Providing creative students with access to the most remote ecosystems on the planet takes a collective vision that is only possible through the dedication of a team of education, scientific and outdoor professionals. I deeply thank everyone involved for their support. City University of Hong Kong (CityU) ’s Discovery-Enriched Curriculum has made this program thrive and I thank our Dean and Chair Professor Richard William Allen, Provost Professor Alex Jen, and President Professor Way Kuo for their guidance and support.

Professor Paul Lam Kwan Sing generously shared his research with us and, led by Associate Director Dr. Leo Chan Lai, The State Key Laboratory in Marine Pollution became an invaluable partner. Leo and his team, coordinated by Dr. Maggie Mak Yim Ling, safely trained and supervised our art and design students to scuba dive and discover a new underwater landscape to inspire their creativity.

A chance meeting with Dr. Edward Game, The Nature Conservancy’s lead scientist for the region, sparked a connection in both spirit and motivation and Extreme Environments was invited to work at their field station in the Arnavon Islands. Ms. Louisa Ho, the Hong Kong regional director for TNC connected us to their network and Ms. Michele Hui and Ms. Amy Schrei assisted with our exhibition at the university.

The Nature Conservancy’s positive impact in the Solomon Islands cannot be understated. They have transformed endangered ecosystems, provided guidance towards sustainability for dozens of communities, and reversed the disappearance of integral species. The TNC staff at every stage of our journey were able to convey these issues to our students and provide a context for their artworks. Ms. Robyn James accompanied us onsite, and Mr. Willy Atu and Mr. Simon Vuto helped us through Honiara. Mr. Henry Kaniki and the ACMCA Rangers revealed the hidden wonders of the islands and the KAWAKI women’s group revealed the hidden stories. The Vavaghio Guest House staff created a home base in the mangroves for us to work and also shared their skills, knowledge and culture.

As with the past three expeditions, the complex program could not run without the supervision of Ms. Estella Tong Mei Mei and the fine team in the School of Creative Media’s General Office. Ms. Emily Ko Tsz Kei was once again integral in managing the expedition logistics and finances until called away for the birth of her beautiful daughter. Ms. Doris Poon Wan Yi, our coordinator on the Mojave expedition,

returned and once again helped our students experience one of the most isolated sites on our planet. She was a global ambassador for our school, coordinating and communicating across continents and a myriad of communication technologies. Ms. Jiaru Wu used her skills in design and organization to create an exhibition that clearly and elegantly presented the student artworks and our partners. Mr. Garry Luk Gar Hon and his team in the SCM Production Centre once again helped us with the professional equipment needed to document the expedition (sorry about all the sand!). SCM’s IT department also helped us share this work and I thank Dr. Joshua Pun Chun Chung and Mr. Antony Chan Kwong Chau.

Two PhD students from our school assisted in the expedition. Ms. Ana Clara Oliveira Garner excelled at supporting the complicated logistics and became a dynamic bridge to the underrepresented women in the island communities by bringing them forward to tell their stories and learn our technologies. Because of Ana these women will have better tools and skills to remember their homes and families through images for generations. Mr. Peter Nelson also directly engaged with the local culture through a ravenous appetite to understand the entire complexity of the issues facing this region. He physically connected with the communities on every level through warm conversation and direct participation in their lives and work. Dr. David Jaclin, a Professor in Sociological and Anthropological Studies from the University of Ottawa joined us for the islands expedition. David helped us understand illegal animal trafficking through careful study of culture, history and humananimal relationships. These three fine researchers put their heart and soul into helping our students appreciate, preserve and offer solutions to an endangered ecosystem and culture.

In the middle of every expedition, I must remind myself that this is just one class of six that the students are engaged. Their commitment and hard work is truly inspirational to the students across academia. They once again endured great difficulty to demonstrate the power of artists as global citizens.