At 19 years old, Ghanaian girl guide Yvette Sena Blankson is the youngest participant in the latest Greenpeace expedition in the Arctic Sea. She is aboard the Arctic Sunrise ship, together with an international crew comprising scientists, film-makers and even Chinese pop stars. Their mission: answers to demands for an international response to the devastating threats facing the Arctic – and the rest of the world.

The ship set sail on 29 June from the shores of Norway and the expedition is expected to last for a month.

“We have travelled from afar to bear witness to the changes that are taking place in the Arctic,” writes Sena on her blog, jointly held with Peruvian girl guide Miryam Justo from the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) .

“The Arctic is of real importance to us because changes in the sea ice cover will bring changes to the weather patterns on continents like Africa and South America. Last night [1 July] we saw a Polar Bear from a distance and today we saw some paw marks on the fallen snow, as we tried our hand at cross-country skiing on a melting ice floe,” writes Sena.

Currently studying information studies and sociology at the University of Ghana, she also plans to train as a lawyer specializing in cases of abuse against women.

Scientists on the Arctic Sunrise are working with 3D scanning experts and engineers to capture for the first time the true shape of Arctic sea ice. This cutting-edge research will provide precise information about the rapid changes presently happening at the top of the planet.