Meet the expert
Canadian adventurer, environmentalist and educator Geoff Green has been leading expeditions and adventures from pole to pole for the past twenty years. Many notable organizations such as the Discovery Channel, World Wildlife Fund, National Audubon Society and the Smithsonian Institution enlist Geoff to lead their groups into the world’s most remote and exciting regions.
Geoff is the Founder and Executive Director of Students on Ice Expeditions, an award-winning educational organization based in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. The program, now in its thirteenth year, has taken over 2,000 students, teachers and scientists from around the world on expeditions to the Arctic and the Antarctic. The goal of this unique project is to give the world’s youth a heightened understanding and respect for the planet’s global ecosystem, and the inspiration to protect it.
For Expedition Arctic, Geoff led the team on an Arctic adventure to explore the region’s vast and breathtaking scenery.
Video
My mission
My mission was to lead the expedition up the coast of Baffin Island, across the Davis Strait and down the west coast of Greenland. This video explains what I had to do to accomplish this task.
Transcript: My mission
Geoff Green
Founder and Expedition Leader, Students on Ice:
My name is Geoff Green and I’m the founder and expedition leader for “Students on Ice”.
The arctic is a corner stone of our global eco-system and a window to our world. It is a homeland, a laboratory, a wilderness, a frontier and the world’s greatest classroom.
This year, I am leading a group of students from across the arctic and from around the world on a sailing expedition up the coast of Baffin Island, across the Davis Strait and then down the west coast of Greenland. During this amazing journey, we hope to encounter polar bears, walrus, whales, icebergs; participate in scientific research and most of all, meet and learn from the people that live in the arctic.
As the expedition leader, I am always excited and a bit nervous. There is a lot to organize and prepare for and you can never be sure what lies ahead. “Flexibility” is the key; as we like to say, but I have a feeling that this expedition is going to be one of the best ever.
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Specimen
Polar bear
The polar bear (its scientific name being
Ursus maritimus) is the world's largest land carnivore, or meat-eater. It is the biggest member of the bear family, known by the scientific name,
Ursidae.
Image: A polar bear.
View Polar bear
Specimen
Muskox
The muskox is an Arctic mammal belonging to the Bovid Family. Though it has some resemblance to the bison, the muskox is actually more closely related to sheep and goats. The scientific name,
Ovibos moschatus, means “musky sheep-cow”.
Image: A muskox.
View Muskox
Video
My trip
This was one of the best expeditions we have ever had. It was not without its hurdles though. Check out the video to see what happened.
Transcript: My trip
Geoff Green
Founder and Expedition Leader, Students on Ice:
Every “Students on Ice” expedition is a journey of discovery and an adventure. We always have a plan, but you never know what you might encounter. Things change, you have to be flexible. This year, something very unexpected and extraordinary happened before our journey even began.
On the first day of the expedition, we flew into Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut. We were supposed to embark on the expedition the very next day, but we got quite a bit of a surprise.
Iqaluit lies on the southern shores of Frobisher Bay on Baffin Island. During the ice-free summer months, the town is able to receive most of its supplies by ships. However, this year, there was an unusual amount of sea ice in the Bay and winds swept the ice into the harbor making it completely impossible for any ship to get close.
We’re here at Apex, just outside of Iqaluit, this is Frobisher Bay behind me. Somewhere out there is our ship, trying to come in with the Canadian Coast Guard and if it gets here, that’s number 1 problem solved, but the second thing is, how are we going to get with our zodiacs out there, to get to the ship!
We spent the next four days enjoying our time in Iqaluit and trying to come up with a solution to get to our ship.
So yeah, if they can bring it in close to that tanker…
Yeah
But who knows what this is going to look like in another couple of hours…
Yeah
… because when this tide comes up… So we need for things to change, the wind to shift a little bit, that ice to disperse and give us enough time, enough of a window to get all of our luggage and all of our people out to the ship by zodiac.
Each day that passed was another day we missed from our expedition. And each day that passed, put our expedition in jeopardy. Just as we were about to give up hope, something extraordinary happened. We got a call from the Canadian Coast Guard.
