Navigating a Global Voyage: Reflections on the Darwin200 PR Journey

larissajclark5
Sep 29
27 min read

Updated: Oct 1

When I first received the call to help launch the Darwin200 Global Voyage aboard the Dutch tall ship Oosterschelde, I knew it would be unlike any other project.

A two-year circumnavigation retracing Darwin’s footsteps, blending adventure with conservation, youth leadership with global storytelling — it was, quite simply, a dream brief for a PR team that thrives at the intersection of travel, science, and purpose.

As Director of This Chapter PR, alongside my colleague Alice Dogruyol, I had the privilege of devising and delivering publicity for the voyage from its early departure in 2023 through to its triumphant homecoming in 2025.

Looking back, the story of how this became one of the most talked-about sailing voyages of recent years is as much about the strategy as it is about the ship and her mission.

Setting Sail with Clear Objectives

From the outset, our mandate was ambitious: to inform, inspire, and educate global audiences about Darwin200’s conservation mission while helping to make Oosterschelde “the most famous ship in the world.”

That meant building a PR strategy that could do several things at once:

Position the voyage as a world-class conservation and education initiative.
Secure consistent global coverage across diverse media — from local newspapers in small ports to international broadcasters.
Celebrate the stories of the Darwin Leaders (the young conservationists trained onboard) and the “World’s Most Exciting Classroom,” a live-streamed educational program connecting schools worldwide.
Build and maintain excitement around milestone ports and the final return under Tower Bridge two years later.

It was a tall order — but the kind of challenge we love.

Year One: Kick-Starting Global Awareness

In Year One, our focus was on kick-starting recognition. We knew the voyage needed momentum from the very first ports. That meant making a lot of noise around the departure from Plymouth and issuing multilingual press releases tailored for every stop, not just the headline destinations.

Before the ship had even set off we created a high bar for the type of coverage we wanted to see - landing features in the UN Chronicle and National Geographic Traveller magazine - the perfect mantle-piece trophies for the conservation and travel angle ahead of departure.

It was a great start and it set the scene for what became a fabulously curated media circus of the best kind in Plymouth August 2023 as the ship cast her lines for the first voyage.

Throughout the first year we crafted narrative-rich stories linking each visit to Darwin’s original journey, worked with local partners to ensure cultural resonance, and developed detailed media lists across South America, the Galapagos, and beyond.

The result? Editorial coverage that was both hyper-local and spectacularly global.

From regular live World Service radio interviews at sea to hundreds of feature reports online, on TV and in print across newswires and news stations like Reuters, CNN, and BBC outlets, the voyage quickly built a reputation not just as a sailing adventure but as a conservation platform with international credibility.

Early on, I remember seeing the Call to Earth CNN feature by Sandy Thin appear online and on TV and the huge feature in BBC Wildlife Magazine by Graeme Green — both brilliant reports that captured both the grandeur of the ship and the urgency of the mission as so many others went on to do too. That kind of coverage doesn’t just appear; it’s the product of careful relationship-building, press assets that make journalists’ lives easier, and stories that resonate across borders.

Year Two: Focused Impact at Key Ports

With global awareness established, Year Two demanded a more focused strategy.

Budget realities meant we couldn’t replicate the intensive rollout we'd kicked off with at the start for every port, so we concentrated our energy on four high-impact milestones: Sydney, Cape Town, Falmouth, and the ship's homecoming to Rotterdam.

For these ports, we created full in depth media advisories, built bespoke press lists, and assembled rich asset packs of photography and video to ensure outlets had exactly what they needed.

For other stops along the route, we crafted “arrival announcements” — concise, informative releases that ensured coverage even without the same depth of local tailoring.

This balance allowed us to sustain global momentum while sharpening attention where it mattered most.

In Auckland, we tapped into national interest to amplify the “One Year On” milestone. Sydney brought further opportunities with CNN International and Cape Town tied the voyage to Darwin Day, generating history and science-led coverage.

Coverage Achieved: A Truly Global Footprint

Across two years, the scale and diversity of coverage was extraordinary. We monitored coverage manually (the downside being we surely missed a huge number of TV reports especially when newswires such as Associated Press compiled and distributed full packages to their international clients) but of what we captured we documented over 500 pieces of press across all channels.

