Ellesmere Island Expedition

Table of Contents

Ellesmere Island Expedition Page 1

Expedition Route Page 1

Meet the Expedition Team Pages 2–4

Ellesmere Island Expedition Education Page 5

Ellesmere Island

The Land Page 6

The People Page 7

The Animals Pages 8–9

Educational Objectives Page 10

Unless otherwise credited, all photos © Will Steger Foundation

Global Warming 101 Expedition Ellesmere Island 2008

In March 2008, six emerging leaders, ages 21–28 from four countries, including
the US, Norway, Great Britain and Canada, joined Will Steger on a 1,400 mile
dogsled expedition across Ellesmere Island, in collaboration with National Geo-
graphic Society, the International Polar Year and the Royal Norwegian Embassy.

The Expedition team followed in the footsteps of legendary polar explorers:

Robert Peary, Matthew Henson, Frederick Cook and Norwegian legend, Otto
Sverdrup. An area considered the front lines of global warming, they visited ice
shelves that have collapsed and those that are on the brink of collapse to docu-
ment and bare witness to the disintegrating ice shelves, the retreating glaciers
and the destruction of wildlife habitat. Crossing fjords, mountain ranges, ice
shelves, ice caps and sea ice, the Expedition Team recorded the impact global
warming has had on the third largest island in the Canadian Arctic and north-
ernmost tip of the North American continent, only 490 miles from the North
Pole. The 2008 Ellesmere Island Expedition inspired and mobilized the next
generation of adventurers and eyewitnesses to global warming.

Expedition Route 221±

216±
211±
:6±
:1±
96±
91±
86±
81±
76±
71±

The expedition route left Resolute via dogsled UJD PDFBO Mjod
pmo Tf
b

BSD
bse cjb sjdi
Sponsor for Will u!F
ex vn !Bme
!Dpm Dbqf

and across Norwegian Bay to Eureka Sound.

fs
!Bmc qf Ifdmb !Ifosz
Steger’s 2008 High Xbse Db
qf Db Dbqf! Kptfqi
Dbqf!

mfu
Arctic Expedition: Ivou

Jo
Jtmboe

bn
f

li
Dsbotupo

bs
Fmmftnfsf!Jtmboe

N
Cspnmfz Qfojotvmb

Traveling up the western shore, the team spent

su

ut
Jtmboe N“D Bmf Dbqf o

fo
Dbqf!Gbotibxf!Nbsujo
fsjeb

n
Ti

Dmf
ot

mjo
93±
Bz
bj

upd
Dbqf!Fhfsupo m
Dbqf

l
ou

ft
f t Vojpo
pv

Gj
Ovobwvu-!Dbobeb bu OU
Nj

ps
mo
HSB BQ

e
Tu

Jo
u
N

time dogsledding around Axel Heiberg where

Dbqf!Fwbot

mf
e! f D

f
f s JDF!

Gj
oh uf oh

ps
oj Sb

e
Bmfsu!Qpjou Ibotfo!Qpjou
m mf h f V
93±

2;2-661-111 ib bo
fswf
Zf m w f s u p o
Cbz S
sf sl Sft

D
qj

they visited the remains of the Ayles Ice Shelf bm Qb

1 36
Obujpo
61 Z
211
Fn
Dbqf Xppet
261 Ljmpnfufst Xppuupo
Jtmboe

fm
ti

wf
Fmmtfnfsf
Dbqf!Bsntuspoh Qfojotvmb f s
j hf

su
ij
ju oh !Dpo
Q mmj

po
qt o
s Gpsu
Sb
Jom mf

J
fu u
1 bz

C
and a petrified forest. The team completed their
36 oC
61 Dbqf!Cpvso me lmj
gjf
211 Njmft fo Sv
Mbncfsu!Dpojd!Dpogpsn f
b{ bo Cbjse
Gs
hhmf

bs
bm!Qspkfdujpo I t S Dbqf!
Tuboebse!Qbsbmmfmt;!87±!boe!93
ez
jw
±!Opsui<!!Dfousbm!Nfsjejbo;!96 Lmfzcpmu lf fs
±!Xftu f Mb Mb

H
Vojwfstjuz!pg!Njooftpub!Db Qfojotvm
92± suphsbqiz!Mbcpsbupsz b

journey in Eureka.
Lsvfhfs e

e
z ps

Fmmftnfsf Jtmbo
Jtmboe Cb
m b Gj
ij fs
i
Obujpobm!Qbsl Dbqf!Ui Dbqf!Tubmm pse sd
ve

