Arctic's Edge Climate Change with Ms. Schneider

Back Home in Arlington

2009-03-12T14:07:00.004-04:00

WOW! What a trip! My adventure to the Arctic's Edge was an amazing journey. I learned so much and I hope that I passed on this knowledge to all my readers out there. Thank you for following along. I feel like a real explorer now who can go out in the world and accomplish anything. I hope I have inspired you to take chances and never stop learning.

I met so many great people during my time in Churchill: scientists, teachers, and snow lovers. Thank you to all my fellow Earthwatchers for making my trip so memorable. It would not have been the same without you. You helped me survive the cold and dig deep snow pits and laugh through all the branchlet /needle work.

Thank you to my students and the Barrett Elementary community who followed along on my expedition North. Your support was constant. Every time I got a new comment on my blog, I felt loved and knew my trip was exciting you as much as me.

It was nice to be back at school today. The students had two surprises for me: a huge, colorful banner and a Radio Ranch web cast all about me.

Click the link to watch the Radio Ranch show.
http://barrettpi.blogspot.com/2009/03/radio-ranch-season-1-episode-16.html

What I learned about Climate Change

2009-03-11T23:38:00.006-04:00

After many, many graphs (they are a favorite pastime of Scientist Steve), I know for sure that climate change is occurring. At night, after my work in the field, I heard several lectures about climate change and why the continued study and research in the Arctic is necessary. I feel so privileged to have been apart of this. All my work in the snow pits and with the branchlets helped collect data that will document this serious problem.

Over thousands of years, the Earth has gone through temperature fluctuations from hot to cold and back again. Now the Earth has begun to break out of this cycle. The Earth has been warming by 0.6 degrees in the past 30 years. This is unprecedented.

How will climate change effect the Arctic?

1. The scientists predict that there will be a 3.5 to 6 degree temperature increase in the Arctic in the next 100 years. This will have huge effects on this cold climate. A one degree temperature increase will result in two weeks being added to the growing season.

2. The sea ice is thinning and shrinking in the Northern Hemisphere. It is breaking up a month earlier which has resulted in a 22% decrease in the polar bear population.

3. The depletion of the the ozone means that people are more at risk for skin cancer because we will be receiving more UV radiation.

4. And there could and most likely will be more negative effects.

What can you, as an individual and a part of our global community, do to help reverse climate change?

Scientists Still Work During A Blizzard

2009-03-09T19:58:00.008-04:00

A blizzard blew into Churchill today. The temperature is -21F but with the wind chill it feels like -54F. It is predicted to get as low as -40F tonight. Who knows what the wind chill will be? It sure is loud outside with all the wind hitting against the building! The wind is gusting between 28 - 37 miles per hour. Because Churchill is located in the tundra, it only gets about 25 centimeters of a snow a year. During the blizzard, all the snow gets whipped around and creates high snow drifts. I hope I can stay warm under all 4 blankets.

Out in the blizzard today, I thought that the wind would lift me up and let me fly.

What is a blizzard?

Our last day of science work was filled with needle extraction. This was lucky since we got to stay inside and work during the blizzard. I would not want to have to be out there digging a snow pit in this weather. We had to remove and count all the needles from the branchlets. We had already finished weighing the branchlets. We did this for five days straight to see how much weight they lost as the moisture evaporated from their needles. We are helping Scientist Steve with his research which will show the effects of climate change on trees here at the Arctic's Edge.

What would be the most precise and efficient way to count all these needles?

Life at the Churchill Northern Studies Center (CNSC)

2009-03-08T17:38:00.005-04:00

Everyone has been asking what are the living conditions like for me in Churchill? Where do I sleep? What do I eat? Do I have a roommate?

Here is a brief schedule of my day. It varies a bit from day to day.
6:30 - Wakeup, shower, dress for the day
7:00 - Breakfast
7:45 - Briefing: what are our jobs today, what area are we going to dig in
8:15 - Depart for the snow pits in the qamatuk
9:00 - Dig and collect data from the snow pits
11:30 - Back at the CNSC: Take off all the outer layers and start entering data into the computer
12:00 - Lunch
1:15 - Briefing: Afternoon schedule reviewed
1:45 - Lecture, discussion, data collection and entry, and blogging
5:30 - Dinner
7:00 - Lecture: I go to class every night to learn something new about climate change.
8:30 - Work on my blog some more and have some free time with Earthwatch friends
10:30 - Time for bed

Are there chores? Yes. Some days I have dish duty after meals. Everyone has to be a contributing member to the community.

