan delivered her Antarctic presentation to the Clear Lake Gem and Mineral Society, an active member of the greater Houston Community which supports local libraries, colleges and other educational institutions.

The International Antarctic Expedition (IAE) 2012 was comprised of 72 people from 22 nations, and included teachers, students, journalists, engineers and industry representatives from Royal Dutch Shell, BP Wind Energy, National Instruments India, Lloyds Register, Coca-Cola, NPower and KPMG. The IAE 2012 involved the Leadership on the Edge Program, an Outward Bound- like leadership course set amidst the harsh backdrop of Antarctica. Participants studied climate change, renewable energy and global sustainability issues.

You can view Susan’s 2012 dispatches, photos and videos from Antarctica on her website: http:// susanreaton.com. Her blogs from Antarctica are being carried by the Calgary Herald, in its Environment section: http://blogs. calgaryherald.com/category/ calgary/environment. Susan has also been quoted on climate change on Fox News.

The Explorers Club – Canadian Chapter 5 www.explorersclub.ca Regional Director: Ontario/Nunavut Elaine Wyatt MI’05

“One comes out changed after an intense event like that!” Story and photos by Peter Rowe FI’08

One of the best Explorers Club Film Festivals to date climaxed last Saturday night in Toronto with a keynote speech by environmental filmmaker Mark Terry FI’08. The festival opened on Friday evening with premieres of Les Stroud’s latest Survivorman and Brett Rogers’ Old Man River Project. Saturday saw a marathon of eight excellent films with sustenance from the kitchens of the Arts & Letters Club.

Following the screenings a panel of filmmakers and a large audience convened in the old studio of the Group of Seven to tell Road Stories, including Stephen Ellis FI’04 (Polar Bears:Life of the Field of Bones), Cory Trepanier MI’09 (Into the Arctic II), and Wayne Abbott (Drain the Great Lakes). Moderated by Peter Rowe, the panel also included keynote speaker Mark Terry, George Kourounis FI’09, who had just returned from a 17,000 km cross-Canada road trip filming winter for The Weather Channel, and George Cattapan, a composer with the remarkable distinction of having scored the music for three of the films in the festival. Cory Trepanier MI’09. In the words of Candace Wilson MI’96: “The whole thing went off perfectly and the films were fantastic! On top of all that you managed to get that small cut of Billy’s show. What a bonus! There is no doubt that one comes out changed after an intense event like that!”

Rob Tymstra FI’94 said it was, “A very enjoyable day! The selection of films showed the richness of our world. I’m inspired to get out there and do some filming.” The Arts and Letters Club Great Hall was filled to capacity with 81 registrations with most people attending the films and dinner.

The Explorers Club – Canadian Chapter 6 www.explorersclub.ca Youth Climate Report a Hit at Rio+20 RIO DE JANEIRO – The United Nations Environment Programme premiered the Youth Climate Report, the YCR, at Rio+20, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, on Friday, June 15 to substantial applause.

The documentary film project is the latest climate research from Mark Terry’s FI’08 Neko Harbour Entertainment, Inc. produced in partnership with UNEP. Students worldwide were recruited to videotape interviews with their local climate researchers, scientists and professors to provide a Deputy Secretary General comprehensive film report of recent findings internationally. of the United Nations Achim “This project has two goals,” said YCR founder and producer Steiner (shown here with Mark John Kelly, “to provide UN delegates clear and concise video Terry) applauded Mark’s efforts. UNEP screened the film every reports of the world’s most current climate research and to day of the Rio+20 conference engage a new generation of environmentalists to actively in the UNEP Pavilion. participate in the international policy process.” The film is the third in a successful partnership between UNEP and the producers of The Antarctica Challenge: A Global Warning (COP15, Copenhagen, 2009) and The Polar Explorer (COP16, Cancun, 2010).

Unlike the previous two films, Youth Climate Report will be presented at more than one UN environmental conference in 2012. In addition to Rio+20, it will also screen at the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s World Conservation Congress in Jeju, Korea, September 6 to 15, 2012 and COP18, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Qatar, November 26 to December 7, 2012.

