“The voyage of the Beagle has been by far the most important event in my life and has determined my whole career.” And now, this life-changing journey is being recreated for all to see.
In the mid-eighteenth century, the HMS Beagle went on its second voyage, carrying with it the British naturalist Charles Darwin. Now, centuries later, an Anglo-Chilean project aims to further his textbook-worthy legacy by replicating his journey. With a recreation of Darwin’s ship, named the Adventure after the Beagle’s own sister ship, founders of The Beagle Project plan to retrace Darwin’s innovative footsteps.
The Adventure won’t be an exact replica of the Beagle, though. Its exterior will resemble its sister, with the exception of it being a bit longer. Its roomier interior will also encompass modifications of newer naval technology that has since been developed. Finally, the reshaping of the ship’s hull will allow for a steadier journey on the Adventure.
This project will galvanize intellect and encourage hands-on learning by allowing for schools along the ship’s journey to actively participate in their endeavors. Additionally, by collaborating with NASA, the project aims to bring an aspect of modernity to the somewhat outdated exploration.
There is also hope that this expedition, through scientific minds fostered by modern advancements, will handle the challenges of climate change and of protecting biodiversity. While Darwin’s experiments helped to identify new species, scientists on the new Beagle will collect marine and land-based samples for the International Barcode of Life Project. Scientists’ prior knowledge on Darwin’s findings will give them a certain perspicacity to reveal new discoveries in pertinence to our modern world.
The final completion of the Adventure seems ostensibly intangible, but in reality, the end is near. Having been in the works for over six years now, the construction of the Adventure sunk slightly due to the choppy waters of the financial crisis. As opposed to the original plan of finishing the ship in Milford Haven this year, the new Beagle will now be built and finished in Chile where costs will be cut in half. Because of the difficulty of sourcing Chilean hardwood, we may not see the finished product for years to come, but the dream is to have the Beagle launched in 2016.
Additionally, the new Beagle will be make an initial detour to New York in hopes of attracting the support of communities within the U.S.
On the topic of this detour, Ms. Wolf thought that it would be a “terrific experience for students who are able to go on the ship and have an opportunity to get a feel for what it was really like to go on such a voyage. This could truly add another dimension to what can be taught at Hewitt and adds a relevance to the modern age with the new technology that the Adventure will utilize. You will get to experience what Darwin felt and saw on his voyage and literally be able follow in his footsteps, uncovering his intellectual thought process. This kind of unique experience is one that, a few years ago, we would never have even considered.”
That being said, the mission of this project is especially important to high school students, for it sheds light on what once was merely a set of facts to be memorized. Through actively turning the ecology chapter of a biology textbook into an adventure full of new possibilities, Darwin no longer becomes a meaningless group of dates or even a list of discoveries and hypotheses. He becomes the agent through which we are able to make new discoveries and delve into the scientific processes of the 1800s to render them comparable to the present. This all makes biology a real, hands-on experience for students that supplements learning in classrooms and makes for a truly meaningful understanding of science and its history.
Click here to learn more about the HMS Beagle Project.