pnbt!Iv xpsuiz Gj B
b
B

ccbse n
Fn 92±

Qfsnbofou!Jdf Iwjumboe
Ob

Sf
ot
Gjp
Bvsmboe se
Qfojotvmb

se
Gjpse

Gjp
ot

Jdf!Tifmg Ibot

ofm

OE
sz
)Bqqspyjnbuf!mpdbujpo!pg!Jd Jtmboe

vb
2:71/!!Uif!Xbse!Ivou!Jdf! f!Tiffut!jo
fo

bo
bqbsu!jo!3113!boe!uif!BzmfTifmg!csplf e

or
sjb!bo
Puup Gjpse
Tff!uif!dvssfou!dpoejujpo! t!jo!3116/

Ub
Wjdup cfsu
Cv

i
pg!uif!Jdf ll

OMB
Tifmwft!bu!xxx/hmpcbmxbsn fo
Bm

z D
joh212/dpn/* Gjps
Tp

ubjot
e Twbsufgkfme
Npvo
C v oe Cbz
fuuf
e

f Qfojotvmb upjo
ps

fe
Fmnfstpo Bo
vo

Gj ps
Gj

e
Qfojotvmb
sf

oo
Dbqf!O

HSFF
91±
psuixft Cbmt
Ib
By

u Gjps

Lf
e Cpsvq
Gjpse
Qfb

Cbe Xf
fm

buifs!D Hs e
bqf ffm tfqi!Hpp
Nfjh fz G
jpse
Dbqf!Kp

Jtmboifo
Xjmlft
sz

Twfses

Tdifj
Mj

Gj Dbqf 91±
ps
I f dftt Nb

e Qfojotvmb mmjotpo
e Dbqf!Dp
Di

Qs
jo

Gptifjn BQ
B HB TT J[ JD F D
bo

Db
vq Diboo

j c shbsfu

op

Qfojotvmb Dbqf!Lo
pss
o

NÝMMF
of

Gj

Ebsmjoh
S
fs

ps

Fvsflb mb
m

JDF!DB
e

Qfojotv
Fvsf l b

Gjps
e
Q Epcc
jo
h

Njeemf Cb o
z t!Obqpmfp
Dbqf!Mpvj
fm

JU
Jtm f

8:±
lt
Dbqf!Ibx

SB
Tp
Sbo

vo
bo

Dppl
e

TU
Cbz Qfojotvmb
h

e
Tusbo
Dbqf!
Dbjsp Tusbo Q s j odf tt N bsj f C b z
e

e Gjpse 8:±
Dbqf!T
wfssf
Dbqf!Mf
wwfm Cbdif
Twf
Nbt

tt Qfojotvmb Dbqf!Bmcfsu
Fmmfg q Qb Love Qfojotvmb
e

ses
SF

esv
TUFBDJ Twfs
Sjoh
Tlsvhbs!