“It will be the young people of this world – the next generation – who will inherit the failed policies or the decisive actions of this generation of world leaders. These films serve to remind delegates at Rio+20 of the urgency to act to catalyze a transition towards a low carbon, resource efficient Green Economy as a pathway towards transforming sustainable development from patchy implementation into a reality for seven billion people rising to over nine billion by 2050,” said Nick Nuttall, Spokesperson and Acting Director of the UN Environment Programme’s Division of Communications and Public Information.

The project will be ongoing as annual updates will provide continually current climate research from around the world in subsequent film reports. Some of the prestigious names showcased in this year’s film include Professor William Rees, Emeritus Professor at University of British Columbia’s School of Community and Regional Planning on Ecological Footprints; Professor William Collins, Senior Scientist and Department Head, Climate Science Department at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, on the vision of a post-carbon energy infrastructure; and Professor Ulrich Stimming, a Carl von Linde Senior Fellow, Technical University of Munich, on designing and building the world`s first fleet of purpose-built electric taxis for Singapore.

For more information about Youth Climate Report: www.youthclimatereport.org.

The Explorers Club – Canadian Chapter 7 www.explorersclub.ca Student Representatives Maeva Gauthier SM’08 Denise Gabriel SM’09

Hello everyone! We are happy to report that students, fellow members & guests have met a few times this spring. Besides gatherings in Victoria, we are happy to report the first student event in Vancouver in May! We’re hoping that this trend will continue to Maeva Gauthier SM’08 extend towards the East coast.

A quick message for people in Quebec: Message aux québécois.

Nous faisons appel aux explorateurs du Québec. Plusieurs personnes sont intéressées au club et aimeraient participer à des activités et rencontrer d’autres explorateurs. À quand le prochain événement (informel ou formel) à Montréal ou Québec?

FEBRUARY: We had the pleasure of hosting award-winning Denise Gabriel SM’09 polar explorer and documentary filmmaker Mark Terry MI’08 at the University of Victoria. Mark has launched a tour of his new film and 20 to 30 people came to this event to learn more about recent research findings at both poles. Mark, who is based in Toronto, was visiting us for the 2nd time in Victoria.

APRIL: While having John Pollack FI’06 in Victoria for the shipwreck 2012 conference, he joined us for a local potluck gathering. 22 people came to a floathouse at Fishermans wharf, including Pat and Rosemarie Keough FI’02 from Salt Spring island and Ron Zuber FN’07 from Anacortes. Ron & John Pollack used to cave together. So, when is the next time?

Great energy, great food, lots of new people, students or not, interested in many things including photography, marine biology, live webcasting, diving, etc.

MAY. We held the 4th Explorers Club Student symposium in Vancouver May 11-13. Student members, fellow members & guests had an informal gathering at Adam Gordon’s AI’10 house to share outdoor activities and inspiring talks in an informal setting! Adam called for nice weather, so we had a sunny weekend peaking to 22° Celsius to go hiking to Lynn canyon and kayaking near Jericho beach surrounded by mountains. We were between 11 and13 people throughout the weekend, allowing for many interesting conversations and time to get to know each other.

Ron Zuber came from Anacortes to talk about his passion for caving, while Jim Kuiack MI’93, who has recently moved to Vancouver from Australia (originally from Ontario), brought us to the underwater world showing us the most recent underwater technologies. Jeff Whiting FM’11 showed us his latest film for Artists for Conservation filmed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Adam Gordon shared his time spent with the Huarani tribe in Ecuador; Francoise Gervais, presented her recent project working on a Ibook documenting deep-sea species for Neptune Canada; Jessica Lansfield talked about her exploration inArgentina and the meaning

The Explorers Club – Canadian Chapter 8 www.explorersclub.ca of exploration; and Isabelle Paquin shared with us some Lidar imagery used to follow erosion of the coast of Madeleine islands on the east coast. Great meals were shared and discussions, until we heard more about the interesting research findings from Denise Gabriel SM’09, studying lemurs in Madagascar. “You’re kinda the Jane Goodall of lemurs” said Adam during her talk. I shared my Ron Zuber and John Pollack reunited in Victoria, April 2012. experience of a field course Photo by Maeva Gauthier. with students on ice in Antarctica; Tayu Hayward, photographer, shared his amazing photography from places he has been while travelling 8 months per year, contrasting beauties of nature with human impacts. Also, Jacqueline Huard came right after a kayak excursion to share with us her passion for kayaking and ice climbing. It was a weekend of overstimulation, like it is normally when Explorers get together. Keep it up Vancouver; I’m sure there will be more great Lynn Canyon. Photo by Maeva Hike at Lynn Canyon. Photo by gatherings this year! Gauthier. Francoise Gervais.

