A NEW fundraising venture has been launched by a West Devon explorer to help mount environmental expeditions with citizen scientists.

Jim McNeill, who runs the Global Warrior Project from his Base Camp shop in Princetown, trains ordinary but adventurous people on Dartmoor and the Antarctic, to embark on scientific expedtions to monitor climate change and inform scientists and politicians.

His latest expedition is called Ocean Warrior, with teams of professional enviromental scientists backed by amateur adventurors sailing next year to the Antarctic on the sailing vessel Linden with a Norwegian crew.

Jim said: “I’m encouraging people to get involved by looking at our new Crowfunder site. They can choose to contribute if they wish with donations and rewards to help fit out our ship. Or they can just read the material and watch videos to understand what we’re planning.

“The target is £200,000 and the rewards are all linked to Global Warrior aims and include postcards signed by me and photographs of the animals we have encountered on our treks such as Gertrude the Elephant Seal. The rewards go up to a tour of the Linden in Plymouth and a talk to organisations, by me with many funny stories. It would be good to create a community of people who can get involved, contribute to costs and get benefits from being an Ocean Warrior supporter.”

Jim and his band of eco scientists will be measuring the ocean and coastline to check pollution, temperature, salinity, ice characteristics and wildlife as indicators of climate change.

Jim said: “I have witnessed, first-hand, changes in the polar regions for 38 years and I started my working life in environmental science. It is my belief that we don’t have an effective, real-time, means of ‘taking the pulse of the planet’ in these regions and if we are to be proper guardians of our planet and ecosystem, we need to benchmark what is happening, further our understanding of the complex processes involved and continually monitor them.”

In 22 years of contibuting to global scientific papers and after seven major expeditions and the training of 450 novices, Jim has gathered a powerful body of prominent, leading scientists, advisers, and organisations to help him gather critical data to support decisions about the future of the world and its people in a timely way.

Jim and Sam (his project partner and wife) have have expanded to Global Warrior to include ocean, desert, mountain and jungle environments.

Jim added: “Those undertaking these explorations and working alongside professional oceanographers will be citizen scientists who are ordinary people from all walks of life. We, as a species, thrive when we have a sense of purpose. We also acknowledge and applaud those within our own communities who seek to better themselves for good cause. “Each of these participants has a human story to tell. One that captures the imagination and following of a fervently interested audience who then champion our cause for us and, in turn, learn about and respect Mother Nature themselves.

“With Ocean Warrior, we have the expansion plan, we have the scientists and supporters, we need everyone’s help.” The crowdfunder site is here: https://shorturl.at/aqJ48