vq
tfz

Tups
Qpjou
F Tupm{ C v di b o b o
bo

oft
Ibttfm Tpvoe

Jtmboe Cb z
Uipswbme
JDF!DBQ
OB

Qfojotvmb
E
T l bbsf Gjpse

gpse

Jtmb
Hfp mph Cbz Qfojotvmb Dbqf Svuifs
Jtmbo Cbz jtu Gjpse

oet
Tu
e Bnv
sb
ui
Kpibo Qjn
Jtmboe
O
Jtm

oe!S
MB
Dbqf!Nbv d
oez!Uivs

Jtmbo johoft Sbboft Qfojotvmb

po

tebz
m
b
Tp

Dbqf!Ifstdif
O

e
89±
Xp m g

Gj
ps
Hmb

Qfojotvmb
vo

FF
e

Ibjh.U Cbjse J om f u
Gjpse

Fubi
djfs

ipn
Jtmboe bt
e

Dbqf!Jtbcfmmb
HS

Dbqf!Tpvu
Gjp
Tvsq

ixftu Vmwjohfo

Q S JOD F PG XBM F T
se

Dbqf! Jtmboe efs

Obuip Lbq!Bmfybo
sjtf G

89±
stu
e

Dbqf!Mv Dbeph b o J o
ps

exjh mfu
e
Gj

Tusbju
ps

oesjltfo
e
jpse

JD F GJFM E
o
mj
Gj

If C
me

Opsx
sp

Cb Dbqf!Evotufsw
jmmf
fhjbo
U

vn
Dpsox
f

bo
Cbz
Jtmboebmm
Ub m c p u
o Twfoetfo Jomf u
Dbqf!Gbsbebz
Fbtufs
fs

Jtmboe
Cf Mjuumf!Cfbs!Dbqf Qfojotvmb
Gj

Ckpsof
se

mdi
ps

Gjp

fs Dbqf!Bcf
e

seffo
Di Dbqf!Npvbu
pn

tn

88± bo Hsbibn Qfojotvmb

ofm
oe

Ubcmf Ipwfe
Wf

Dsftdf
Jtmboe Jtmboe Hsfbu!Cfbs!Dbqf Jtmboe
Jtmboeou Dbqf!Ph Tps Tufolvm
mf

mf Cvdljohi Gjpse
Gjpse
bn
Jtmboe Dbqf Upssfo Nb
t ljot
p o J om
Qf

fu 88±
Fm
oo

Hsjoo
fmm Dbqf!Dpncfsnfsf
z

Qfojo Njuujf

JO
tvmb Jtmboe

Cbuivs TZELBQ

CBGG
Bsuivs
Tus

Gjpse Opsui
Jtmboe tu Lfou
Jtmboe JDF!DBQ
NBOTPO
Hpptf Gjpse
bju

Tubsoft
Dbqf!Cf
Gjpse
JDF!DBQ
Hs
Nvtl

C BZ
difs
R
jtf

87± Ibscpvs
v Dpmjo Gjpse
Gjpse
py Gjpse

Qpsefo
Evoebt
Qfo !Bsdi Dbqf!Opsupo!Tibx
ff

Qpjou
Jtmboe jotv fs Hsjtf!Gjpse
o“

X mb Dbqf!Tupsn
t

f tu Dbqf Wfsb
Gjp Tpvui!Dbqf
Xf m m j o h u p o D i b o o f m
Di

Dsp{jfs se
Jtmboe 87±
Cbjmmjf
Tnjui
bo

Ibnjmupo
Njmo Jtmboe Jtmboe Dsbjh!Ibscpvs
Jtmboef
ofm

Mjuu
Dpsoxmf
Jtmboebmmjt Kpoft Tp
Dbqf!Qi
jmmjqt voe Dpcvsh
Jtmboe
Uipnbt Mff Jomfu

Dbqf!Ibsez
Qpmbs
jt Tlsvjt!Qpjou
Cfmdifs!Qpjou
Dbqf!Twbsufo Dbqf!Ofxnbo!Tnjui

Twfsesvq Dbqf!Gju{!Spz
86±
Dpso Jomfu
xbmmjt
Dbqf!Sp
Jtmboe
ttf

Efwpo
Jtmboe
Dbqf!Qbslfs
EF WPO JDF D BQ 86±

Hsjggjui Sftpm
vuf Dbqf!Ipu Follow the 2008 Glob
Jtmboe
Dbqf!Evo
ibn
al Warming 101 Qijmqput
hfoftt
Expedition across Ellism Jtmboe Dbqf!Dpdlcvso

Cb
Dbqf!Sjdlf
ere Island
www
uut
ssp
x .globalwarming101.c
Tusbj
u om Dbqf!Tifsbse
:7±
:5± Dbqf!Ipnf
:3±
:1± Evoebt!Ibscpvs
99±
97±
95±
93±
91±
89±
87±
85±

1
 Meet the Team

SAM BRANSON – AGE 21, GREAT BRITAIN

Sam Branson had his first taste of an Arctic expedition in 2007 when he joined Will
Steger for the Baffin Island Expedition. Sam took quite the liking to all things Arctic and
at age 22 is one of the youngest members of the Ellesmere Island Expedition team.

The son of Virgin mogul Sir Richard Branson, Sam grew up splitting his time between
England and the Caribbean and has a great respect for nature and the elements. Sam
has encountered all corners of the world – on a surf board, motocross bike and dog
sled, to name a few – and enjoys finding unique ways to traverse the world and feed his
love for extreme sports.

Trained as a chef at Le Cordon Bleu, Sam also holds a diploma in music. Between
jamming on his guitar, private business ventures and gearing up for the Ellesmere Island
Expedition, one thing is clear: Sam’s sense of adventure knows no bounds.

Released in the Winter of 2007, Sam’s book Arctic Diary journals his experience on the
2007 Global Warming 101 Expedition to Baffin Island, Nunavut Canada.

BEN HORTON, AGE 24, UNITED STATES

Recipient of the National Geographic Society’s first Young Explorer
award for research he recently completed on Cocos Island involving
shark poachers, Ben is a budding photographer and adventurer. Ben
is motivated by travel and extreme sports with a yearning to make a
difference for his generation. At 17, he traveled around the world with
his brother, visiting numerous countries and living the adventures they
had dreamed of. Ben splits his time between Colorado and the rest of
the world.

SARAH MCNAIR-LANDRY, AGE 21, BAFFIN ISLAND, NUNAVUT,

CANADA
No stranger to cold weather, Sarah grew up in Iqaluit from age
three. Shortly after turning 17 she went on her first extended
expedition,
crossing the
Greenland
Ice Cap with
her parents and older brother Eric. A year
later she traveled to the South Pole on a 71 day kite-ski expedition
with her mother and brother. In 2005 she traveled by kite-ski again
joining her father and brother in setting the speed record for crossing
the Greenland Ice Cap, east to west. In 2006, Sarah traveled to the
North Pole on a 100-day dogsled expedition with her father and two
British explorers. Most recently, Sarah and her brother Eric returned
to Greenland to cross the Ice Cap vertically by kite-ski, traveling 1429
miles/ 2300km over the course of 2 months! When she’s not off
chasing the winds across the Arctic, Sarah is busy chasing her dreams
of becoming a filmmaker. After graduating from high school in Quebec,
she took courses at the New York Film Academy studying digital
filmmaking in New York City.

2
Meet the Expedition Team

ERIC MCNAIR-LANDRY, AGE 23, BAFFIN ISLAND, NUNAVUT,

CANADA
Eric spent most of his childhood in Iqaluit, Baffin Island, Nunavut where
he was raised in a family of adventurers. Eric graduated with a degree
in engineering from Acadia University and is considering continuing in
architecture. In 2004-5 he took a year off of school to join the family
Kites on Ice Expedition and became the first American/Canadian to haul
un-resupplied to the South Pole. Eric has spent his time instructing kiting,
guiding sea kayaking trips, working on film projects and at the Nunavut
Visitors Center. He also holds the silver in the Canadian Ski Marathon.
Needless to say, Eric is passionate about kiting. When there is no wind, he
spends his time teaching himself computer graphics
and web site design.

