Sophie is becoming a bit of a star. She appeared in a story on Forbes as the mascot for LUC8K. The story described her as exhibiting style and enjoying life while discussing the importance of sustainability. Despite her newfound fame, she remains a happy ambassador for LUC8K traveling the world discovering new places and cultures with an insatiable appetite for new ventures.
There are many reasons why Sophie personifies the lifestyle of LUC8K. She doesn’t wait for trends or worry about what others do. She has her own personal style and she’s happy to display it. However, one of the most important reasons is her fearlessness when it comes to travel.
Somehow, someway Sophie managed to get to the remote Svalbard Islands. Getting there isn’t easy for humans much less for a 4.5-meter giraffe. The Norwegian territory is located at about the midway point between continental Norway and the North Pole.
Once there even Sophie was a bit shocked
The archipelago has a landmass almost as large as the Netherlands and Belgium combined, but there are only about 2,600 full-time residents. Many of the inhabitants are involved in either scientific research or with the operation of a Russian-owned coal mine. It is one of the world’s northernmost inhabited areas, known for its rugged, remote terrain of glaciers and frozen tundra.
This is all new for Sophie and she was having a bit of trouble getting acclimated to the new surroundings. Meanwhile, those on the island—man and animal—were stunned at the site of a giraffe strolling across the grasslands trying to get a better view of the mountains and glaciers. Polar bears and arctic foxes ran away. Tourists were astonished and the inhabitants stood in silent awe.
However, Sophie makes friends easily and it’s a good thing because Svalbard is so far north that it is beyond the tree line. This means her main source of food, the leaves of trees, doesn’t exist. The tourists and locals after their initial shock were happy to help Sophie out and of course, her stylish handmade bags were almost as popular with the women as Sophie herself. Sophie was invited for meals everywhere.
Since it was Sophie’s first time in such an environment scientists educated her on the changes that are undergoing in the area. The glaciers are melting and wildlife such as the polar bears are losing their icy habitat. All of the effects are the result of global warming. Svalbard itself has been certified as a sustainable destination, a rare designation by the Norwegian government.
Sophie also learned about the Svalbard Global Seed Vault
Also known as the “Doomsday Vault”. It’s a warehouse built into a mountain. What’s inside the vault has the potential to be worth more than all the money on earth. What it contains is more than 1.5 million seeds representing the earth’s food crop, from California sunflowers to ancient Chinese rice.
The vault serves two purposes. First, if there ever was a catastrophic event on earth, the seeds in the vault would be used to restore agriculture throughout the world. Second, it serves to save the seeds from food crops that are going extinct. It happens every day as industrialized farming creates more food but fewer varieties.
Sophie marvels at the good deeds man can do but the thought passes quickly for now as she notices a natural wonder taking place. It’s after midnight and the sun was still up with the sky lit in bands of red and yellow light. Sophie laid back and took in this magical site truly understanding what it means to be in “The Land of the Midnight Sun.”
Can you guess where Sophie is Off to next? Write us or let us know your guess over Facebook or comments below.
