Climate Change at the Arctic's Edge with Mr. Griffith

They make me so proud!

2008-10-02T01:49:00.003-04:00

Here are some pictures of my kids cleaning up Plum Beach in Brooklyn, NY.

They are setting an example for young people everywhere.

Farewell to Churchill...

2008-10-02T01:42:00.002-04:00

Today is a day of "goodbye", "goodluck" and "see you soon".We are wrapping up the expedition and we are all heading back to the united states and back to our friends, families and students. The northern lights were out again last night and it is almost as if the northern skies were throwing us a going away party.

My students at ACE have the day off today and are probably still recovering from the beach cleanup on monday. The pictures from the cleanup tell me that they had a good time and were able to get a lot done! On the surface it may seem as though their beach cleanup and my expedition are quite different. Fortunately I am surrounded by people that can see beyond the surface and appreciate the similarities between monitoring climate change and preserving natural ecosystems.

My experience at the Churchill Northern Studies Center has been demandimg, amazing and rewarding. I have been able to observe and experience nature in a way that I never could in New York City and I am excited to share this experience with the students at ACE. It has been great to know that so many people have been "following along" on my journey and it will be even better on Friday when I get to see all of the amazing personalities that make up the Academy for Conservation and the Environment.

Staying "human"...

2008-09-29T22:10:00.003-04:00

Today was another exciting day in the field. We did some more sampling and coring and we are finishing up the fieldwork and all of the data entry. As the expedition comes to a close I am thinking more and more about what an incredible experience this has been and all of the great people that I have been working with and for. As I was working in the forest I kept thinking about my students at ACE and the fact that they were doing a beach cleanup today. Just knowing that they are doing their part to preserve our ecosystem made me very proud.

As I learn more about the Inuit people I am trying to take their philosophy to heart. I keep coming across the Inuksuk. Inuksuit have been built be the Inuit people for thousands of years and mean "to act in the capacity of a human". In many ways my experience here in Churchill has allowed me to reconnect with nature and be as "human" as possible. Hopefully my students in Brooklyn had a similar experience today.

Another great night!

2008-09-28T19:22:00.004-04:00

Late last night (after I posted my blog) the Northern Lights came out again. They were very intense and great to watch. It was a really cool way to end such an eventful day. In addition to seeing polar bears and going to the Hudson Bay I was able to experience the Northern Lights again. It's a good thing that yesterday was a lot of fun because today was a very long and rough day in the field. Seeing the lights The forest we were working in today was very pretty but since it was further from the research center we didn't get to come back for lunch and were out there all day. On the way back from the forest we spotted an arctic fox and another tundra swan. Seeing the fox was an interesting coincidence considering the legend that I linked you to before.

Today wore me out so I am going to take a little break from blogging. I posted some of the pictures from yesterday on my picasa web album. Check them out and enjoy. Some of the animal pictures and the pictures of me were taken by Mr.Doug (one of the other teachers I am working with).

What a difference a day makes...

2008-09-27T22:36:00.003-04:00

Today was an amazing day. It was our first and only day off so we tried to fit in as much as possible. We went exploring and finally got to see more of the local wild life. We found 2 polar bears, an arctic hare, 2 arctic foxes, Snow geese, Canadian geese, 3 Tundra swans and some huskies. We had to stay pretty far away from the polar bears (for obvious reasons). The first polar bear was huge (about 1,000 lbs) and was very intimidating. The second polar bear was also pretty big but he was busy feeding so we were able to get a little bit closer. I will be adding the animal pictures along with some other good ones to my picasa web album. I'll use the album to share all of the pictures that I am not able to add to my blog.

After climbing around polar bear alley we decided to go to the beach on the Hudson
Bay. The Hudson is all frozen over in the winter so It was cool to be able to see it before it freezes. The beach was beautiful and it actually started to snow! I have been going to the beach for as long as I can remember but I have never once seen snow at the beach. The ocean has always been really important to me and it makes me so proud to know that my students will be doing a beach clean up on Monday. They really are an amazing group of kids and it was really great to talk to them yesterday.

After we left the coast we went into town to eat lunch and go the Eskimo Museum. I was able to see some very interesting art and learned a lot about the Inuit people. Tomorrow we are going back into the field but we are going to a forest that is further away and more dense than the one we have been working in. Apparently this forest is a little more dangerous because we have to take an extra bear guard with us. We are hoping for good weather.

Feeling the love...

2008-09-25T22:08:00.003-04:00

Thank you all so much for responding to my blog posts! Instead of doing the usual post I have decided to respond to all of your comments and questions. I have also posted a group picture of all the teachers that I am working with up here.

