COPE Champions Cycling the Ring of Fire
35,000 km. One extraordinary journey. A world of hazards, communities and stories.
Meet Katie Monk and Andrew Edginton, two recent graduates from the University of St Andrews who are setting off on an incredible year-long cycling expedition around the Pacific Ring of Fire. From Japan and Indonesia to New Zealand, South America, the Pacific coast of North America and Alaska, they will travel slowly through landscapes shaped by earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, floods, wildfires and many other hazards.
Along the way, Andrew and Katie will be COPE Champions, introducing COPE’s free children’s books and educational resources to the communities and people they meet. As they cycle through some of the world’s most hazard-prone regions, they will share stories of how people understand, prepare for and live with hazards, connecting their real-world experiences with COPE’s stories that help children become more informed, confident and resilient.
Follow their journey, explore the hazards along the Ring of Fire, and discover free COPE books in multiple languages.
🇯🇵 Japan: Where living with hazards is part of everyday life
Their journey begins in Japan, a country shaped by powerful geological forces and surrounded by the Pacific Ring of Fire. From earthquakes and tsunamis to volcanic eruptions, floods, landslides and tropical cyclones, Japanese communities have developed generations of knowledge about preparing for and responding to hazards.
As Andrew and Katie cycle through Japan, they will explore these landscapes and the ways communities prepare for hazards, while introducing COPE’s stories to help children understand what they can do to stay safe.
Explore COPE books:
🌊 Tsunamis · 🌏 Earthquakes · 🌀 Cyclones · 🌧️ Floods · ⛰️ Landslides · 🌋 Volcanoes · 🌍 Climate Change
Jingles 🎶
🇮🇩 Indonesia: A country shaped by volcanoes, earthquakes and water
Indonesia is home to some of the most active volcanoes on Earth and sits at the meeting point of several tectonic plates. Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and floods are part of the natural landscape, affecting communities across the country’s many islands.
During their journey through Indonesia, Andrew and Katie will meet people living alongside these hazards and discover how science, local knowledge and preparedness can help communities become more resilient.
Explore COPE books:
🌋 Volcanoes · 🌏 Earthquakes · 🌊 Tsunamis · 🌧️ Floods · 🌍 Climate Change
Jingles 🎶
🇳🇿 New Zealand: Where dramatic landscapes reveal the power of the Earth
From volcanic landscapes and coastal communities, New Zealand’s spectacular environment has been shaped by powerful natural forces. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, landslides, tsunamis and avalanches can all affect communities across the country.
As they cycle through Aotearoa New Zealand, Andrew and Katie will explore the relationship between people, ecosystems and hazards, sharing stories and COPE resources along the way.
Explore COPE books:
❄️ Avalanches · 🌏 Earthquakes · 🌊 Tsunamis · 🌧️ Floods · ⛰️ Landslides · 🌋 Volcanoes · 🌍 Climate Change
Jingles 🎶
🇨🇱 Chile & 🇦🇷 Argentina: Along the Andes, where the Earth is constantly moving
The Andes stretch along the western edge of South America, forming one of the world’s great geological landscapes. Chile and Argentina experience powerful earthquakes, volcanic activity, floods and landslides, with communities adapting to hazards that are closely connected to the region’s dramatic terrain.
As Andrew and Katie travel, they will explore how people and ecosystems are shaped by these forces, and share COPE’s disaster preparedness stories with the communities they meet.
Explore COPE books:
🌏 Earthquakes · 🌋 Volcanoes · 🌧️ Floods · ⛰️ Landslides · 🌍 Climate Change
Jingles 🎶
🇧🇴 Bolivia: Exploring hazards in a changing climate
Bolivia’s diverse landscapes, from the high Andes to the lowlands, are exposed to a wide range of hazards. Floods, wildfires, droughts, frost, heatwaves and landslides can affect communities and ecosystems, with climate change increasing the frequency and intensity of some extreme events.
Their journey through Bolivia will offer an opportunity to explore not only individual hazards, but also the changing risks communities are facing in a warming world.
Explore COPE books:
🌧️ Floods · ⛰️ Landslides · 🌋 Volcanoes 🔥 Wildfires · 💧 Droughts · ☀️ Heatwaves · 🌏 Earthquakes · 🌍 Climate Change
Jingles 🎶
🇵🇪 Peru: From the Andes to the Pacific
Peru’s geography spans mountains, volcanoes, valleys and a long Pacific coastline, exposing it to a wide range of hazards. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides and floods can have profound impacts on communities and ecosystems.
As Andrew and Katie cycle through Peru, they will explore these landscapes and the stories of the people who live there.
Explore COPE books:
🌏 Earthquakes ⛰️ Landslides · 🌧️ Floods · 🌋 Volcanoes · 🌍 Climate Change
Jingles 🎶
🇺🇸 US Pacific Coast: Following the Ring of Fire north
The Pacific coast of the United States is another region where powerful geological and climatic forces meet. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, landslides and floods are part of the region’s hazard landscape, while wildfires have become an increasingly significant threat to communities and ecosystems.
As they continue north, Andrew and Katie will explore how communities prepare for these hazards and how changing environmental conditions are shaping disaster risk.
Explore COPE books:
🌏 Earthquakes · 🌋 Volcanoes · 🌊 Tsunamis · 🔥 Wildfires · ⛰️ Landslides · 🌧️ Floods · 🌍 Climate Change
Jingles 🎶
🇨🇦 Canada & 🇺🇸 Alaska: The final miles and a changing Arctic
The journey ends in the far north, where vast landscapes meet some of the most dynamic environments on Earth. Earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, flooding and wildfires all pose risks across parts of Canada and Alaska, while a rapidly changing climate is transforming ecosystems and communities.
As Andrew and Katie reach the northern end of their journey, their expedition will offer a unique perspective on how hazards, climate change and resilience are interconnected.
Explore COPE books:
🌏 Earthquakes ⛰️ Landslides · 🌧️ Floods · 🌋 Volcanoes · 🔥 Wildfires · 🌍 Climate Change
Jingles 🎶
The adventure is just beginning! Keep an eye on this page as Andrew and Katie share updates, stories and discoveries from the road. Follow along as COPE travels with them around the Ring of Fire!
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