SIGRID EKRAN, AGE 28, NORWAY

Born in Norway, Sigrid completed her MA in Northern Studies from the
University of Alaska-Fairbanks. She placed 20th in the 2007 Iditarod, receiving
such notable awards including Rookie of the Year and Best Female Musher;
in the same year she received 4th place in the Klondike 300 race. Outside of
her dogsledding awards, Sigrid’s passion and inspiration has come from the
Norwegian school of explorers. Sigrid is committed to combining a career in
conservation management and dogsled mushing.

THORLEIF TOBIAS THORLEIFSSON (TOBY),

AGE 28, NORWAY
Toby has spent the better part of his education dividing his time between Norway and
Canada. Toby spent two years as a student at United World College of the Atlantic,
followed by a year-long tenure as a conscript in the Norwegian Navy. He then went on to
earn a Masters of Arts in polar history and politics at Simon Fraser University in the fall of
2006. He wrote his master thesis on the Sverdrup Islands and is an avid polar historian.
He has since worked as a writer, lecturer and mountain guide focusing on environmental
issues. His writings and lectures over the past year have focused on the political
consequences of global warming in the Arctic and the politics associated with sovereignty
over the Arctic Ocean and North Pole.

In February 2007, he assisted the opening of the world’s first education base in
Antarctica. As a team leader for Robert Swan’s 2041 project, Toby was responsible
for organizing all activities for the 65 expedition members on land and ice. Toby has
circumnavigated most of the North Atlantic by sailboat and last summer he sailed to
Franz Josef Land in the Russian Arctic. When Toby is not traveling he splits his time
between the city of Oslo and Finse in the Norwegian mountains.
3
 Meet the Expedition Team

WILL STEGER
A formidable voice calling for understanding and the preservation of
the Arctic and the Earth, Will Steger is best known for his legendary
polar explorations. He has traveled tens of thousands of miles by
kayak and dogsled over 40 years, leading teams on some of the most
significant polar expeditions in history.

Steger led the first confirmed dogsled journey to the North Pole
without re-supply (1986), the 1,600-mile south-north traverse of
Greenland (the longest unsupported dogsled expedition in history
in 1988), the first dogsled traverse of Antarctica (the historic seven
month, 3,471-mile International Trans-Antarctica Expedition in 1989-
90), and the first and only dogsled traverse of the Arctic Ocean from
Russia to Ellesmere Island in Canada (1995).

Steger received his B.S. in Geology and M.A. in Education at the

University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN, and taught science for three
years at the secondary level. In 1970, he moved from his birthplace
in suburban Minneapolis to the wilderness north of Ely, Minnesota. There he founded a winter school and developed
innovative wilderness programs for 10 years. In 1991, Steger received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters; University of St.
Thomas, St. Paul, MN and Honorary Doctorate of Science; Westminster College, Salt Lake City, UT. His unique ability to
blend extreme exploration with cutting-edge technology, have allowed him to reach millions of people around the world,
under some of the most hostile conditions on the planet and be a pioneer in online education. Over 20 million students
followed the 1995 International Arctic Project via on-line daily journal entries and the first-ever transmission of a digital
photograph from the North Pole.

Steger joins Amelia Earhart, Robert Peary, Roald Amundsen and Jacques-Yves Cousteau in receiving the National
Geographic Society’s prestigious John Oliver La Gorce Medal for “accomplishments in geographic exploration, in the
sciences, and for public service to advance international understanding” in 1995. In 1996 he became the National
Geographic Society’s first Explorer-in-Residence and received the Explorers Club’s Finn Ronne Memorial Award in 1997.
In 2006 Steger joined Neil Armstrong, Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Harrison Ford, in receiving the Lindbergh Award
for “numerous polar expeditions, deep understanding of the environment and efforts to raise awareness of current
environmental threats, especially climate change.”

Steger is the author of four books: Over the Top of the World, Crossing Antarctica, North to the Pole and Saving the
Earth. Read Will Steger’s past expedition journals at www.willsteger.com

4
 Ellesmere Island: The Land

The High Arctic

In the settlement of Alert, 522 miles (840 km) from the North Pole, the average January temperature is -26.3°F (-32.4°C) and
the average July temperature is 37.9°F (3.3°C). Above the Arctic Circle the sun does not rise above the horizon in the winter
and does not set during the summer, making continuous darkness in the winter and continuous daylight in the summer. Ice
caps cover much of the land and glaciers, slow-moving rivers of ice snake down from the mountains to the ocean where they
form floating ice shelves. To live in these extreme conditions requires special skills and adaptations.

