Read
SUSANNAH ROBERTSON'S article
about her Arctic experience
This
past summer I embarked on a journey to Canada's Arctic with
Students On Ice. When
I left Calgary I wondered what I would find, what I would learn
and who I would meet. On the trip to Ottawa I was wrapped in
a blanket of uncertainty and excitement.
But when I first met the group of students, chaperones, scientists
and expedition leaders, I knew that I didn't have anything to
worry about. The group was amazingly receptive and I was soon
part of a big family setting out on an amazing adventure - an
adventure of a lifetime!
When we reached the Arctic I was overwhelmed with its immensity
and beauty and my senses were repeatedly shocked, amazed and
astounded. What follows is only a small part of what I found
and what I learned.
I stood on the deck of the Kapitan Khlebnikov and saw countless
towering icebergs, twelve Polar bears, a few rare Ivory gulls,
and mountainous islands. I went hiking and I saw jagged cliffs,
rolling tundra and delicate purple saxifrage. I flew over gigantic
glaciers and stood on the frozen Arctic Ocean where polar bears
walk in search of seal holes, and patiently wait for a meal.
I
learned that polar bears are successful only one out of every
twenty hunting attempts. I learned that if the Greenland Icecap
were to melt the world's water level would rise twenty-two feet
and land and cities would be flooded. I saw a vast land that
appeared untouched and pristine.
However,
I learned that the Arctic and its' inhabitants are being threatened
by pollution and global warming. I learned that pollutants are
carried by ocean and air currents from far away and have a negative
effect on all Arctic inhabitants. I learned that global warming
has put Polar bears at risk because a warmer climate means that
they have a shorter time to hunt seals on the ice.
I
felt the crisp Arctic air and ran my hand through Musk-ox hair
that was as soft as eider down. I felt spongy moss, Sunburst
lichen, Arctic Cotton and the biting Arctic wind. I felt the
crushing cold of the Arctic Ocean that numbed my body when I
dove into it and became a member of the Arctic Swim Team! I
felt the warmth of the Arctic sun on a calm summer's day, the
smooth hide of a newly skinned Harp seal, and the insulating
fur of the Polar bear. I learned that a Polar bear has been
tracked traveling from Alaska to Baffin Island.
I
heard the cries of thousands of baby Thick-billed Murres who
were being encouraged to jump off cliff edges into the ocean
by their parents, so together they could begin their long swim
to Newfoundland!! I heard Glaucous gulls fighting over their
small perches on the edges of vertical, imposing cliffs. I saw
walruses and heard their grunts as they lumbered slowly off
their ice floes.
I
saw and heard the piercing crack of an iceberg calving and the
resounding silence on the top of Ellesmere Island. I learned
that icebergs are broken-off parts of glaciers and that 7/8
of each iceberg is submerged under water.
I tasted fish and Musk ox jerky in Resolute. I learned that
the Musk-ox meat is prized by the Inuit and this has led to
over-hunting, and as a result their population has had to be
restocked.
I
smelled the pure Arctic air as I traveled over the water on
a Zodiac and the musty, raw, remains of a recent seal hunt.
Every day I sensed a new adventure. I leaned that this summer
in Grise Fjiord the ocean ice was slow to melt and this prevented
whales from coming into the bay and as a result the main food
source for the people of Grise Fjiord had to be seals, both
Ringed and Harp.
I talked with knowledgeable scientists, hiked up steep mountains,
flew over river beds and wind blown ridges, felt the imprint
of a wolf's paw in dried mud, crept up on a herd of Musk ox
and stood in the ruins of homes once occupied by the ancient
Thule people. I made good friends with people from different
parts of North America and Inuit friends who gave me the name
Amahuaq, which means baby wolf.
Writing about the trip is difficult because words cannot describe
the beauty of the Arctic. The trip was a feast for the senses.
I have learned more about our environment, and particularly
how alive, vibrant and interesting the Arctic is and why it
is so important to take care of it. I learned how pollution
and ignorance are both individual and global problems that need
to be solved. I learned how sensitive the Arctic is to ecological
disrespect, even if this insensitivity occurs far from the North.
The Arctic is a land of incredible and unscarred beauty which
deserves to be preserved. My trip with Students On Ice has made
me more determined to try to ensure that I do not leave negative
or harmful footprints on either Earth or its people.
READ
SUSANNAH ROBERTSON'S ARTICLE
ABOUT HER ARCTIC EXPERIENCES
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Ice Website
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