If the rock is gone... Tornado (don’t you wish you had a weather rock?) :P

Dear family,

Don’t you wish you had a weather rock? Oh wait, you don’t know what we’re talking about. Well, we’ll tell you. So the lovely town of Churchill has a fantastic meteorological system in place to determine the local weather, it’s not your average Weather Channel but it works.

The rest of the village was just as awesome and filled with humour, and the people here are great. They know a lot about snowboarding at Mt. Tremblant and don’t really care for rules; in fact they encourage you to pick the dead polar bear’s nose. Lovely.

The only real downside is the endless amounts of hungry, blood-sucking, golf ball-sized mosquitoes. And this is only a slight exaggeration. They’re in the antique bus that Doug drives madly, they’re in the Churchill Northern Studies Center and their bodies can be found smeared all over the walls, and most surprisingly they cling on people and follow them onto the boats.

Speaking of boats, today’s main attraction was a ferry tour around the Cape Merry area. We were lucky enough to see ringed seals, beluga whales and the odd polar bear.

And although not in the conventional manner, we’ve learned so much already in the day and a half that we’ve been here. Our group has had some thoughtful discussions about what climate change means to us, and the experiences we have had outside of the classroom have helped to further emphasize and influence how we think about our impacts on the planet.

Here’s a little taste of what we got to hear today on our ferry tour, and see if you can guess what arctic animal is singing this cacophony of sound.

Love,

Kat & Mel

From Prairies to Tundra and a Polar Bear to boot!

Dear Mom and Dad,

We arrived in Churchill today. While the train journey was long, it has yet again given me perspective on how large and varied Canada really is. In school we teach that Canada is made up of many different eco zones, but saying it in the classroom and seeing it before your eyes are two different things. We started out from Winnipeg in Aspen and Oak parklands. We headed West through the Western uplands and then North into the Manitoba lowlands. The lowlands are what make up the Manitoban prairie.



After a day (a full day!) of prairies we entered into the Precambrian Boreal forest followed by the Hudson Bay lowlands and finally the Arctic Tundra.


It took us 42 hours to go from prairie to tundra (and I have the pictures to prove it!)

We were welcomed into Churchill by two big furry paws....Polar bear paws!



As the train rolled into town a young male appeared on the tracks. He jumped off and provided us all with a great big hello (from behind some willow bushes). I gave the group a mini tour of the town and then we headed on to the Northern Studies Research Center (our home for the next 10 days).

I have just finished giving the students an introduction into atmospheric chemistry. We’re getting ready to go out tomorrow and hopefully meet some belugas and get a taste of the local Churchill wildlife.

Off for a good night's sleep,

Doug

Planes, Trains and More Trains

Hi Ryan and Riley!

Greetings from the train! We are 24 hours into our 42 hour train journey. On a map you can tell Churchill is far away from Winnipeg but the distance takes on a different meaning when you watch the landscape change before your eyes. It’s a bit like watching a time-lapse picture happen right in front of you.

42 hours on a train makes it more than just a mode of transportation. In addition to taking us to Churchill it is also a games room (card games, card games and more card games), a classroom (our train package has kept us busy for a good chunk of time) and our bedroom (it’s amazing what creative ways there are to sleep on upright seats). We have met other student groups and travellers heading up to Churchill and have gotten to know our porters very well. Dennis is by far our favourite.

I’ve gained perspective on what Northern explorers like Samuel Hearne and Joseph Tyrell would have gone through just to get to the starting point of their expeditions. It’s given new meaning to the quote “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end” by Ursula K. LeGuin. As I watch the scenery change from prairie to forest before my eyes I am getting more and more excited about what else this journey (because it really IS a journey) holds in store.

Missing you,

Marlene

Free Knives for Far North Expedition... Thanks Wenger

Just a note to thank Wenger for supplying knives for our Far North Expedition.

A week away.from trip....questions?

Thanks for the pictures you have been sending to me. I had a question about stuff needed while we are at the study centre. The study centre sent me the following response: 
"We provide all sheets, towels, pillows, duvets and blankets on each&nbsp;bed."<br>
I am going to bring a small towel for the trip north on the train so I can wash up on the train.&nbsp;
If you have any questions please ask.&nbsp;

Expedition is getting closer

We have two weeks and a bit till the expedition starts and we have some last minute details to clear up. We thought of having a meeting before the trip but the logistics of getting any significant amount of the students together don't make this realistic. If you have any further questions before the trip starts please feel free to email myself.

I will paste the first assignment to be completed before the trip below. Please read it carefully and use the links provided to complete. If you have any questions please let me know.

I have a brief multiple choice survey for you to do. It will give me a sense of the range of abilities and experiences that you possess so we can take advantage of them as the trip progresses. Just click on the link to get the survey .

Courtney has the clothing in now and you can pick it up from her (please confirm with her when you will drop by the office cClayton@tcet.com) or she will have it waiting for you at the airport on the 28th.

I have been able to get Swiss Army Knives to sponsor the trip with free knives for the group. They are standard pocket knives. I will bring them in my checked luggage to distribute when we get to Churchill.

Please send a picture of yourself to me so we can match names to faces before the trip starts.

I hope you are getting excited for this trip. I am sure it will be the trip of a lifetime.

Doug

First Assignment - What is being reported?
Before the trip starts I wanted you to read a few articles and get your response to them. Over the last few months I have been tagging articles in the popular press on Global climate change. Most have been coming from Science Daily News, etc.

For this first assignment I want to you look at two issues. First a brief review of the community we will be visiting. I want you to get a sense of the history of this place. Considering the European contact started in 1610, Churchill has a long history in Canada. Read the tagged articles at http://delicious.com/doug.isaak and give me a summary of what your reaction is to the place. I am looking for a personal response to the place. Don't present facts but tell me about perhaps what you are expecting to see.

If you are unfamiliar with delicious.com, you can just click on one of the tags on the right hand side and it will bring up all the articles tagged by me. Follow the link to the article.

The second part of this assignment is to review at least 5 articles on climate change that I have tagged at the same above website. It doesn't matter which web pages you review but include reference to the web page in your discussion. You can stick to a theme if you wish (i.e. animals, ice, etc.) Give a brief summary of the article and give your personal response whether you agree or disagree with it. No more than a paragraph per article.

Please have this completed before the trip and emailed to me. If this will be a problem please contact me for alternate arrangements.