Dutch ship starts world trip against climate change picking up young scientists en-route

The Rotterdam ship Oosterschelde will leave on Friday for a two-year world tour that scientist Charles Darwin made two centuries ago. The trip with the over 100-year-old ship aims to help young scientists combat climate change.

The ship departs at 7:45 p.m. Friday after an event at the Rotterdam Maritime Museum. The three-master will follow roughly the same route Darwin traveled in the 19th century when he made his discoveries about the evolution of humans and animals.

The ship is accompanied by naturalists, paying guests, and crew members who help steer, navigate, and hoist the sails. The Oosterschelde will make 32 stops, spread over four continents, including at Cape Verde and Easter Island. Along the way, young environmentalists and researchers from different countries will come on board. They can get to know each other and learn about local customs from local NGOs and scientists.

The expedition, dubbed DARWIN200 Global Voyage, was conceived by Stewart McPherson, a geographer and biologist from the United Kingdom. The ship Oosterschelde was built in the Netherlands in 1917.