Kayaking near Jericho beach. Photo by Maeva Gauthier.

The Explorers Club – Canadian Chapter 9 www.explorersclub.ca “These meetings between Explorers of all ages and the exceptional quality of the talks and discussions are the best source of inspiration. It is proof that everything is possible with passion and perseverance and I urge you to pursue your “craziest” exploration goals,” said PhD candidate Annie Bourbonnais SM’09, who studies deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Among mentors present, speleologist Ron Zuber enthusiastically mentioned: “The relaxed Explorers Club Student Event was full of high energy, good humor, sharing and warmth. Let’s meet again soon so we may share and dip once more into that mysterious fountain of energy and youth”.

This weekend was also a farewell to Steve McGehee FI’07, our birder, ‘locavore’, and storyteller, who is moving back to the United States. Steve is the reason why the Victoria group exists and he was one of the enthusiastic organizers to keep our events going. Huge thanks for what you’ve done and we hope you will come visit your friends in Victoria soon!

Thank you and feel free to submit your student report for the next Far Afield. As always, we are available to answer questions that you may have.



Hike at Lynn Canyon. Photo by Maeva Gauthier.

The Explorers Club – Canadian Chapter 10 www.explorersclub.ca Outstanding Canadian Members By Nat Rutter EF’78

Austin Mardon is one of the most unusual members of our Canadian Chapter. He was elected an International Fellow and a Corresponding Fellow of the Explorers Club in 1986 for his work in Antarctica after graduating from the University of Lethbridge with a degree in geography. At age 24, he investigated meteorite impacts 170 km from the South Pole during an expedition sponsored by NASA and the National Science Foundation. He received a U.S. Antarctic Service Medal for his work. The extreme hardships of the expedition affected him mentally and physically, but he went on to earn a Masters of Science and a Masters of Education and to publish articles and books. His health issues persisted and at the age of 30 he was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia changed his life. Although some of his abilities are compromised by the disease, it did not hold him back. Austin went on to obtain a PhD in geography from Greenwich University in Australia and continued to publish. Perhaps his most outstanding work has been on behalf of the mentally ill. He hopes to see the day when schizophrenia is treated like any other disease and is detached from the stigma that makes a difficult burden even worse. He has worked tirelessly to help Canadians better understand the issues around mental illness, using his own experience to build awareness, educate and advocate for better service. He has met politicians, clergy, academics and others in positions to effect change. He has influenced public policy in Alberta by being a member of many committees including Vice-Chair of the Alberta Disabilities Forum steering committee, a member of the Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities, and Alberta Health’s addiction and mental health committee.

He has received numerous awards, including the Order of Canada, the Canadian Medical Association’s Medal of Honour, the Canadian Mental Health Association’s C.M. Hicks Award, Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of Alberta, and the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Lethbridge. Recently, he and his wife Catherine established the Catherine and Austin Mardon Schizophrenia Award at the University of Alberta for persons with schizophrenia and close family members. This is believed to be the first award of this nature at the university level. Austin continues his work in mental health advocacy.

Austin and his wife Catherine live in Edmonton. Austin Mardon IF’86 and friend.

The Explorers Club – Canadian Chapter 11 www.explorersclub.ca Explorer Reports & Updates

A Canadian Sub in Curacao A New Opportunity for Submersible Diving in the Caribbean By Peter Rowe FI’08