Now watch a video of what the centre looks like and some of the interesting scientists and friends I have met while here.

The food here is quite delicious. I am eating very well and never go hungry. This is what I ate today.
Breakfast: French toast, hash browns, and an orange
Lunch: Fried chicken, baked beans, french fries, and salad,
Dinner: Fillet of sole, corn, potatoes, salad, oranges

Keep track of all the food you eat in one day and think about where it all comes from. Do you ever think about how we use our natural resources to supply us with food? How does the food on our dinner table get to us? I am amazed with how the CSNC gets and keeps all this delicious food here for us to eat. Do you think that other people around the world eat the same kinds of food as us? Do they have the same choices and the same amount?

For something a little different from my daily routine, I decided to sleep in the igloo last night (as a true Arctic adventurer would). It was beautiful inside as I looked up at the top of the dome lit up from the moonlight. The moon was bright last night with a halo around it. There were four of us sleeping in the igloo. The more bodies, the mroe heat that is generated to keep warm. I was warm all night in my sleeping bag, except for my nose. It was not the best night of sleep but I am glad that I tried it out.

Transportation Subarctic Style

2009-03-07T20:38:00.004-05:00

I have had two new experiences with Subarctic transportation.

Everyday we ride the qamatuk to the snow pits. It is like a winter roller coaster ride across the snow and ice. We sit in a box with couch cushions (provides a bit of padding) and are pulled by a snowmobile. It can become bumpy and the wind whips across your face. It is fun but tomorrow I hear we have to take the qamatuk 45 minutes to our last snow pit site. I hope I am not frozen by the time we arrive.

Today was our day off ... a little rest and some play time. I decided to try out the dog sledding even though dogs make me a bit uneasy. These huskies are lean, fast dogs that have gone through great training. They are trained to run the Hudson Bay Quest, which is 250 miles. It takes the dogs roughly 36 hours. The sledding was fun. I stood and tried to do a little steering. It was a quick 1 mile ride.

Which transportation would you rather take to school or work everyday? The qamatuk or the dog sled?

Time to Build an Igloo

2009-03-06T22:25:00.014-05:00

I am a full fledge Canadian / Inuit / Eskimo because I built an igloo today. It is not easy work. It exercises the brain and body.

First we had to find the right kind of snow: hard packed, usually found in a high drift, and solid chunks are necessary. It takes 50 rectangular blocks to fit 3-4 people comfortably for sleeping. We dug around in the drift until we found the hard packed snow. Do you think the snow that fell in Virginia this week could be used to build an igloo?

Second we got a saw to cut out the solid blocks. You cut along all four sides and then carefully wedge it out of place and tried not to break into pieces. Do not try this at home. An adult is necessary to use all this sharp equipment.

Then we had to figure out how to pick up these large blocks of snow. You are supposed to cradle it in your arm on the left side and hold it from underneath with the right hand. Easier said then done. They probably were about 20-30 pounds each. One time after lifting it and carrying it through the snow to its resting place, I slipped and just fell down with it right in my lap. There was no way to get up without someone helping me and lifting the block off my lap.

We collected over 50 snow blocks so we could then figure out which ones would fit best in our igloo design.

The next step was to make a circular shape in the fresh flat snow. We went stomping around to flatten the snow. We used a string attached to a pole in the middle of our circle to make sure the base was wide enough.Then we started positioning our snow blocks in a circle. We had to tilt them inward a bit to start the dome shape design.

As we placed each block on the circular design we had to pat snow around the bottom to secure it. After we had our base layer, we shaped it so it was lower at one side and then spiraled higher. Now it was time for the second layer. We had to place one block on top at a time. Then we used a large knife to tilt and wedge each piece in place. Some carving (or chopping) along one side and the bottom is necessary. Then we gave it a hard slap on top to seal the blocks together. It began to look like a snake coiled around as the second layer rose up.

It was so cold this morning when we were building the igloo. The temperature today was -40 F (with the wind chill). This was the coldest day so far and the wind was whipping around with no sun to help warm us up. It was so cold that the lens cover on my camera even froze for a little bit. Check out this crazy picture.

Now the sun is out and the igloo looks fantastic. A very impressive feat!

What does feat mean?

Would you sleep in an igloo if you had a chance? I am taking a poll because I am still undecided. They say the igloo is very warm at night. You place caribou skin on the floor, get 2-3 other friends, and slip into a sleeping bag to stay warm and cozy. I knew it would be hard to survive in the snow, but I am learning and experiencing a little more and more each day. I could not live here 365 days a year; the climate is too harsh. An igloo can only remain in tact for a few days before a new shelter has to be built. This is a lot of work, on top of finding and cooking food.