Ellesmere Island is the world's tenth largest island and lies within the High Arctic Canadian archipelago. More than 77,600
square kilometers of this island are covered in glaciers and ice sheets. Also, on the northwest coast, approximately 800 km
from the North Pole, lays a series of ice shelves – Alfred Ernest, Milne, Ayles, Petersen, Ward Hunt, and Markham.

Ellesmere Island Communities

RESOLUTE
Resolute is located in the High Arctic, on the south coast of Cornwallis Island. Home to just under 230 people, it was named
after a British ship, the HMS Resolute that passed through the area in search of Franklin’s expedition. The history of the
community of Resolute is very similar to Grise Fiord. Inuit families were relocated for Canadian sovereignty reasons and forced
to make ends meet by living in the harsh climate of the High Arctic. Resolute is now the gateway community to the north. It
is home to a weather station and provides a base for the Polar Continental Shelf Project.

EUREKA
Situated on Ellesmere Island, the Eureka weather station was established in 1947 by Americans and Canadians. The
Americans later withdrew in 1972. The weather station is still in operation today, conducting a wide range of studies,
including research on the destruction of the ozone, weather, the aurora phenomena, long range transport of pollutants and
climate change.

GRISE FIORD
Grise Fiord is the only community on Ellesmere Island located in the southern end of the Island and is the furthest north
settlement in North America. Norwegian Polar explorer Otto Sverdrup named it “pig fiord” in Norwegian because the sound
of the walruses that reside there reminded him of pig’s noises. Inuit had passed through the area, but never traditionally
settled. In 1922, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) were the first to set up a permanent post at Craig Harbor, 55
km west of Grise Fiord. As the sovereignty of the High Artic grew questionable, the Canadian government decided to relocate
eight Inuit families (from northern Quebec and Baffin Island) to live and hunt in the harsh climate of Ellesmere Island. They
were placed just outside of Grise Fiord. It wasn’t until the RCMP moved their post to the current location in 1956 that houses
and schools were built in the 1960s and additional Inuit families moved to Grise Fiord, where the community still exists today.
It is home to approximately 150 residents.

ALERT
Established in 1950 as a weather station, Alert is located on the northern tip of Ellesmere Island. The Canadian military
established themselves there shortly after 1958. Then in 1986, an air pollution monitoring lab was established and Alert
became the furthest north permanent research station and the most northerly permanent settlement in the world, home to 70
personnel. The main studies today include an air chemistry observatory and ozone observations.

6
Ellesmere Island: The People

Inuit and Inughuit

The Inuit way of life changed when the Arctic climate went through a natural period of warming between the years 1000
and 1200 A.D. Attracted by the warmer climate, greater numbers of whales migrated further north into the Arctic Ocean.
Whale-hunting people spread from northern Alaska across the Arctic. The warmer weather also attracted Norse Vikings
who settled in Greenland. The Vikings traded and fought with the Inuit. The warmer climate did not last, however, and from
around 1450 until the end of the18th century a natural cycle of cooling forced the whales further south and contributed to
the disappearance of the Viking settlements in Greenland. The Inuit also had to adapt to the colder climate. They moved south
from Ellesmere Island to Baffin Island and Northwest Greenland, eventually becoming two separate cultures, the Inuit of Baffin
and the Inughuit of Northwest Greenland. Today Inuit and Inughuit continue to live close to the land, getting a large portion
of their diet from hunting, fishing and gathering. Changes in the climate can impact their ability to successfully hunt or travel
from community to community.

The Explorers
EUROPEAN AND EURO-AMERICAN
Some early expeditions were successful in reaching the High Arctic. The first explorers’ confidence
in western methods and the technology of the day, however, did not prepare them for the harsh
Arctic conditions. The members of George Nares’ 1876 British expedition developed scurvy
and several team members died as they sledged along the northern coast of Ellesmere Island.
Five years later a U.S. Army expedition led by Adolphus Greely made the mistake of relying on
ships to bring needed food and supplies. When cold weather made the ships unable to reach
the expedition, seventeen of the twenty-five team members died of starvation as they tried to
retreat. Later more successful expeditions understood that success in the High Arctic demanded
both respect for the harsh conditions and for the knowledge of the people who had lived there
for thousands of years. Norwegian explorer Otto Sverdrup adopted Inuit and Inughuit (Inuit
of Greenland and Ellesmere Island) technologies to explore the High Arctic. Over four years,
beginning in 1898, he and his team explored and mapped over 100,000 square miles (260,000
square kilometers), an area the size of the state of Colorado, all by dogsled. His maps were so good they were used until the
1950s when aerial photographs replaced them. Robert Peary and his African-American partner Matthew Henson hired sixty-
nine Inughuit men, women and children to help him prepare for his 1909 expedition. Peary and Henson knew their success
would depend on the superiority of Inughuit clothing, dogsledding abilities, and survival experience in the High Arctic. Four of
the Inughuit accompanied Peary and Henson all the way to the Pole. It is important to note that while Europeans and Euro-
Americans have been exploring the High Arctic for only the last 150 years, the Inuit and Inughuit have explored and lived in
the High Arctic for thousands of years.