Canada hasn’t had a lot of luck recently when it comes to military submarines. But when it comes to commercial, exploratory and scientific submersibles, we are world-class.The shallow- diving Nautilus fleet, built in Richmond BC, can be found down at about 35 meters at tourist destination islands around the world. Canadian (and Explorers Club member) James Cameron just descended to the deepest spot in the ocean in a one man submersible that he conceived, financed and piloted. One of the world’s most prominent builders of underwater camera housings is Quebec-based. And now, a new submersible flying the Canadian flag is diving daily in the crystal clear waters of Curacao in the Netherlands Antilles, and is available to scientists, explorers, and anyone interested in exploring specific aspects of the deep Caribbean, or simply in experiencing the challenges and thrills of a tiny submarine deep under the surface. Although it will likely never again see Canadian waters, the five person Curasub has solid Canadian credentials – designed by a Canadian, built in Canada, owned and operated by a Canadian, and represented by a Toronto based expedition company. The submersible was created and built by Phil Nuytten, long time Explorers Club member and recipient of the 2012 William Beebe Quadrennial Medal. It is owned and operated by Adriaan “Dutch” Schrier of the Curacao Seaquarium, who despite his nickname was born and brought up in Grimsby, Ontario, and for many years was a well known diver on the B.C. coast. Representing the planned one- and two- week expeditions to remote islands of the Caribbean is travel and expedition company Kensington Tours, Brianna Rowe SM’12 and Peter Rowe FI’08 in the Curasub. Photo run by Jeff Willner, an active by Barry Brown.

The Explorers Club – Canadian Chapter 12 www.explorersclub.ca member of the Canadian chapter of the Explorers Club and host of the monthly Explorers Club presentations at Kensington’s Toronto offices.

Nuytten (FI’85) has an extraordinary background in submarine design. From his one-man, 1000 ft-rated Newtsuit to the Deep Rover, Aquarius, and Deep Worker II, to his latest, the Exosuit, he has probably built a greater variety of submersibles than anyone on the planet. The Curasub, while technically evolved from the line of submersibles he has been building for over 30 years, is unique in purpose and application. While the others are designed for the commercial diving industry and are mainly in use by oil companies and agencies like NASA and NOAA, the Curasub is available to whoever would like to dive in it.

Unlike scuba, with its severe time and safety limits, the inside of the Curasub constantly remains at surface pressure – so there are no requirements for decompression. Nuytten showed George Kourounis (FI’09) and I the sub while it was under construction in his shop in 2009, promising then that “You can be sitting down at 1000 feet, say ‘Oh, I feel like a cup of tea’ – bang, up to the surface for three minutes, have your cup of tea, back in, back down to 1000 feet.”

“What else will let you do that?”, asks Nuytten. “I don’t know of anything.”

But building a submersible is not a simple matter. Before installing any of the electrical or operating systems, the sub had to be trucked to Texas for pressure testing and certification, then returned to Vancouver, then trucked back across the continent to Miami, then shipped down to the Netherlands Antilles. However the long wait is over, and the sub is now fully operational and making up to five deep dives a day in Curacao.

Smithsonian researchers are using the Curasub to study the biodiversity of the deep reefs of Curaçao. Read more about their work at the Smithsonian Ocean Portal (http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-photos/curasub). Photo courtesy Substation Curacao.

The Explorers Club – Canadian Chapter 13 www.explorersclub.ca In March, 2012 I led a short flag expedition to explore the Curasub, the reefs of Curacao, and the opportunities for Explorers Club members to use the sub and its 127 foot tender for Caribbean exploration. With me was Brianna Rowe (SI’12), a new student member. Pilot Michiel Van Der Huls gave us an extensive tour of the sub before putting it in the water.

Designed for 2000 feet of pressure, the sub has been tested to 1500 feet and is certified for 1000 feet, so it has, in effect, a 100% fail-safe capability. It has 2 bow thrusters, 2 vertical thrusters, 2 main thrusters and says Van Der Huls, the combination makes for a nimble, well balanced, easy to manoeuvre submarine. The Curasub is designed as a giant rebreather, with the carbon dioxide exhaled by the people onboard being constantly scrubbed by the system, with four oxygen tanks as safety back-up mounted on the stern.

There are many who can’t handle the claustrophobia of a small submarine, but for most people the unique exhilaration trumps any discomfort. There are padded benches at the front, on which can lie a photographer, researcher or passenger, plus the spotter controlling the lights and manipulator arms. The pilot sits in the middle between their feet, and behind him is a bench with space for two more people – each with their own porthole.