RAYHAN: You are right on track with the Electromagnetic correlation. The Northern Lights are concentrated at the North and South poles because of the magnetic fields.

TIFFANY: The picture of the Northern Lights was actually taken by one of the other teachers that is staying here at the research center. I wouldn’t say that I believe the myths about the Northern Lights but I can say that it was very surreal to stand under the lights and it did feel like there was something special going on.

KHEEGAN: The Northern Lights were pretty cool. They didn’t move as quickly as clouds do. The scientific name for the Southern Lights is “Aurora Australis”. The corers were kind of hard to get out of the trees, especially when we were coring the dead trees.

TAAMITI: We had to core about 100 trees at this site. We will have to core another 100 at the next site. If you do core some trees you should head up to the redwood forest. Have a safe trip back to Philly and I’ll see you soon.

MOM: Glad to hear that you are checking up on the blog. I’m being careful and I’ll let you know if we see any major wildlife. I love you. Tell Dad, Chelsie Mani and Brody that I say hello.

SUE-ANN: Coring the trees allows us to study how fast the trees grow. Each tree ring represents a year of tree growth. If we see that some rings are smaller than others we can try to figure out what happened that year that may have affected tree growth.

RICHARD: I am having a really great time up here. I will be sure to tell you all about it when I get back.

SHATASIA: I love that you have so many questions. The nature up here has really made me even more passionate about trying conserve and preserve our planet. I think that the growing population trends mean that we need to find better and more efficient ways to share, conserve and renew resources. I think that we can all do our part to help combat global warming and I would be more than happy to help you find out the best ways for you to do your part.

MELANIE: The soil testing is pretty interesting. The Soil pH probably gets lower as you get closer to the surface because there is more organic material. All of the calcium in the rocks in the deeper soil levels has a higher pH.

TYTEANNA: I miss you guys too. Even though I am really having a great time up here I am still looking forward to coming back to ACE and seeing all of you guys. We haven’t done any swimming yet and I don’t plan to. It is way too cold up here for all of that!

DESTINY: We have found many cool things up here. So far I haven’t seen too many animals. I have seen squirrels and other small animals in the forest and some birds out on the tundra. I am going on a hike on Saturday so hopefully I will get to see some more of the wildlife up here.

HESDRAS: We do get to sleep up here but not for too long. After we come in from the field we have to process all of the samples and input all of the data we collected into the computers. After dinner I sit down to write my blog and then shower before heading to bed. We wake up bright and early to head back out for more soil testing, tree coring and plant surveying. It has been in the 30’s and 40’s for most of the week. It is supposed to get colder this weekend. The trees are important because they give us oxygen and they are an important part our ecosystem. Don’t forget that all living things are connected.

ZAKIYA: The weather is pretty cold. The temperature is about the same as winters in NYC but the wind is what makes it rough. Today when we were out on the tundra there were a couple times when the wind almost knocked us over (especially the tall ones like me).

SOPHINA: Things are going well up here. We have actually found some animal skeletons while we were out in the field. We found some Caribou bones, a few goose eggs and some small animal skeletons. Most of them probably died of natural causes or were maybe eaten by polar bears or arctic wolves.

BRIANA: I’m happy to hear that you care so much about the animals up here. A lot of the polar bears up here are suffering because they have less ice to hunt on and can’t get as much food to eat. You can help me make a difference by trying to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that we release into the atmosphere.

LAURASIA: It’s good to know that you are guys are learning how to test for pH. We mixed the soil with distilled water and then tested the new mixture for pH. Now you see how the things you learn in class can be applied to the real world. Keep up the good work!

MR.CHIPAK: I’ll see what I can do about the baby polar bear – but no promises. I am learning a lot though and I am really lucky to be working with you and all the other great teachers at ACE that have made it possible for me to come on an expedition like this.

The arctic forest is pretty hard"CORE"...

2008-09-24T22:43:00.005-04:00

Today we were working in the forest which was MUCH better than the tundra. The trees kept the wind from hitting us (which is one reason why it was so cold in the tundra yesterday) and it was pretty warm and sunny. It was warm enough for me to take off my coat for a couple hours. That would never be possible in the winter.This is a picture of me trying to get a corer out of a tree (not as fun as it looks). In addition to coring trees we also took soil samples to test for soil composition and pH.

I heard from Mr.Chase that my students at ACE are working on pH and have done their own pH testing in class. Up here in Churchill we have found that the soil pH gets lower as you get closer to the topsoil. Would that make it more basic or more acidic? We are trying to figure out which combination of pH levels is best for the trees up here.

We have two more days of fieldwork and then we get a day off on Saturday! We are hoping to find some Polar Bears and Caribou. I will also get a short break on Friday for my videochat with ACE.