Polar Bears have been spotted ....

2009-03-05T18:20:00.013-05:00

...Just not by me. Boo hoo. There is a very good reason for this though. The polar bears are in two locations right now, neither of which are in Churchill. The male polar bears have been out on the sea ice in search of food. The female polar bears are headed there right now. They are coming out of their dens with their cubs and going way out on the Hudson Bay.

There is a large polar bear population that lives in and around Churchill, in Western Hudson Bay. Since the population is high, the Canadians have collected a lot of research on the polar bear. The Churchill polar bears are one of the most studied large mammals in the world.
Two men, Dennis and Seth (aka the bear men), are here in Churchill conducting their polar bear research. I have been harassing them at meal time to tell me everything they know about polar bears. Finally today these two shy bear men shared some of their secrets. They go out twice a year for about 4 weeks and try to tag and track the polar bears. They have to take a helicopter to find the polar bears. Right now, they are looking for the females and cubs coming out of their dens. The reason for tagging the polar bears is so they can monitor their travel and also gather information, like polar bear standard measurements. So these two bear men have been lucky enough to see the bears but they cannot be persuaded to take me up in their helicopter as their official photographer.

Track the bears with the bear men. http://polarbears.wwf.ca/tracker.html

Polar Bear Facts
1. Polar bears are found all around the North Pole but have a high population right here in Churchill, on the Western Hudson Bay.

2. Adult males weigh 770-1500 lbs
Adult females weigh 300-550 lbs
Babies weigh 1.1 lbs at birth
How much do you weigh? How many of you equal one female or male polar bear?

3. They can be as tall as 9 feet on their hind legs. How tall are you? How many inches taller is a polar bear?

4. 25, 000 polar bears worldwide and 15, 000 in Canada. They are not endangered but considered threatened.

5. About the body -- The feet have small pads that are hairy to protect from ice and gripping. The claws are small. They teeth are sharp for gripping and grabbing.

6. The sharp teeth are needed to eat meat. The bears' appetite leans towards ringed seals. Also they have long, skinny necks with small ears so they can easily stick their head into the sea ice and capture the seals.

7. The polar bears live to an average of 20-25 years of age out in the wild.

Year in the Life
April - May: The polar bears mate on the sea ice.
July: Bears forced ashore by melting sea ice. They do not feed on land. They are forced to live off sea ice. Could you not eat for 6 months? What food would you miss the most?
Late October-Early November: Males begin to gather along the shore waiting for the sea ice to form.
Late November-December: 1-3 cubs are born to the mother. They stay in the den for 2 months with the mother. This is not full hibernation but the mothers do slow down, do not eat, and their body temperature drops.
February-March: Mothers and cubs leave den and go out to the see ice. This is happening now.

Compare my hand size and head size to the polar bears. How would you describe the similarities and differences?

Since I have no polar bear pictures, check out this website for video and photographs. http://polarbears.wwf.ca/home.html#/media/

Northern Lights

2009-03-04T19:40:00.007-05:00

I love fireworks! I never want to miss the opportunity to catch them on July 4th or after a baseball game. Well I saw a new form of fireworks here in Churchill. These fireworks come from the sun. I watched them one night out in the cold and the sky was bright and sparkling. The stars were so bright and crisp. The next time I watched them from the sky dome. It is at the top of the Centre. It feels like you are outside but it is warm and toasty inside with a great view of above.

An expert on the sun and sky has been staying here with us at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre. He is Roger Woloshyn, otherwise known as Starman. He gave a lecture last night about the Northern Lights and how and why they appear so brillantly in the skies here. I will try my best to relay the information.

The Northern lights are a natural light display usually seen best at night and at the polar regions (lucky I am here then). The sun is a constant star. It does not change size or temperature. It is a ball of gas that makes energy all day. There are sunspots on the sun that are getting rid of energy. These bits of dust are shot off the sun and hit our Earth's outer space which then create a halo of light around the pole. The aurora borealis, another name for the Northern Lights, are most commonly green in color. Sometimes they are pink or bright red.

