By IANS,
Lucknow : All those who think of the Arctic region as a place covered by ice and with nothing much to see should think again, says Lucknow school student Dhruv Sengar, who has just returned from an international expedition to the Arctic.
“For me, it appeared like a multi-coloured red painting of mosses, flowers, berries, willows, birches and other flora found there,” described 16-year-old Sengar, who was a part of the international expedition on climate change organised by the British Council.
“And the most mysterious part of this beauty is its marine life. Not visible from the sky, the depths of the ocean stored so many bounties of nature. From the planktons to the whales, each one we observed got us even more intrigued,” recalled Sengar, who along with a group of high school students from different countries embarked on an Arctic voyage – the ‘Cape Farewell Youth Expedition 2008’.
“It was an out-of-the world experience to see fin whales, humpback whales, dolphins, seals, jelly fish and numerous other species,” said Sengar.
The expedition, a brainchild of British artist David Buckland, was an international project aimed at increasing awareness about climate change.
But it is not just the beauty. Sengar has areas of concern too. “It was just heart rending when we observed how fast the land was getting destroyed,” he said – glaciers receding at a rapid rate, animal communities declining, over-exploitation of resources, and more storms.
“All these indicate it is high time for us to stand united to protect the landscape,” he added.
“I have already planned to conduct a campaign to sensitise youth towards various aspects of environment in schools and colleges with support of my teachers,” said the class 12 student of Jaipuria School here.
“Get up and act now,” says Sengar.