It's official...

we are very 'kewl' (pop over and vote, make us even kewler. I think we're as cool as a polar bear's paws.) Unlike our fellow square rigger, the Cutty Sark which is not cool, sadly having caught fire this morning. Commiserations to the Cutty Sark Trust: the Cutty Sark worked as a tea clipper, and there is no more noble job in the world than bringing soothing and healthy tea to the mugs of otherwise grumpy caffeine addicts, so we wish the Cutty Sark a full and speedy restoration. We at The Beagle Project are up to our eyeballs in a funding bid. Through it we're meeting good-quality people interested in turning the science done aboard the replica into science curriculum teaching materials and in continuing professional development for teachers.

If you're new to the site and the project, we're building a replica HMS Beagle, tricking her out with science kit, satellite communications. The idea is to celebrate Darwin in 2009, and to use the boat to help the teaching of science, to improve public understanding of science: feedback and ideas from science teachers very welcome. Then we aim to circumnavigate the world in Darwin's wake, crewed by relays of young students and science mentors. There'll be some cutting edge science done aboard, so the students will see what the end product of those long afternoons in double biology is all about. We'll retrace Darwin's shore expeditions, see what's changed since the Voyage of The Beagle 1. Like the climate, the ecosystems. Feeback in comments or through the contact us page.