Have you ever thought, "I wish I could take a year off and just travel around the world"? Well, three lucky American teenagers were able to do just that. The teens--two males and one female--got an all-expenses paid, yearlong hike to five continents. This trip didn't include any five-star hotels or shopping funs. Eighteen-year-old Jamie Fiel from Keller, Texas, 17-year-old Arsen Ewing from Canyon, California, and 16-year-old Tyler Robinson from Lincoln, Massachusetts, didn't expect fancy treatment. They signed up for the experience of a lifetime, which included hard work, often uncomfortable accommodations, and encounters with some of nature's most dangerous animals and environments. Jamie, Arsen, and Tyler were among hundreds of high school kids nominated by their science teachers to take this trip. Earthwatch Institute sponsored   this adventure. Each year, Earthwatch employs thousands of volunteers worldwide to help with scientific research projects. The group went all around the world to get a close look at the most pressing environmental issues of our time. Their assignments were as varied as their locations, and included measuring and attending pink flamingos in Kenya's Great Rift Valley, and tracking giant sea turtles in Costa Rica. As they worked with the Earthwatch scientists, Jamie, Arsen, and Tyler began to understand that we are at a critical moment in the life of our planet. Time for change is running out. As the teens went from country to country and witnessed different environmental dangers and challenges, they understood that solutions to important environmental issues start with the power of one person's actions. They realized that each of them can make a difference. What's true about their journey?
They had to pay for their journey on their own expense. They often had to move from one hotel to another. They had to take great pains to collect environmental information. They received a warm welcome every time they arrived at a new place.