Right after lunch, we got a call and it was Coast Guard headquarters saying that “Students on Ice” has received authorisation for Coast Guard to come and get us.
---Applause
This wasn’t a small or easy task. They first had to transport everyone from our team on ice-strengthened barges through thick ice in the Bay to make it to the “Des Groseilliers” and we didn’t have much time. We had to do it while the tides were at their highest or we could all get stuck in the sea ice. We had only a small window.
Huh, things are going pretty good.
Yeah?
Yeah, we huh are hum, on the break wall at Iqaluit and the first two barges of students are on their way. Pretty amazing experience for these kids.
Yeah… A bit speechless, but excited.
Cool!
It was an exciting operation, but just as the midnight sun was setting and the tide was dropping, we made it! Once everybody got on to the “Des Groseilliers”, we cheered and the ice-breaker cut its way out to our expedition ship waiting off shore.
Under the cover of darkness and now in open water, we got into zodiac inflatables to transfer from the Coast Guard vessel to our ship and finally, the next stage of our expedition had begun.
Early the next morning, we set sail, following the “Des Groseilliers” through the ice, in front of us. I can’t explain how relieved and thankful I felt and I am still struck by the incredible generosity and skill of the Canadian Coast Guard.
Oh man! Isn’t it great to be alive?
---Cheers and applause
The rest of our expedition was like a dream and an incredible success. We explored the east coast of Baffin Island. Came across polar bears, whales, sea birds, walrus and much more… We met elders in Inuit communities along the way. We crossed the Davis Strait and witnessed some of the most awe inspiring icebergs you can possible imagine.
We explored Greenland, landed in Ilulissat, the iceberg factory of the world, where the Jakobshavn Ice-fjord descends from the Greenland icecap. Here and elsewhere on our journey, we witnessed first-hand, the impacts’ climate change is having in the arctic. Explore “Expedition Arctic”. Share and experience our journey and join the arctic I.Q. challenge for a chance to get on-board our 2014 “Students on Ice” expedition to the arctic.
Waving and cheering
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Specimen
Walrus
The walrus (scientifically named
Odobenus rosmarus) is a large marine mammal with flippers, tusks, thick blubber, and whiskers. It is the only living member of the Odobenidae family of mammals, closely related to seals and sea lions. The scientific name, Odobenus, is Greek and means “tooth-walker,” referring to the walrus behaviour of pulling themselves onto and along the ice using their tusks.
Image: A walrus's skull.
View Walrus
Specimen
Tufted fen-moss
With a hand-lens or microscope, we see incredible detail and beauty that we otherwise would not even notice. This is especially true of small plants such as mosses. As a group, however, these individually short plants make up the majority of the plant life in much of the Arctic, and play a leading role in ecosystem function.
Image: Tufted-fen moss
View Tufted fen-moss
Video
Expedition recap
See how the trip went from the perspective of the students on the trip.
Transcript: Expedition recap
Airplane boarding…
---Cheers on take-off…
Group circle activity…
Dogs barking...
Ice floating in the water…
Cemetery and village view…
Exploring the rocky slope…
Icebergs on the shoreline…
Geoff Green
Founder and Expedition Leader, Students on Ice:
We’re here at Apex, just outside of Iqaluit.
This is Frobisher Bay behind me and it’s filled with a lot of ice. Its low tide so all the sea ice is just sitting on the bottom and it’s been a remarkable opportunity for our students, to be “Students on Ice”.
At this point in time, the ice inside the harbour, from either the causeway or from the break wall; it’s a no go, right now.
This is a challenge that we are facing right now, at the beginning of our journey. Somewhere out there is our ship, trying to come in with the Canadian Coast Guard and if it gets here, that’s number one problem solved, but the second thing is, how we’re going to get with our zodiacs out there, to get to the ship.
This is the cargo ship here, the Coast Guard here.
Hum, there’s supposed to be a northwest wind tonight and we’re going to just hope for the best.
Well, we’ll just keep on trying until we get there, but we’re going to get on that ship!
