Biography:


My name is Hayden Shea. I live in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA, one of the last intact ecosystems on the planet. I have always loved being outdoors and watching wildlife – we have lots in our neighborhood. I attend the Journeys School, a small private school in the area. The school is special because it uses nature, the environment and a sense of place as integrating themes for all of our classes. This year I began to study more intensely the issue of climate change and became concerned with all the effects it is having across the world. Recently I attended a Student Climate and Conservation Congress with 100 students from around the U.S. in Washington DC. Our goal was to develop an enhanced understanding of climate change, conservation, and sustainability and to brainstorm recommendations and solutions to respond to these challenges. My interest in the Arctic began when I was 10 and got a chance to spend two weeks in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. I am very excited to be returning to the Arctic this fall. Next year, I will develop my own response to climate change as a result of attending the Congress and the Polar International Leadership Camp.