MODERN EXPLORERS
In 1995 Polar Explorer Will Steger left Siberia, crossed the frozen Arctic Ocean over the North Pole and arrived at northern
Canada’s Ward Hunt Ice Shelf, the largest ice sheet in the Arctic. An ice shelf is a glacier that extends out over the ocean,
floating on the surface of the water. Early explorer Robert Peary first recorded observations of the Ward Hunt ice sheet in
the early 1900s. By comparing Peary’s records to modern observations, Steger knew that the ice sheet had been shrinking. In
2002 the Ward Hunt ice sheet broke apart. Steger and other explorers witness these changes and help draw public attention
to the changing climate of the polar regions. Steger’s 2008 expedition to the High Arctic focused attention on the remnants
of Ellesmere Island’s Ayles Ice Shelf which broke apart in 2005. Pieces of what was once the Ayles Ice Shelf are now floating
down the coast of Ellesmere Island.

7
Expedition Dispatches

Electricity From the Sun

Monday, 21 April 2008 00:00

Expedition Day: 23
Distance traveled: 21.3 Km / 13.2 mi
Position. N 78° 20’ W 094° 42’

Today was a short day but it would be difficult to convince my muscles of that. With
fully loaded sleds it is difficult to make good distance and even more difficult to
move the sleds when they get stuck on ice ridges. So far we have been lucky, we
have not encountered rubble ice, for if we did at our current weight it could be
crushing to the spirits of our dogs and our team members. Luckily for both we spent
the last two days resting.

Another important aspect of taking a rest day is the ability to set up the our two
Brunton solar panels in the more powerful noon sun light. Both panels under ideal
conditions are capable of providing 104 watts of power, just enough power to
run a large incandescent light bulb, or about enough power to run 6 compact florescent
light bulbs. For us this power is stored in two battery packs so that we can use the energy to charge a variety of small
electrical appliances when it suits our needs. Our list of electronics includes 2 iPaq PDA’s , 4 iridium satellite phones, 2
video cameras, 3 photography cameras and 3 iPod shuffles. It’s a lot to charge, but our system is well capable of handling
the load.

Photo-voltaic cells have been in existence for a long time, although in their infancy they rarely left the laboratory as they
were expensive to make and were inefficient compared to other sources of electricity. It was only later when NASA and
other space programs were interested in long-term power supplies that solar was taken seriously and developed into
an expensive but useful technology. Later during the oil crisis in the 70s solar was again experimented with, yielding
higher efficiency and lower cost of
production. Nonetheless, even today
solar is one of the most expensive
forms of renewable energies, and is
generally only used in areas of isolation
far from a grid or where maintenance
cost would be high. Promising new
technologies such as nano-tube tech,
and more efficient production methods
may make photo-voltaic electricity an
important part of our future.

Eric McNair Landry

15
 Expedition Dispatches

Heading South
Wednesday, 14 May 2008 00:00

Expedition Day: 46
Position: N 80° 57’ W 091° 28’
Distance traveled: 22.4 km / 14 mi

During the night the clouds rolled in and obscured

the sun. We set off traveling due east towards Nansen
Sound. As the clouds broke, the sun lit up the hills of
Axel Heiberg and we descended onto the frozen ocean.
The mountains of Ellesmere Island came into sight off
in the distance. Once we came onto Nansen Sound
we changed our direction and headed south towards
Eureka for the first time in 46 days.

We cooked up a special meal of beans and pork to

celebrate (thanks to Jim Paulson, our web guru, who pre-cooked it before our departure from Iqaluit)! After an
awesome dinner, Eric and I introduced the team to a special Canadian tradition: La tire. Basically we boiled down maple
sugar till it was thick and poured it onto the snow. Then we wrap it around a spoon and eat the sweet toffee.

With such an international team, it has been great to share our traditions. Both Ben and Will are from the states. Toby and
Sigrid are our two Norwegian team members who have been teaching us a new Norwegian word every day. Sam is from
England and Eric and I are both Canadian.

With such an international team, it’s great to be traveling together towards a single goal. On this expedition our goal is to
travel through the Arctic to eyewitness the effects of climate change first hand and share our experiences with our peers.
One thing we’ve learned is that the Arctic is a fragile and beautiful ecosystem that we must communally work together to
preserve it!

Sarah

20
Expedition Dispatches

Muskox!
Sunday, 18 May 2008 00:00

Expedition Day: 49
Position: N 80° 32’ W 89° 35’

It seems impossible to really capture this place with a camera, or even with words
for that matter. No matter how sophisticated the equipment we carry is, it cannot
capture the feeling of sitting alone atop an iceberg in the frozen sea listening to
the distant howls of wolves. The howls set our dogs into their own symphony and
the silence of the sea ice is broken.

We decided to make today a short travel day, not for lack of energy or difficulties, but simply because the region we just entered is by far the best
environment to see wildlife. In the shadow of an iceberg we made camp, and set to getting ready for a day in the mountains. We abandoned the skis
because the snow on the land is sparse, and we are soon satisfying our urge to explore this land in more detail. Until now I have seen little wildlife and I
had no opportunities to get any worthwhile photos of what I did see. That far I’ve seen a few lemmings and a snow bunting, a sparrow sized arctic bird.
Only 45 minutes of hiking into the steeper hills and we found a herd of muskox with 14 members, a number of those being calves. The muskox seem to
have been transported straight from the ice age with their curled horns and powerful bodies. It seems strange to me that they are close relatives of the
common mountain goats I see often in the Colorado Rockies because their character is so foreign to me.

