Expedition Amazon 2010 Is Underway

A few weeks back I posted a story about Expedition Amazon 2010, the latest adventure sponsored by the impossible2Possible organization. At that time the group, which includes four youth ambassadors along with adventurer and i2P founder Ray Zahab, his partner Kevin Vallely and a few others, were still ramping up for their trip to the Amazon Jungle, but this week they are in Brazil and beginning their journey.

The expedition consists of a 200km (124 mile) trek through the jungle that is expected to take eight days to complete. Along the way, the team is stopping in jungle villages, meeting with the locals, and immersing themselves in the culture there. They are also making the trek to promote Biodiversity, which is the theme for i2P's efforts for this year as 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity. The Amazon is one of the richest, most diverse, places on the planet in terms of species of plants and animals.

The team began the trek this past Saturday, and they are now several days in. You can read about their experiences and progress on the expedition's blog, which can be found by clicking here. The posts include some great photos and videos from the Amazon, where it looks like everyone, especially the youth ambassadors, are having a great time.

One of the key elements to any of the impossible2Possible expeditions is their outreach with schools, and this expedition is no different. The team is connecting directly to classrooms through the use of modern satellite technology, and this allowing hundreds of classes and thousands of students to take part in the adventure. Those kids, grades K-12, are learning more about the Amazon, the cultures there, and the importance of Biodiversity.

The expedition should run into next weekend and after that, Ray and Kevin will begin to focus on their planned run across the Atacama Desert in Chile, which is scheduled to take place in January of 2011. Lots of big things planned for this amazing group.