Written by Sophie Kalkowski-Pope
As I peer out the window seat at sunrise, I see the golden glow of the Manhattan skyline emerging through the smog. I am in New York. Bleary eyed and jet lagged, our luggage in tow, Genece (the 2023 American Scholar) and I stumble into an Uber and begin our trip towards the hotel.
The honking is the first thing I notice, Manhattan drivers asserting their presence in the bitumen. Poking our head out the window, we grin, looking up as we see the shining tower of the Empire State Building revealed.
We had flown to New York for the annual awards ceremony and scholarship symposium of the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society. We were set to begin a life changing adventure of travel, training, and exploration as the new incoming scholars. These events also coincide with World Oceans Week, hosted by the Explorers Club here in New York.
We spent the first day finding our bearings and slowly being introduced to society members, volunteers and past scholars.
Genece and I met up with the incoming 2023 European scholar Lucy Penny. We took this opportunity to get to know each other by wandering the streets of New York, where we ended up in Central Park. We laughed about the fact that after arriving in this bustling city, all us wanted to do was to reconnect with nature.
Day 2 comprised our formal introduction to the board of directors and opportunity to practice our speeches before the big night. This was our first chance to meet the outgoing scholars Millie, Rosie and Hannah as we exchanged stories and advice for the coming year. In the evening, a buffet dinner at the Explorers Club was the provided our first formal networking opportunities.
The Explorer’s Club is a renowned international society dedicated to the advancement of scientific exploration, promoting field research, and fostering a deep appreciation for the world’s natural wonders. It was incredible to look around the room, realising that it contained items from the remotest corners of our earth: a sample from the Mariana trench, a piece from the titanic, a chunk of moon rock or even the Apollo 11 flag.
Day 3 welcomed in the Scholarship Symposium at the Asia Society. Here, we listened to the presentations of the outgoing OWUSS scholars and interns.
Listening to the talks from Millie, Rosie and Hannah, it was inspiring to learn about their past adventures as we began to envision what our own year could begin to look like!
That evening, we celebrated the Formal Awards Ceremony of the Our-World Underwater Scholarship Society.
Here the new 2023 Scholars and interns were officially introduced to the Scholarship Society, and our scholarship year began. At this event, we also had the opportunity to present our introductory speeches to the OWUSS community. It was surreal to think in a years time we would be back in New York presenting on the adventures of our scholarship year.
For me, it was also exciting to meet my coordinator Joanna in person for the first time and reconnect with Stefan, my VP. After many long zoom calls, it was great to get to know them in person.
The following week was World Oceans Week Hosted by the explorer’s club here in New York. We were invited by Christina Janulis to attend as part of the Blue Generation, and participated in a range of talks and workshop sessions ranging from The Blue Economy, Hope Spots, Community Based Co-Management, and Ocean Governance.
My personal highlight of the week was meeting all the other incredible blue generation participants. To the people I met and new friends, thank you for sharing your stories and I truly hope I can connect with you on our adventures during my scholarship year and beyond!
A few highlights of this week included presentations and workshopping sessions held at the Explorers Club. I particularly loved hearing about Sofia’s work in whale shark ecotourism in the Galapagos, and the expedition science on Lindbland!
We also learnt about how the deep ocean could be protected via criminal law and the concept of “ecocide” from none other her deepness, Sylvia Earl. I’m sure this was a highlight for many, to hear from a scientist who has been such a pioneer for women in diving and a leader in marine conservation.
A trip to the field took us across the bay to visit the Billion Oyster Project, a restoration project aiming to restore the oyster beds of New York (which were thought to be once among the the largest in the world) to improve the water quality of Manhattan. We also attended a sustainable seafood evening where we tried everything from fish jerky, to artificial scallops and kelp burgers, yum!
It was also special to be invited along to a live podcast recording American of Rock climber Alex Honnold’s Planet Visionaries. Here we learnt about different restoration efforts in coral reefs and oil rigs. The rock climber in me couldn’t resist bringing along my chalkbag to get signed…!
A highlight of the week was heading to the UN Headquarters here in New York to celebrate World Oceans Day. Here, we listened to a range of inspiring talks from different ocean advocates centred around the theme Planet Ocean: Tides are Changing. It was surreal to think we were sitting in the same room where so many important decisions on global governance are created.
A fairly unusual part of the New York experience for me was that I completed the last exam of my undergraduate university degree while I was here. While the exam was at 2:30am in the morning, I thought it was pretty special to finish the final assessment of my marine science degree in New York, on World Oceans Day!
Of course, reflecting on my experiences in New York, I can’t help but acknowledge the record-breaking air quality levels we experienced during World Oceans Week. At the time, it was the worst air quality in the world. These bushfires, originating in Canada effected thousands of people all through North America. While one specific fire cannot be directly attributed to climate change, researchers acknowledge that climate change greatly increases the chance of extreme warm and dry weather, worsening fire conditions. Peering out the window through apocalyptic looking orange haze was a sobering reminder that we are living in a climate crisis.
Despite the jetlag and air quality, this experience reminded me there are so many passionate people all around the world fighting to protect our oceans. You inspire me and give me hope when the challenges we face seem overwhelming.
It was amazing to connect with the Our World Underwater Scholarship Community. It never ceases to amaze me the generosity of people involved, always willing to share their their time, knowledge, and connections. Thank you all for being so supportive, I can see you just want the best for us and for us to succeed in our year! Thank you sincerely to everyone who has been involved so far. I can’t wait to see where this scholarship year may lead me, and the people I will meet along the way
I am so grateful to OWUSS for making opportunities I would not have dreamed of before and broadening my horizons to a global scale. A special thank you to the countless volunteers behind OWUSS, and the sponsors that make this scholarship possible at ROLEX. I would also like to thank my equipment sponsors at TUSA, Waterproof International, Reef Photo & Video, Mako Eyewear, my camera gear sponsors at Reef Photo & Video, Nauticam, and long time scholarship supporters DAN, and PADI.
To follow along on my adventures, I highly recommend you follow me on social media!
My Instagram @sophie_dives is where I post most regularly.
You can also contact me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Tiktok, and the Australasian Scholar Facebook Page.
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