A quick look around makes me really wonder about how these animals manage to survive here, as specialized as they are. Even lichens seem to have
trouble growing on the rocks, and grass is nowhere to be found. The muskox prefer a type of willow that stays close to the ground, but I didn’t even
see this anywhere. This only deepened my respect for these animals, then I think of how they manage to survive through the dark Arctic winters with
-40°F temperatures and their past issues with over hunting and dwindling populations. How then will these creatures manage when global warming
takes its toll? Just today Will who has been coming to the Arctic for years mentioned that he’d never seen the oncoming spring take hold so early. We
are experiencing June weather in May! With the early snow melt, the black cliffs of Ellesmere Island are exposed and reflect even more sun, speeding the
thaw. All around us patches of black dust blown in by the wind have absorbed the sun’s heat and sunk deep into the snow and ice. We are forced now
to travel on the rough sea ice because the land holds so little snow. This cycle has continued to escalate over the years, and we now can hardly argue
that we are not causing drastic changes to this environment, and to those majestic creatures that inhabit this harsh landscape and nowhere else.

Ben
Additional Info:
THE MUSKOX
The Muskox (Ovibos moschatus) is an arctic mammal of the Bovidae family, noted for its thick coat and for the strong odor emitted by males, from which
its name derives.

Muskoxen are more closely related to sheep and goats than to oxen, but are in their own genus, Ovibos. Both sexes have long curved horns. Muskoxen
are usually around 2.5 m (8.2 ft) long and 1.4 m (4.6 feet) high at the shoulder. Adults usually weigh at least 200 kg (440 lb) and can exceed 400 kg
(880 lb). Their coat, a mix of black, gray, and brown, includes long guard hairs that reach almost to the ground.

During the summer, muskoxen live in wet areas, such as river valleys, moving to higher elevations in the winter to avoid deep snow. They graze on
grasses, reeds, sedges, and other ground plants, digging through snow in the winter to reach their food.

Muskoxen are social and live in herds, usually of around 10–20 animals, but sometimes over 400.

Muskoxen have a distinctive defensive behavior: when the herd is threatened, the bulls and cows will face outward to form a stationary ring around the
calves. This is an effective defense against predators such as wolves, but makes them an easy target for human hunters.
21
Expedition Dispatches

Expedition Travels through Arctic Ocean Ruins

Monday, 09 June 2008 08:57

Probably one of the most remarkable moments of this expedition was when we returned and had a chance to talk with
Al Gore and scientists about our eyewitness experience. After 43 days of rough ice, which prevented us from reaching
the northern coast of Ellesmere to visit the last remnants of the last ice age, we learned that we actually were traveling
through the ruins of the summer sea ice from the Arctic Ocean! The conditions we faced from Resolute to the north shore
of Axel Heiberg refers to the transition of the Arctic Ocean from multiyear ice to new ice. The summer break-up of the
Arctic Ocean sea ice drifted to this area and clogged up our route.

The total coverage area of the multiyear ice of the Arctic Ocean has reduced over 10 years, from 65% to approximately
28%. Although the Arctic Ocean freezes up in the winter, the multi-year ice is the back-bone of the summer sea ice, and
when this diminishes, as it has been over the last 10 years, the summer melt will be much quicker and dramatic. Last year
alone the Arctic Ocean lost up to 50% of the total surface ice - changing the reflectivity of the top of the globe - with
more of the sun’s energy being absorbed by the darker ocean (this is referred to as a reverse albedo affect). As a result,
the Arctic Ocean warmed an astounding 3 degrees Celsius last summer. This warming of the ocean is called “background
warming.” This helped break up the multiyear ice. In addition, this background warming scientists estimated caused one
meter of ice to melt on the Arctic Ocean. The domino effect is expected to continue this summer.

As we travel across Greenland in a few weeks as training for next year, we will stay tuned to this summer’s melt.

2008 Global Warming 101 Ellesmere Island Expedition

27
Expedition Dispatches
The expedition dispatches in this Baffin Island 2007 supplement were written
by Abby Fenton, Elizabeth Andre and Nancy Moundalexis and were selected
to complement the Global Warming 101 lesson plans. For a complete archive
of expedition dispatches, audio and video from Baffin Island 2007, as well as a
guide to how to use the dispatches with the lesson plans, go to:
www.globalwarming101.com.

