Meeting the Team

My trip to reach the Arctic's edge would officially require two plane rides: one from Chicago to Winnipeg, Canada and one from Winnipeg to Churchill, Manitoba. As my plane descended from the clouds into Churchill, I saw the wide open expanse of the Hudson Bay, a large inland stretch of marshy peat wetlands surrounding a small town on the shoreline, just then spotted a huge pod of white beluga whales swimming up the channel of the Churchill River heading towards the Bay!

Climbing out of the plane, I was struck by two clear and present realities. First, the 74 degree temperature and high humidity were quite unexpected. Second, I was instantly swarmed by a host of hungry mosquitos and hostile giant horseflies (which I later learned are affectionately called "bulldogs"). Thankfully, all of my luggage successfully arrived too. After the warm local greetings (literally), our Earthwatch Expedition Team was greeted at the airport by the project staff and we set out for the Churchill Northern Studies Centre (CNSC).

We took a 23 km scenic drive through Churchill proper and along the Hudson Bay to the Centre. The CNSC was founded in 1976 as a non-profit research and environmental education station to provide logistical support to scientific researchers and university study programs. This formerly deserted military compound from the Cold War era will be our home for the next ten days in the Arctic. We spent the remainder of the evening having dinner, sharing introductions, and hearing an overview of the project. Our Team consists of the Primary Investigator (PI) Dr. Peter Kershaw, a climate change expert from the University of Alberta, Carley Bassler, a CNSC field support specialist (and bear monitor), five American teachers, and four international corporate engineers from the Shell Oil Corporation. Now the team is on site and the plan is in place; all that is left is the adventure lies before us.

Here is today's question for your reflection: Churchill, Manitoba is located at 58 degrees 44 minutes North Latitude/93 degrees 49 minutes West Longitude. The CNSC sits exactly within the overlap of the northernmost edge of the Canadian taiga forest biome, the southernmost edge of the arctic tundra biome, and the arctic marine biome. What makes this a unique and idea place to study the effects of global climate change? What advantages and disadvantages might be associated with research in this region?