Thank you for telling me what the zastrugi looked like to you? What does the Northern Lights look like? To some of us here, we oohed and aahed and commented that it looked like a sandstorm, chalk blending, a Georgia O'Keefe painting, and shadows.
To learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_aurora

More about SNOW

2009-03-03T18:24:00.016-05:00

I want to thank everyone who has been reading and commenting on my blog. It brings a big smile to my face everytime I read a new one. I go around and start sharing all your wonderful ideas with my other Earthwatch teammates ... I think they are a little jealous.

According to scientist and snow expert LeeAnn, snow is precipitation in the form of ice crystals. A snow crystal is single in form but a snowflake is a bunch of snow crystals stuck together. These are some of the snow I collected today and my teacher friend, Mrs. Barrett, is trying to determine the type of snow crystals found in the tundra today. Can you find a snow crystal or snowflake and draw it? Bring it in to Mr. Wolfe for extra credit. Do not forget your name!

I am learning more about snow everyday! There is so much around me. I want to begin to understand it a bit better. Today I went out to the Hudson Bay (part of the Arctic Ocean). It has turned to ice this time of year. We were able to walk right out on it.

It was breathtakingly beautiful. There was zastrugi snow everywhere. Zastrugi is a russian word that means wind scultped snow.

To me, some of it looked like a porpoise coming out of the water. What does the zastrugi look like to you?

I also found hoar today in the snow. This was awesome considering I never knew it existed until last night. Then I went out today and found it (with the help of Scientist Steve). Hoar is the white crystals that form when warm moisture touches a colder surface.

To see the branchlet work in action, go to my Earthwatch Leader, Mr. Andrew's blog. There are a few videos of us working with the branchlets. What do you see me working on?

Weather Report

2009-03-02T19:42:00.005-05:00

I heard that school was canceled today. You got some snow? How much? What did the snow look like? Can you write a weather report for me? What is the definition of snow?

I hope you enjoyed your snow day. For me in Churchill, it was all work and no play. I am experiencing Churchill weather. Let me give you my weather report and then we can compare notes. Today it was sunny and warm for Churchill. The natives of Churchill (people who live here all year round) said that we are lucky to be experiencing this warm weather. It is all comparable. What is warm to one individual is still downright cold to another. It is -7 degrees Fahrenheit but it feels like -24. There was no wind out. The sky was clear with no clouds to be found. I was happy to have the bright sunshine on my face. My fingers were still cold despite the two pairs of gloves. I need to work on keeping them warmer tomorrow.

Last night, I heard a lecture about the various snow crystals. I need to know about the different snow crystals because when I am out in the tundra or forest, I am trying to determine which snow crystals are there. Do I sound like Snowflake Bentley? Remember no snow crystal can ever be repeated but I have to try my best to identify the snow shape. I have to look at a guide and make my best scientific determination.

This is me working in the field. I dug a snow pit and was analyzing the levels of snow and looking at the different crystals found.

Here is me yesterday afternoon on my first walk out in the snow of Churchill. I got in a little play then and got to practice with all the various layers of gear I brought (and you saw on the video.)

I am working as a scientist.

2009-03-01T19:55:00.011-05:00

Today I worked on a science experiment all day (Just like the class did with our matter experiment on melting ice vs. ice with salt.) Steve is one of the leaders of my climate change research.

He is working on an experiment that is trying to predict if the treeline will be affected by climate changes. First you need to know what a tree is? Please find the definition of a tree. Then we can compare your definition to Steve's definition.

Last week another group of Earthwatch members took samples from trees. They cut the end of the tree which is called the branchlet. We had to take these 560 branchlets and follow a specific procedure in order to collect all the data.
1. Label the data trays (or egg cartons) that held the branchlets.
2. Prune the branchlet so it contains only the growth from 2008.
3. Measure and record the length of the branchlet.
4. Dip the end of the branchlet in hot wax to prevent moisture loss at the end.
5. Weigh the branchlets and record.
6. We will be repeating the weighing process 5 more times in order to measure the moisture loss in the branchlets.
These branchlets are from spruce trees so it smelled like winter and Christmas all day.

I arrived!

2009-02-28T23:36:00.010-05:00

I am here in Churchill safely. And it is cold, -4 Fahrenheit, but it could be colder.

Everyone wanted to know how long it would take to get here. Well here is a quick recap of my travels. I woke up at 4:00 am EST. I got to Reagan National Airport at 5:00am. I got on my first flight at 6:30 to Minneapolis. I arrived at 8:15 CST. I was at Terminal G but had to take the tram to Terminal C.