Our press monitoring tells the story best

Broadcast reach: Live and recorded interviews and news reports across BBC World Service Radio, BBC Today Programme, CNN International, Associated Press, Sky News, and even Good Morning Britain with a live broadcast from the ship.
International features: Long-form articles in The Times, The Guardian, The Observer, Reuters, The Week Magazine, alongside specialist travel and lifestyle coverage in BBC Wildlife, Oceanographic, Boat International, Yachting Monthly, and more.
Regional presence: From local radio in the Galapagos Islands to newswire coverage in Brazil, front-page stories in South African newspapers, and national TV bulletins in New Zealand, the voyage became part of everyday news wherever the ship docked.
Specialist and cultural media: Rich features across conservation, science, and education titles — including Mongabay, BBC Science Focus, The Big Issue and education trade press.
Diversity of scale: Coverage ranged from hyper-local newsletters in remote island communities to front-page spreads in major national dailies. The project was profiled on podcasts, highlighted in youth magazines, and featured in prime-time television.

In total, nearly 500 pieces of media coverage were recorded, a testament to how a single voyage can ripple across audiences worldwide — inspiring schoolchildren, adventure travellers, policymakers, and conservationists alike.

The spread mattered as much as the scale.

This was not just one story repeated in the same places; it was thousands of stories told differently across dozens of countries. That diversity turned the voyage into a global conversation.

I often describe it as a ripple effect: one arrival story in a small town newspaper becomes a regional radio interview, which then sparks a feature in an international magazine.

The coverage was cumulative, consistent, and connected — a true example of how carefully planned storytelling can travel as far as the ship itself.

Highlights Along the Way

Among the many milestones, a few stand out to me personally.

Amplifying the Darwin Leaders: Giving a platform to the young conservationists onboard was one of the most rewarding aspects of the campaign. Their stories — from restoring coral reefs to tracking endangered species — gave the voyage a human face and inspired younger audiences worldwide.
The World’s Most Exciting Classroom: Weekly live streams to schools globally captured imaginations far beyond the ports of call. Our PR work helped ensure that education journalists and outlets picked up on this innovative program, creating awareness that will outlast the voyage itself.
Rio, Galapagos, Sydney and Cape Town: These ports tested our ability to orchestrate international coverage remotely while collaborating with local partners. The success of both proved the strength of the planning, even across time zones and logistical challenges.
The Homecoming at Tower Bridge: Nothing compared to the final return. The ship sailing from Falmouth up the Thames to Tower Bridge, welcomed by HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh — and the months of careful liaison with the Royal Press Secretaries to make it happen seamlessly. That day crystallised the entire narrative: heritage, science, global youth, and a ship that had become a symbol.

Patrons and Ambassadors: Amplifying the Message

Throughout the campaign, we worked closely with Darwin200 patrons and ambassadors, including Dr Sarah Darwin and Dame Jane Goodall whose voices added great weight to the project message and helped to build media interest and awareness.

The credibility of their work and commitment to conservation provided powerful human connections to the mission: Sarah as the great-great-granddaughter of Charles Darwin himself, and Jane as one of the world’s most respected conservationists and storytellers.

Quotes, interviews, and carefully timed appearances along the route from these figures gave journalists strong news hooks and deepened the sense of legacy and urgency around the voyage. Whether it was Sarah Darwin contextualising the journey’s link to her ancestor’s discoveries, or Dame Jane Goodall speaking to the global importance of youth leadership in conservation, these contributions elevated the coverage far beyond what the ship alone could achieve.

Their involvement reminded audiences that Darwin200 was not just an expedition — it was part of a living, evolving global conversation about science, heritage, and our collective responsibility for the planet’s future.

Reflections on Success

For me, the success of the Darwin200 PR campaign lies in three lessons:

Sustained investment matters: A global voyage isn’t one story — it’s a thousand. Keeping coverage consistent over two years required discipline, creativity, and trust.
Local and global must coexist: Some of our proudest moments came not from headline-grabbing features but from small, local pieces that built authenticity. Together, they formed a global footprint.
Collaboration is everything: Working closely with the ship’s crew, port coordinators, and partners across continents was essential. Our partnership with Stewart McPherson, Gerben Nab, Mattias Nab everyone on the Darwin200 team and the Dutch Tall Ship Oosterschelde was a model of how PR can integrate seamlessly with project delivery.

Closing Thoughts

The Darwin200 voyage was historic in more ways than one. It proved that conservation storytelling can capture imaginations across generations, that a tall ship can be a platform for global education, and that a well-executed PR strategy can turn vision into visibility.

As I watched Oosterschelde sail up to Tower Bridge, I felt an immense sense of pride.

Not just in the ship or the voyage, but in the knowledge that our work had helped the world see it, understand it, and be inspired by it.

For This Chapter PR, it was the kind of assignment that reminds us why we do what we do: to tell stories that matter, to amplify voices that need to be heard, and to connect audiences with the extraordinary.

This chapter of Darwin200 may have closed, but its ripples — like the stories it generated — will continue to travel.

https://darwin200.com/press/

To request a copy of the Coverage Book please email Larissa Clark: info@thischapter.co.uk