As we descend into Curacao’s crystal clear waters, Pilot Van der Huls reports back to the base: “Cabin pressure ¼ positive, O² percentage – 20.8 HBO2 on port side is 2100. Line Pressure 100. Mains voltage 26.0 Intermittent GFM. No water alarms. HP Air port side 2100. Starboard 2000. All scrubbers functioning. Current depth 344 and descending.”

With this reassuring news, we continue to head down, with the Curacao Seaquarium’s owner and founder, “Dutch” Schrier, moving up into the spotter’s position in order to take control of the sub’s manipulator arms. Dutch began diving, he tells me, as a spear-fisherman in British Columbia, and has been interested in diving beyond scuba limits for years, in order to capture specimens for his Seaquarium. For ten years he was deep into tri-mix diving, but at age 60 he decided to forego the dangers of tri-mix and instead commission the building of his own submarine, in order to continue deep diving.

To hunt exotic and rare specimens, the Curasub is equipped with a unique configuration of two manipulator arms, both connected to a water pump. The starboard arm pumps out Quinolene, a mild fish anaesthetic, into holes in the rock and coral. Once the knocked-out fish drift out of their homes or hiding spots, the port manipulator arm, with a hose attached, vacuums up the fish and deposits it into a specially designed holding container.

When we get to the optimum hunting depth of about 625 feet, Shrier and Van Der Huls swing into action, chasing down rare deepwater fish like the Peppermint Basslet, Robinseye, Spanish Flag and Deep Butterflyfish. They are particularly interested in the Dragonet, a very rare and elusive colourful bottom dweller somewhat like a Lizardfish. Some of these fish head for Dutch’s own Seaquarium. Others have been sent to the Smithsonian Institute and Tokyo Aquarium for taxonomy. They have already now discovered a new fish species previously unknown to science – Antilligobius Nikkiae, named after Dutch’s daughter, Nicole. The fish, commonly called the Sabor Goby, has now been described by James Van Tassell (et al) of the American Museum of Natural History and placed in the new genus Antilligobius within the Microgobius group of the Gobiosomatini. A second fish found by the sub, the Blue Cobalt Damsel Fish, is currently in the process of zoological discovery.

It is a complicated dance, manipulating a submarine so that a little 2” hose can capture a drifting, comatose tropical fish. Fortunately, the water is gin-clear, the current are negligible, and

The Explorers Club – Canadian Chapter 14 www.explorersclub.ca the pair are good at it, with Van Der Huls using the sub’s six thrusters to get them into position, and Dutch firing the quinoline into the right places, then swinging the collecting hose into place – usually, right on target over the drifting critters.

There are also interesting invertebrates and crustaceans in the deep Curacao waters. We came upon a poisonous red urchin – that I later had identified by another brand new member of the Canadian Chapter – Dr. Chris Harvey-Clark (Veterinarian and Marine Biologist with UBC), as Araeosoma Belli. Shrier claims the rare deep water critter is of great interest to pharmacological companies, intrigued by the urchin’s toxins - three times more powerful than that of a rattlesnake.

Schrier has other plans for the submarine. Along with his aquarium, his submarine, and his hotel, he has built a large dolphin therapy treatment center. Children with Downs Syndrome or autistic issues come for two week sessions in which they interact with dolphins to build life skills and confidence. When the dolphins are not working with the kids, they are often let free to swim out into the ocean. They return to their pens every night. Schrier envisages setting up a photo station deep on the reef, with a shutter-paddle attached to it. The Curasub would position itself in front of the lens, and the dolphins would be trained to come down to trigger the camera.

Back in Vancouver, Nuytten muses about the potential for the dolphin pix. “Down in some Texas bar, there’ll be some guy telling everyone he’s just dove to 1000 feet – and he has the pictures to prove it. And then he’ll say, “Wanna see a picture of the photographer who took it?”

While the Annie Leibovitz-dolphins are not yet a reality, the 127 ship that Schrier is re-fitting to be used as a tender for the submarine very much is. Currently named the Chapman, the oceanographic ship is moored in Williamstad harbour, undergoing a complete re-fit. Schrier has ripped out virtually all the innards of the 33 year old boat, and is completely replacing all the systems, wiring, staterooms, galleys and equipment and will re-name the ship once the re-fit is completed.

