As if getting funding for an expedition isn't hard enough, National Geographic is making two young explorers compete against one another for the cash, and they're asking us to help decide who should get the dough.
The two contenders include former professional kayaker Trip Jennings and adventurer Ben Horton. Jennings is planning on going to the Republic of Congo to help combat the illegal poaching of Elephants for ivory, while Horton hopes to create an expanded marine preserve off the coast of Costa Rica, by tagging and tracking two bull sharks, and watching their travel patterns.
Both of these expeditions are worthy of funding, but only one can win, and to that end, Nat Geo has set up a page allowing us to vote on who we think is most deserving. To read more about both expeditions and the two men involved, and of course, to cast your vote, click here.
At the moment, Trip and his elephant expedition are holding a fairly substantial lead, 68% to 32%. I can't help but wonder if that isn't, at least in some part, due to the fact that we look on elephants, and their familial structure, with a lot more sympathy than we do with sharks, which can't help but conjure images of Jaws. Maybe Ben should have substituted sharks for cute sea otters or something.
The contest is actually part of Expedition Week, on the National Geographic Channel, which kicks off on Sunday, Nov. 15th, and ushers in a week of exploration and adventure.
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