The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, Bermuda (the Award) is pleased to confirm the following Gold Level Award participants are traveling to Nova Scotia to take part in a 6-day, 5-night Adventurous Journey and Residential Project canoeing and portaging through Kejimkujik National Park.
Grace Amaradasa
Abigail Autmezguine
Neriah Bean
Ces’zinee Cox
Kemari Cox
Samuel Dallas
Nadia DeSousa
Sage DeSousa
Siena Marshall
Ella Newton
Skyler O’Connor
Amya Pierre
Felix Ringsted
Anijahe Santos Martin
Helena Thomas
Manning Smith, will be traveling as Emerging Leader alongside the Programme Director, Karen Simmons and Senior Award Leader, Jenni Simpson and Kevin Walsh.
The participants will undertake a 6-day, 5-night canoe trip for the Gold Practice Journey and Adventurous Journey in tandem. The 6-day canoe trip is entirely wilderness based, which means each night will be at a different campsite in the Nova Scotia woods. All campsites will be on the shore of a lake or river. The campsites will be in Kejimkujik National Park (a National Historic Site), and in the Tobeatic Wilderness Area, depending on the final route plan. The hope is for them to make it to Tobeatic Lake, which is deep in the Tobeatic Wilderness Area, home to a recently restored century old ranger cabin. The participants will learn about the Mi’kmaw’s 4,000 year history in the Kejimkujik area, learn about the ancient craft of birch bark canoe-building and get an understanding how the Mi’kmaw are deeply connected to the landscape that the participants will be canoeing and navigating through for their expedition.
Programme Director, Karen Simmons stated, “The Award in Bermuda is pleased to partner with WhyNot Adventure to provide a unique and challenging Adventurous Journey for this year’s Gold Level group. WhyNot Adventure have a similar ethos to the Award, which is to facilitate an experience that fosters participation, teamwork, and a desire to pursue exploration of new experiences even after the Adventurous Journey is complete. Participants will have to work and live closely together as part of a team, grow their leadership skills, be resilient and discover a sense of adventure canoeing and portaging through new and unfamiliar territory.”
Chair of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, Bermuda, Ryan Eve, said, “I would like to wish the group all the best on this exciting and impactful journey through Kejimkujik National Park, Nova Scotia. As they kayak and portage through this remarkable landscape, they should remember they are traversing a land rich in history and significance to the Mi'kmaw people. I encourage them to embrace the challenge, step outside their comfort zone, and seize the opportunity to learn about the environment. The Adventurous Journey component of the Award enables young people to develop their self-confidence, strengthen their teamwork and be resilient. Their journey will be as rewarding as it is demanding, and the skills they gain will last a lifetime.”
Ryan Eve concluded by saying, “I would like to thank our many donors for their continued support, including, The Centennial Foundation, Appleby, Axis, The Chubb Foundation, The Bermuda Foundation, KPMG, The XL Foundation, The Peter Cundill Foundation, Edmund Gibbons Ltd., Jardines, Butterfield & Vallis, AWAC, Everen, Sompo, Argo, and Orbis.”
The Award helps participants become ready for the world of today and tomorrow. If you are interested in getting involved in the programme, or would like to donate, please email fiona@theaward.bm or call 737-8959.