Expected to be ready by the end of the year, the ship will be equipped with full diving capability, including a hydraulic crane to lift the sub in and out of the water. The new ship will be available for researchers and explorers to head out on expeditions into the Caribbean. 10 miles east of Curacao lie the virgin reefs of the uninhabited island of Klein Curacao, and beyond that, the famously clear, rich waters of Bonaire. Many divers have explored the first 100 feet of Bonaire’s depths – but what of the next 900? Explorers aboard the Curasub will be among the first to find out.

Schrier is outfitting the ship specifically for marine researchers, with capture tanks, computer- and photographic-download stations, and a bridge designed to be open to all the ships guests, and hopes to have marine scientists sharing their discoveries and mingling with non-specialist travellers on every voyage.

At the end of our four hour dive on the south wall of Curacao, we finally ascend to a ledge at 180 feet, where we drop the holding bucket, now filled with eight rare deep water fish. Once we get back to the surface Schrier throws on his scuba gear, and dives down to the deep ledge, picks up the bucket and brings it 20 feet up the wall, slowly acclimatizing them to the lower water pressure and higher temperature.

Over the next week, he will descend every day to slowly bring the fish up the reef. He may be a submariner able to dive dry now, but the man hasn’t lost his deep scuba diving skills.

The Explorers Club – Canadian Chapter 15 www.explorersclub.ca Awards & Honours Committee members: Denis A. St-Onge, O.C., FI’05

Four Canadian Members Honoured in 2012 The Stefansson Medal The purpose of The Stefansson Medal is to honour outstanding contributions to the cause of exploration and/or field sciences in Canada or internationally by exceptionally meritorious Canadian members of the Explorers Club.

This year the Medal goes to James P. Delgado PhD FI’97 perhaps the best known nautical archaeologist in the world. In recent years Dr. Delgado has served as the Director of the Vancouver Maritime Museum, the President and CEO of the prestigious Institute of Nautical Archaeology at Texas A&M University, and most recently he has assumed the role of Director of Maritime Heritage at NOAA in Washington DC. Jim is a dedicated Canadian and long-standing member of our chapter, who has authored more than thirty books on nautical archaeology and maritime history, and he has made major contributions to work in the Yukon and Arctic. His field work has encompassed Titanic, Vietnam’s legendary 13th century Bach Dang battlefield, A.J. Goddard, the H-bomb test ghost fleet at Bikini Atoll, and many other exotic sites.

Jim routinely shares his success with his colleagues, and he has fostered and supported many projects by his colleagues and graduate students. His record, ethics and diligence related to the discovery, documentation and publication of major underwater sites is truly exceptional, and we are fortunate to have him in the Canadian Chapter.

The Citation of Merit The Citation of Merit is awarded annually to recognize an outstanding feat of exploration or services to the Canadian Chapter of The Explorers Club. This year Citations of Merit are awarded to:

Murray Lloyd Larson FI’05: For his long and dedicated service to the Canadian Chapter of the Club, as both membership Director and Regional Director.

Simon Donato PhD FI’09: For his outstanding contributions and guidance as Chair of the Canadian Chapter of the Club.

Donnie Reid FI’11: For his outstanding contributions as the Project Manager of the Pavilion Lake Research Project in British Columbia, a world-class NASA-CSA exobiology Mars analogue site located in central British Columbia. This project typically fielded 50-70 scientists and support staff, deployed two DeepWorker submarines piloted by astronauts, and constituted the largest scientific diving project in Canada.

Our congratulations to each of the recipients for their contributions to field research and the Canadian Chapter.

The Explorers Club – Canadian Chapter 16 www.explorersclub.ca The Explorers Club Medal Awarded to Philip Currie

Philip Curry FI’02 has been awarded The Explorers Club Medal. The medal is the highest honor that can be bestowed by the Club, awarded for extraordinary contributions directly in the field of exploration, scientific research, or to the welfare of humanity.

Below is Dr. Currie’s acceptance speech delivered at ECAD in March.