The opposite of Miami...

2008-09-23T22:03:00.003-04:00

I am exhausted! Today was quite a day... We did some surveying in one of the research sites. This picture was taken at the beginning of the day BEFORE the rain. Later in the day no one was taking pictures because we were all scrambling to finish our data collecting so that we could get out of the cold and windy storm and into the warm and cozy research center.

Tomorrow is supposed to be even colder and rainier but we are going back to the same site to finish up some tree coring. The researchers are using the tree cores to count tree rings and find out the age and health of the trees we are studying.

I want to thank everyone that has been wishing me well. I have received comments and emails from all over the USA and I want all of you to know that I miss you and I'm happy to know that you have been keeping track of my little adventure. (Special shout outs to: my students and coworkers at ACE, my Portland buddies, Ilana and Andy in NYC and all of my friends and family down in Florida)

My first day in the field...

2008-09-22T19:36:00.002-04:00

Today was a beautiful day in Churchill. It was nice, sunny and dry (apparently tomorrow will be the opposite). This is a picture of me learning how to take a vegetation survey. We are helping the researchers collect information on the different plants species in this area. Plant growth is a big indicator of environmental change. Tomorrow we will be collecting information and taking samples at one of the messier research sites.

I am learning a lot about plant growth, soil and climate change. Since we have been studying the water cycle, drinking water and community interactions I have started paying extra attention to water and its role in our society. Staying at the Northern Studies Center also has me thinking about water because they pump and filter their own water and have asked us to limit the amount of water we use. Water conservation is becoming more and more crucial as people become more aware of the world water crisis. As you look at these pictures, pay attention to how the need for water is affecting the way that people live and struggle for water around the globe.

The Northern skies are getting "Light"...

2008-09-21T23:29:00.006-04:00

As we were all getting settled into our rooms one of the researchers told us to hurry up and get outside. We rushed out into the cold to see something really amazing. Up above the research center we were able to see and catch a photo the Northern Lights. This is sometimes also called “Aurora Borealis". This phenomenon has been enchanting people for thousands of years. The Inuit people of Alaska and the Aborigines of Australia believed that these lights were actually spirits of their ancestors or of animals that they had killed. In medieval times people thought that the Northern Lights were a warning that war and suffering were on their way.

Now scientists know that "Aurora Borealis" is actually just the collision of the earth's atmospheric gases with particles from the sun. I am so excited that I actually got to see this and share it with all of you! There is something very cool about knowing that I was watching the very same sky as all of those people that came before me. Based on this picture from tonight and the information from the link I included - which gas (oxygen or nitrogen) was I observing tonight? How can you be sure?

I made it to Churchill!

2008-09-21T22:26:00.004-04:00

After three planes and a lot of running around I am finally at the research center in Churchill, Manitoba (Northern Canada). This is a picture of one of the little planes I had to fly in to get here because there are no roads in or out of Churchill. Ironically, this flight was run by "calm air". This picture was taken before I got on the plane and realized how small it was. I tried to stay "calm" but that plane was not made for a full grown Griffith.

Churchill is unlike any area that I have ever been. The research center is located right on the Hudson Bay. This area has the best of both worlds because it is situated right where the Arctic Tundra meets the Arctic Forest. We will be working a lot in both areas. Fortunately both of these biomes look very different now than they do in the winter. I haven't seen any polar bears yet but there are plenty of signs everywhere telling me not to wander off by myself.

Who said polar bears can't dance?

2008-09-19T13:05:00.002-04:00

This is for Inmouni and Shakial. This polar bear has some moves.

Almost ready to go...

2008-09-18T23:29:00.011-04:00

I am almost ready for my trip!

On Sunday I will begin my arctic adventure. I'll be sad to leave all of my friends and students behind but I think they know how important the expedition is.

Students at A.C.E.:
Now that we have started studying climate change and the greenhouse effect we should take a closer look at who is responsible for most of the greenhouse gases that are being released into the atmosphere. I would like you guys to take a look at http://www.breathingearth.net/. This simulation keeps track of carbon emissions, births and deaths. Which countries emit the most carbon? What does the number of births and deaths tell you about our global population trends?

You should also check out polar ice cap melter . This link shows you how the ice caps have changed over the past 25 years. Remember that the earth is about 4.5 billion years old. It is hard to believe that we have caused so much change in such a short amount of time.

I am looking forward to reading your comments and answering your questions. Keep checking for updates.

(Today Sharod accused me of polluting the environment by not eating meat. This is for you Sharod - http://www.goveg.com/environment-globalwarming.asp . Why is it that meat production contributes so largely to global warming? Is carbon the only greenhouse gas for us to worry about? )