April -> June | June -> August

From December on, follow the last leg of Pole to Pole 2000 Expedition on this page

August 20th

Message from Martyn
"When the team crosses into Mexico this week, they will have traveled 11,000 miles of their 24,000 mile journey, talked to over 9,000 school children and worked with a large number of environmental and humanitarian organizations throughout North America. The team is holding up extraordinarily well.
I am very impressed with their adaptability, physical strength and dedication in an often chaotic milieu which includes "typical" days of waking at 4 am to get to an early morning TV interview, public events and presentations to large groups of people, then cycling in heat exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Communication, support and teamwork are serving them well. >They have had good media coverage in America - extensive TV coverage from regional FOX, CBS and ABC. Lots of radio coverage including NPR , Voice of America and NHK in Japan. The first one hour documentary was shown this week in Korea to over 20,000,000 visitors.
And we have met and shared with incredible people.
One of the highlights for all of us was a ten minute talk given to the team by Dr. Charlie Clements, who was a founding member of the Nobel Peace prize winning Committee to Ban Land Mines. He told us the story of the two people who came up with the idea of doing something about the use of land mines. As they began to investigate what they could do to address this issue, they were told innumerable times that there was no way that they could have any influence whatsoever over this issue. This could only be decided by heads of state at the highest levels of government talking together. Despite this, they formed the committee, agreeing that this issue would have to constitute their "life's work" and that it would require that level of dedication. After seven years of very hard work, they accomplished their goal of banning the use of land mines, saving the lives of millions of innocent people.
Dr. Clement's actions and his sharing with the team about how he accomplished his vision provide all of us on the team with a wonderful role model. It really shows what can happen when you stay true to your vision and your goals. We are all inspired by our meeting with him".

Early August

Whats' coming up for the team
From Martyn : "Leaving the whirlwind and wonder of city life in Boston, New York and Washington, and cycling across the expanse of the American mid-West (with Dylan having a collision with a car on his bike and needing to rest with some stitches and a slight concussion and a new respect for why bike helmets are such a necessary and good idea!), the journey west continues. A visit with the Nature Conservancy's incredible Zapata Ranch in southern Colorado is followed by time in beautiful Santa Fe (July 30,31, Aug. 1&2) where we will be guests of the Nizhoni School for Global Consciousness, a stop to see the Grand Canyon (Aug. 4, 5), Los Angeles (Aug. 6-11) and Phoenix (Aug. 12-16) brings us to a close of this time in the USA. On August 16th we will leave Phoenix to cycle across the Mexican border and continue the journey southwards. In each of these cities we will have the privilege to be working closely with both environmental and humanitarian organizations to focus attention on what each of us can do to have a cleaner, more sustainable and more human place to live as we advance into this next century".

Somes writings while en route fromJessica and Dylan
July 24th, Jessica Casas : "Today was such an awesome day! Towards the end of the afternoon, while waiting for Renaud to finish his cycle, Heidi, Mercedes, and I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting Mr. Ronald Pierre Marble It was a bit warm sitting in the beast (our van) so we decided to lounge outside in the meadow. I guess it looked like we were having vehicle problems and this nice gentleman approached us and asked if we needed help. Imagine a bouncy, energetic, seventy year old man talking away with such spunk and joy that you couldn't help but look at him in awe, with eyes opened wide and a smile from ear to ear!!
Through his own experience he learned that the power of his mind and spirit was one thing that nobody could take away from him and that even at the age of seventy, he was just beginning to realize what he was capable of. His dynamic personality was such a joy to be around and I even started to cry as he encouraged us to dream, and reach, and explore ourselves and push our "limitations." He was such an inspiration to me and reminded me that life is what I make of it. At the end of the conversation, he walked away leaving us still in awe, but a rekindled burning desire to grow and to discover. I must say I will forever remember Mr. Ronald Marble..."

Dylan - Denver, Co. - July 28th : "This morning begins with an early morning trip to Denver for a presentation to Americorps - National Civilian Community Corps, a service organization working across the United States constituted mainly of young people interested in dedicating time and energy to various humanitarian issues within the U.S. The energy from this group was incredible, although our presentation to them was short; it brought home alot of things for me just hearing about some of the projects these folks were involved in, such as working with handicapped to inner city kids. I had an overriding sense that we the Pole to Pole team are blessed on this journey as through our travels we are congratulated and thanked many times over for what we are doing. Let me not take away from what we are doing, we do our part, but there are countless others whom are forgotten or whose creative presence and small but powerful difference is not recognized by our " headlines " society.
Through the many projects, events and presentations we have participated in my observation has been of a consistent nature of selfless dedication by those we have had the privilege to meet, interact and work with. I say a special thanks to all of you who give greatly to that which you believe in, even if you don’t get thank you's or appreciation that often, remember that your dedication and difference is etched in the manuscripts of human evolution for generations to come.

19 July 2000 : Martyn's news

The last two weeks have seen team members meeting with the Prime Minister of Canada and many exciting young people, in a large environmental youth event in Ottawa for Canada Day. They cycled through Maine, Vermont and New York State; speaking at Harvard and Brown Universities; kayaking around the Statue of Liberty and back into New York City. They gave interviews with People Magazine; sleeped with the homeless in Manhattan; helped with urban gardens, houses for the poor, foodbanks, water quality and recycling.

We are now into our 4th month of expeditioning and into the 6th month of being together as a team, and this last two weeks has been the hardest on me of any time to date. The team spirit has at times hit its lowest, with some team members appearing almost resentful about being on the journey. I attribute this to the stress of the long hours we put in together, the irregular sleep patterns we have, some times starting at 5 a.m. in the morning and going to 10 p.m. We are in so many different and potentially uncomfortable situations it is inevitable that team members can doubt why they are here. In the last few days the team has taken steps to increase efficiency and communication and appear to be headed to new levels of teamwork!!

Of all the highlights for the past few weeks for me I want to mention two: kayaking into Manhattan ( it is an unforgettable way to experience the contrast between wilderness and city life ); secondly, seeing the way that small steps do make a difference as epitomized by the Green Guerillas. They have turned vacant city lots used by drug dealers to peddle their drugs into gardens where now mothers meet with their babies to chat in the shade of trees. This series of small steps has increased the quality of life in neighborhoods, sent the dealers away and increased house prices in the area!!

And hot off the press / (Martyn, New York, July 13 evening)