It all started with this plastic toy that I found in a box of Rice Krispies more than half a century ago! This Dimetrodon inspired me to dig through box after box Dr. Philip J Currie FI’02, Professor and Canada Research Chair of cereal as I attempted in Dinosaur Paleobiology at the University of Alberta. Photo from to collect the whole set of Science Contours, a University of Alberta magazine. dinosaur models. But I was doomed to failure in that I never found the rarest prize before they ended the promotion; I never got my Tyrannosaurus rex! At least not until 25 years later when I dug up two real specimens of T. rex from the badlands of Alberta!

For my decision to become a palaeontologist, however, I am deeply indebted to Roy Chapman Andrews, a past president of the Explorers Club. Andrews was leader of the American Museum of Natural History’s expeditions to the Gobi Desert, an area that was largely unknown and unmapped in the 1920s. A prolific and engaging writer, he inspired thousands of young men and women to travel in the name of science. Andrew’s book “All About Dinosaurs” was more about being a palaeontologist than it was about dinosaurs, and he convinced me that it was how I wanted to spend my life.

My presence here tonight is a tribute not only to Andrews, but to all explorers who live their lives to the fullest, seeking the frontiers of any field of endeavor – whether it is geographic, scientific or cultural. And to any who think that the need for explorers is gone, think again. The frontiers have been pushed outwards in an ever-widening circle that requires ever-increasing numbers of investigators. How far is far? It may be much farther than before, but it can also be as close as the nearest microscope. Or at least the nearest scientific discovery.

Andrews, the Explorers Club Medal recipient of 1932, inspired me to an exciting, fulfilling, fun- filled career that has taken me to every continent looking for and collecting dinosaurs.This is why the honor that you have bestowed on me tonight is so meaningful. And why I will continue to do my best to inspire the youth of today to walk in our steps, and to go beyond.

The Explorers Club – Canadian Chapter 17 www.explorersclub.ca In Other News

Geographic Travelers Nomination: 50 Tours of a Lifetime Jeff Fuch’s Wild China along the Tea Horse Road has just been nominated one of National Geographic Travelers 50 Tours of a Lifetime. For more information go to http://www.wildchina. com/application/assets/img/press/pdfs/2012-05_National-Geographic-Traveler_50-Tours-of-a- Lifetime_WildChina.pdf. Outpost’s Kawa Karpo Expedition This past February, Jeff Fuchs FI’08 led an expedition for Outpost Magazine, along with EC member Bill Roberts MI’09, along a pilgrimage/trade route through northwestern Yunnan culminating in the ascent of the sacred 4,800 metre Shola Pass on the Tibetan border. Jeff and team had tremendous support from Outpost’s main sponsors; lead sponsor Revo and gear sponsor Mountain Hardwear. Outpost travels the world in search of literary adventures and we are proud that this effort, led by Jeff, was a never-before-done-by-westerners journey and the kind that draws more attention to the mountain cultures who live beneath these peaks. The Kawa Karpo expedition will be featured in Outpost Magazine’s August issue and online. Resolving One Of The Hazards of Expeditions Snoring. As an impediment to exploration, it doesn’t really compare to frostbite, altitude sickness, dengue fever or venomous snakes. Still, a confined expedition shelter – tent, boat or cabin – with one or more members of the expedition disrupting the sleep of everyone else, is an unfortunate and awkward aspect of life on many expeditions. And snoring is often a sign of a more serious problem – sleep apnea, which can be exacerbated by the sleeping conditions, cramped quarters and often high altitudes and thin air of exploratory expeditions.

The solution is relatively simple: the CPAP machine providing pressurized breathing relief for those suffering from sleep apnea. Until now these machines have been heavy, requiring 110 or 220 volts of power. Somnetics International, Inc. has created a lightweight, battery-operated CPAP machine, the Transcend II, designed for wilderness, marine and expedition use. There is an 8-hour battery about the size of a deck of cards and a slightly larger 16 hour battery, both equipped with a solar charger. The machine has been tested to 8,000 ft of altitude; this summer it will be tested at 18,000 ft in the Himalayas. Kego Corporation in London, Ontario is Canadian distributor of the new device.

Learning to Care for Animals in Australia BC EC member Jade Kingsley is studying veterinarian science in Australia where she took the picture on the cover and above. What had the snake on the cover ingested: a fish and a fish hook. And this arafura file snake? Jade says she loves the grin.

