Polar Adventures with Ocean Youth Academy's Gaby Pilson

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On today's Adventure in Learning podcast, we meet Gaby Pilson, a guide and outdoor educator with a passion for introducing people to the world’s most beautiful and unique places. Gaby is also a founder and board secretary of Ocean Youth Academy, a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide a sustainable model of education that connects youth with the ocean and the wonders of our natural world.
Gaby holds undergraduate degrees in Philosophy and Environmental Studies, with a focus on Meteorology and Glaciology, and a master’s degree in Outdoor Education from the University of Edinburgh.
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When not working in the polar regions, you can find Gaby working as a mountaineering and climbing guide in Alaska, teaching wilderness medicine, freelance writing, traveling, or leading students on remote wilderness expeditions around the world. She is a keen hiker, climber, paddler, and skier and has travelled extensively in search of the next great adventure.
I was fortunate to meet Gaby on my trip to Antarctica in December. On today's podcast, we talk glaciers, penguins, and taking action on climate change. We also talk about what a day in the life of a guide looks like, what brings her hope, and her next great adventure.
00:29: Describe your adventures in learning.
03:28: Reflecting on the past season in Antarctica.
05:33: What drew you to wanting to work in Antarctica?
06:04: A quick lesson in glaciers -- why they matter and why you should care, even if you live nowhere near a glacier.
07:49: What's changed in Antarctica over the last five years?
09:04: What is the Ocean Youth Academy?
12:35: Sponsor Ad
13:54: Polar Bears, Climate Change, and Taking Positive Action
16:34: What's it like being a guide in the Polar Regions?
20:22: Do you ever get used to the Drake Passage?
21:51: Are there any adventures you still want to do?
23:49: When you were a little girl, did you know you wanted to enter a STEM field like this?
28:23: What brings you hope?

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