---Applause and cheers…
Right after lunch, we got a call and it was Coast Guard Headquarters saying that Students on Ice has received authorization for the Coast Guard to come and get us.
Applause and cheers…
Hip, hip, hooray!
Hip, hip, hooray!
Hip, hip, hooray!
Applause and cheers…
It feels great! Laugh. I feel very Canadian, to be honest.
Thank you so much for the heroic rescue from the ice floes! –Ariela-
You have helped us enjoy the things in life other people don’t get to experience. –Haley-
Welcome aboard!
I will never forget the night we loaded onto barges and weaved our way through the thick pack ice. –Emma-
Inuit throat-singers “Abby and Charlotte” singing and panoramic views of the land and the experience.
Kieran Shepherd
Curator of Palaeobiology, Canadian Museum of Nature:
This is a great little fjord! Um, the geology is really interesting. It’s really probably one of the oldest rocks in the arctic.
David Gray
Arctic Biologist and Research Associate, Canadian Museum of Nature:
Like 10, 000 years ago there was a big glacier all the way up to this valley behind us. More recently, there was a glacier coming down this way, joined into the Sunneshine Fiord Glacier and pushed a lot of rock, carried a lot of rock from farther north. As it’s carried, it all gets bounced around and made into round rocks.
Students:
“Anyone up for an Arctic swim?”
Ah!
Awe.
I’m going out now.
Cheers and talking all at once…
Paul Hamilton
Phycologist and Senior Research Assistant in Life Sciences, Canadian Museum of Nature:
What does this indicate? The stuff in the water!
Student:
Bacteria?
Paul Hamilton:
No. No, no.
Student:
Awe?
Paul Hamilton:
Not, no, no, okay
Student:
The filter doesn’t catch bacteria. That’s the only thing that’s the only thing…
Student:
Yeah!
Student:
…it doesn’t catch.
Paul Hamilton:
Remember the bacteria is allowed to get through, so.
Ah!
The only thing we haven’t looked at is the plants growing in the water.
Student:
Hmm
Paul Hamilton:
That’s capturing the plants.
---Inuit throat-singers “Abby and Charlotte” singing…
Eric Galbraith
Oceanographer and Earth Science Researcher:
Anybody know what the CO² concentration of the atmosphere is now?
Student:
No.
Eric Galbraith:
It’s about 180. And now, we’re up about here! 395, that’s where we are today.
So, Greenland has been warming very quickly! And, as it’s warming, the Jakobshavn Glacier, which feeds into the Jakobshavn Ice Fiord here, has been moving faster and becoming thinner.
Inuit throat-singers “Abby and Charlotte” singing…
Eric Galbraith:
There are still huge floating monstrous icebergs today, but we expect them to get smaller and smaller as time goes on, and the temperature warms up.
Alex Therriault
Yukon-Student Expeditioner:
It’s not until you really see it for yourself that you really understand how important this is. Like how the glaciers are melting and how much of the world is going to be, how much of the glaciers is going to be gone in a couple of years.
Kieran Shepherd
Curator of Palaeobiology, Canadian Museum of Nature:
I think the Arctic will reach deep in their soul and they’ll carry this with them, this experience with them for years to come. Hum, every student I’ve talked to has said what a wonderful experience this has been and how profound the experience has been for them.
Malaika Vaz
India-Student Expeditioner:
I think all the friends that I have made, the memories and I think that coming close to nature, experiencing it first-hand, has given me a lot.
Rosemary Davies
California-Student Expeditioner:
What will stay with me, I think are the long lasting friendships and the memories too of; as I said, the imagery, the snow, the ice and the glaciers, the indigenous people. Especially the animals like the muskox, the polar bears, the sperm whales; I could go on!
Julian Jenneskens-Pohl
Germany-Student Expeditioner:
I think most of all, friendships will stay with me and also, magical moments; very emotional moments as well.
Protect the planet
Logo
www.studentsonice.com
Camera Alex Taylor & Sira Chayer
Editing Sira Chayer
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