Randy French ’83, a science teacher at Geneseo Central School, journeyed to Antarctica last year, made possible by a Grosvenor Teaching Fellowship from the National Geographic Society.
He was one of a handful of educators selected from among hundreds of applicants for a 13-day trip around the Antarctica peninsula.
French has traveled extensively guiding adventure trips around the world, but he had never been to Antarctica.
“Today was the culmination of many years of dreaming as I finally set foot on land in Antarctica at Half Moon Island,” he wrote in his blog entry for Dec. 21, 2016.
He described a hike, on which he came upon penguins – the first of many – and on the way back to the ship, he went by Weddell seals lying on the shore.
The purpose of the fellowship is to advance geographic literacy by giving educators field experiences that will enhance their teaching.
“I brought back stories and lessons about penguins, ice and the ecosystem there,” French says. “It is spectacular but also worrisome due to climate change.”
Since French returned, he has collaborated on several projects with Glenn McClure '86/M.S.Ed '11, adjunct lecturer in SUNY Geneseo's English department, composer, musician and humanities professor. McClure spent 40 days in the land of ice last fall on a National Science Foundation grant, recording sounds with scientists that he will later make into compositions.
French and McClure have shared experiences and French’s students have worked with McClure on a music project based on McClure’s Antarctica data. In recognition of his achievement as an educator, French was named the 2017 recipient of the Earth Day Award from Livingston County Environmental Management Council.
— By Jim Memmott