I was able to get my 9:00 flight to Winnipeg. The plane got smaller to Winnipeg, only 80 seats. I arrived at 10:15. I met a friend on the plane, Jean. She is from Seattle and has traveled to the Arctic and Antarctic. We hung out in the Winnipeg airport for 4 hours.

The plane to Churchill took off at 2:45 and only had 25 seats. I did not like the lift off at all. I almost clutched my seatmate's arm but we were not close enough friends yet.

I arrived in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, the Arctic's Edge at 5:30pm. Safe and sound and ready for adventure!

Questions for the day.
What is CST?
How many hours did it take to get to Churchill from Arlington?
What does clutch mean? (Robust Word)

Watch me get dressed!

2009-02-23T16:52:00.006-05:00

You want to see what I am going to be wearing in Churchill everyday to protect myself from the harsh weather?!? Watch this video. It takes a long time to layer up ... I may have to get up extra early in morning to be prepared.

I want to thank Patagonia who has donated some clothes for my trip North: a waterproof hard shell jacket, ski pants, and ski gloves. I am going to need these to keep warm.

Getting My Students Prepared

2009-02-22T11:34:00.004-05:00

How do you introduce second graders to climate change? With Winston! I read my students the book, Winston of Churchill: One Bear's Battle Against Global Warming. This book is a treasure. I can not thank Jean Davies Okimoto enough for writing this book. Winston is a polar bear who rallies the other polar bears to protest global warming. He makes a book and explains how global warming is happening. Winston and the polar bears tell the tourists the ice and their homes are melting and they need the humans help to stop this climate change. After hearing about my expedition, the students were excited and very curious.

The students have many questions for me?
Will I sleep in an igloo?
How will I videoconference? How will the microphone work?
Can I bring back a little bit of the arctic in a cooler?

The students and I have gone on to do some more research in order to prepare for our joint journey to Canada. The students will follow me through my blog and videoconferences.

We tracked my trip North with the help of Google Earth.

Then we watched a video on Brain Pop. Tim and Moby taught us about the climate and landscape in the Arctic Tundra. It is cold with the temperatures varying from -32 to -70 degrees Celsius (which is -26 to -94 degrees Fahrenheit). There is not much snow in the tundra so it is nicknamed the cold desert. We learned a new robust vocabulary word: permafrost. Permafrost is a layer of soil beneath the surface that stays frozen solid all year long. I will be doing research on the permafrost when I arrive in Churchill. Tim and Moby also told us what animals I have a chance of seeing in the Arctic Tundra: polar bears, reindeer, wolves, caribou, lemmings, arctic hares and more. (I am keeping my fingers crossed to see some arctic animals.)

We learned about climate change from some amazing pictures from National Geographic. The warmer temperatures in the Arctic are changing the environment and affecting the animals that live there. You can watch and hear about a few of the animals that live in this habitat: caribou, polar bears, snowy owls, and tundra swans.

So many THANK YOUS!

2009-02-19T17:21:00.005-05:00

I want to thank everyone who has been supporting my Arctic Edge adventure.

I have so many friends, family members, and school colleagues who have been getting excited along with me. They have helped me shop for six layers of clothes. (Who knew you could wear that many at once?) They have helped me increase my technology knowledge and plan so that I can bring this experience back to my students live from the field. Thank you Deborah and Dave, in particular, because you have listened to me recite my ongoing To Do List and helped me think about how to tackle it.

My school staff sent me off in style with a poem. (Thank you Mrs. Vazquez)

Baby it'll be cold outside!
She'll probably face temperatures a' freezing
probably come back a' sneezing.
Determined to try igloo forming
as she gains insight into this global warming...
In this once in a life opportunity,
Behind her is the Barrett community.

One Month Until Departure

2009-01-27T21:59:00.005-05:00

The countdown has begun. Only 32 days until departure on my Earthwatch expedition to the Arctic's Edge in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. My flights are booked and now I am working on packing my bags. There is a lot of gear and clothing that I need to gather in order to survive the Arctic weather. It will be very chilly on my adventure; the temperature can be as low as -50 degrees Fahrenheit. What does that feel like? I have no idea, but will learn soon enough. Any exposed skin could freeze in seconds, so I will be bundling up under six layers.

I am looking forward to this once in a lifetime experience. While in Churchill, I will get to communicate live from the field with the students via my blog and video conference. The students will hear about my research on climate change and its effects on the ecosystems in the area. They will get to witness my endeavors which will have a huge impact on their learning. I know they will be inspired! The students have the potential to be greatly impacted by climate change in the future and I want them to start thinking about solutions to our global problem.