The Explorers Club – Canadian Chapter 18 www.explorersclub.ca Calendar of Events

A Sense of Place: Living on the Pacific Northwest Coast and 12,000 years of adapting to changing sea levels An exploration of human presence in Montague Harbour, Galiano Island, BC September 6 – 9, 2012

The 2012 Western Canada Explorers Club meeting will be held September 6 – 9, on Galiano Island. Galiano Island is located amongst the readily accessible Southern Gulf Islands between Vancouver and Victoria. This year the EC meeting will offer a diverse set of activities including participation in original research, symposium lectures, and a range of outdoor activities. All this will be accompanied by good food and great company. The conference focus will be human habitation of this coastal region over the past several thousand years with particular emphasis on the benthic characteristics of Montague Harbour. This site, now underwater, was very likely home to a thriving native community when just a few thousand years ago sea water levels were 20 – 30 meters lower. It is likely that the harbour holds a secret of earlier habitation. We expect to collect critical data that will help delineate drowned cultural sites; this will include collection of Walking the beach at Montague Harbour Provincial Park. bathymetry data, side-scan sonar data, seabed video imagery, seabed sediment cores and should it appear useful, actual diver observations.

Participants in this year’s symposium and expedition may very well contribute to a truly world-class historic discovery. At the very least we will witness first hand how this kind of research is conducted and become better acquainted with our extraordinarily rich natural heritage. In addition to lectures by Explorer Club members, research archaeologists who have worked at Montague, elders from nearby First Nations who possess generations of traditional knowledge, local naturalists and conservationists will participate. The gathering is being co-sponsored with the Galiano Conservancy Association, who are an active force in local conservation matters on Galiano.

The Explorers Club – Canadian Chapter 19 www.explorersclub.ca The activities will be based primarily outdoors at the BC provincial campsite at Montague Harbour Provincial Park.

Registration costs will include: all group activities, lectures and programs at Montague Harbour and at the Galiano Community Hall; as well as breakfast, lunch and supper on Friday and Saturday, and breakfast on Sunday.

For accommodation, beautiful walk in and drive in campsites are available right at Montague Harbour Provincial Park, with views of the water (first come, first serve). Galiano Island has a number of excellent B&Bs and even resort hotels for those who wish a more sophisticated level of personal comfort. Mooring buoys and the Park dock as well as a nearby marina are available for those coming by boat.

Please register your interest in the event and get on the email list for further updates by sending a note to Maeva Gauthier at: [email protected].

Payment in advance will be required to confirm your attendance. Total cost is anticipated to be approximately $300 per person.

A detailed schedule, ferry times and other information will be included in the next update. Watch for the event page on Facebook! Coming soon…

Candace Wilson Solo Art Exhibit “I’ve gone from painting what I see, to seeing what I paint.”

Candace’s new paintings will be on exhibit at a solo show in October.

Paper Mill Gallery Todmorden Mills October 3-14, 2012 67 Pottery Road Toronto

Details can be found at [email protected]

Photo of painting provided by Candace Wilson.

The Explorers Club – Canadian Chapter 20 www.explorersclub.ca Explorer Resources

Recommended resources, information, granting sites, websites or other materials helpful to exploration and field research.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/explorersclub This is the place to go if you’d like to engage with Explorers Club members worldwide.

Gribs USA: http://www.grib.us Grib is the format used by the meteorological institutes of the world to transport and manipulate weather data and is the foundation of the forecasts we see around us in our daily life. GRIB.US allows you to extract weather files tailored to your needs. The easy-to-use Ugrib software allows you to view the data anywhere in the world when you want to, where you want to.

Classifieds

Classified ads are limited to 50 words and are free for Explorers Club members.These classifieds are limited to non commerical usage and are aimed at helpingTEC members share resources, communications and contacts.

Wanted: Contributors to Far Afield. We’re looking for keen and interested volunteers to help edit and write columns. Please contact Wilson at [email protected].

Wanted: Expedition photos for the front cover of Far Afield. Please contact Wilson at [email protected].

Far Afield Schedule

Issue Submission Publication deadline date Winter December 15 January Summer May 15 June

The Explorers Club – Canadian Chapter 21 www.explorersclub.ca