Arrival in Iqaluit - 12 January 2007 Page 21

Inuksuk High School - 12 January 2007 Page 21
Expedition Team United Page 23
A Conversation with Theo - 26 February 2007 Page 24
The Dogs Arrive Page 26
Outpost Camp – Cumberland Sound Page 27
At Home with the Pitsiulak Family - 05 March 2007 Page 28
A Closer Look at Lukie - 09 March 2007 Page 29
A visit with Jessieloosie - 13 March 2007 Page 30
The First Igloo - 22 March 2007 Page 31
Qujannanmiik (Thank You) Qikiqtarjuaq! - 27 March 2007 Page 32
In the Shadow of an Iceberg - 31 March 2007 Page 35
Quluaq School Plans for Earth Day - 16 April 2007 Page 36
Clyde River Students Love Their Land! - 24 April 2007 Page 37
Lemmings Page 38
Over the Barnes Ice Cap - 29 April 2007 Page 39
Pondering Our Legacy - 30 April 2007 Page 40
Keeping in the Heat - 04 May 2007 Page 41
Polar Bears and Arctic Hares - 06 May 2007 Page 42
Sunburns - 07 May 2007 Page 43
Students in Iglulik Say “Respect Our Earth!” - 14 May 2007 Page 44
Reflecting on the Expedition - 29 May 2007 Page 45
Global Warming 101 Baffin Island 2007 Expedition

From February through May 2007, explorers Will Steger and John Stetson, and
educators Elizabeth Andre and Abby Fenton joined three Inuit hunters on a
1200-mile, four-month-long dogsled expedition across the Canadian Arctic’s
Baffin Island. The expedition traveled with Inuit dog teams over traditional
hunting paths, up frozen rivers, through steep-sided fjords, over glaciers and ice
caps, and across the sea ice and visited some of the most remote Inuit villages of
the world.

Each day, the team used innovative technologies to post video, images, sounds
and text to the www.globalwarming101.com web site, and communicated
with online participants around the world. Students and teachers integrated the
educational curriculum components developed by the team into their course-
work, and participated in the expedition through research and forum discus-
sion. During the week-long visits to each Inuit village, the team listened to and
documented the Inuit’s experience with climate change. These collected images,
sounds and stories illustrate the dramatic climate-related changes happening in
the Arctic: starving polar bears, retreating pack ice, melting glaciers, disrupted
hunting and traveling, and the unraveling of a traditional way of life.

The Inuit Voice

Because of its remoteness, the great changes in the
Arctic regions go unseen in our media. The Inuit
people, the polar bears, and all life in the Arctic
have no voice. They are the innocent victims of
global warming; the stories they tell of their daily
lives show that it is real. The expedition was re-
corded through a documentary film that will help
educate people around the world about the plight
of the Inuit people and put a human face on a prob-
lem that will soon consume us all.

1
 The Expedition Route

On February 24th 2007, the expedition team left from Iqaluit, Baffin Island, the
capital of Nunavut, for a 1200-mile journey. Following the frozen McKeand River
over the Hall Peninsula, the expedition team crossed the Cumberland Sound
to the community of Pangnirtung. The expedition spent one week in each
of the five communities along the way and documented the native people’s
observations of the rapidly changing climate. The emphasis was on interviewing
the elders -- hearing their stories of the past and their concerns for the future.
These elders, many of whom are in their eighties, remember the days before
the influence of western culture on their society, and they provide an important
historical perspective to our changing times and climate. It is important to
document the stories of their era before it vanishes.
The varied topography of the route offered some of the best Arctic
photographic and documentary opportunities of North America. Dog teams and
other hunters from villages along the way joined the expedition en-route. Once
across the mountains, the expedition traveled on the sea ice along the Atlantic
side of Baffin Island. There they visited
Qikiqtarjuaq (formerly known as Broughton
Island) and Clyde River, two of the most
remote communities in North America. These
villages rely on the sea ice to obtain their
food, and the dramatic shortening of the
ARCTIC BAY winter season is having a profound effect
on their way of life. Leaving Clyde River, the
expedition traveled west to cross the rugged
mountains of Baffin Island.
Next, the expedition route took the team
along the southern edge of the Barnes
Ice Cap, a remnant of the past Ice Age.
Upon reaching the east coast of Baffin the
expedition crossed the pack ice of the Foxe
HALL BEACH Basin to reach the community of Iglulik, the
cultural center and ancestral home for the
hunters and dogs of the Canadian Inuit.
Their people settled in Iglulik 2000 years
ago and, until recently, the currents that
flow from the Hudson Bay to Lancaster
Sound have provided ample hunting.
The cold, fifty-below winter freezes the
moving water solid for eight months
of the year, but global warming has
disrupted these weather patterns and,
by extension, the entire Inuit way of life.
The recent warming has reduced their
hunting season by fifty percent, and the
people say that, if these were traditional
times, there would be great starvation.
l Warming 101
Follow the 2007 Globa n Island:
Expedition across Baffi
01.com
ww w.globalwarming1
Printed on
Recycled Paper

12/29/06 12:34:17 AM

2
Meet the Expedition Team

The Global Warming 101 Expedition included educators and explorers - Will Steger led the team in this expedition across
Baffin Island, an area he has gotten to know over his years of exploring the Arctic. John Stetson, Expedition Manager,
brought years of experience working with Steger and with sled dogs in various areas of the Canadian Arctic. Education
coordinators, Elizabeth Andre and Abby Fenton, joined the team from Voyageur Outward Bound School, having led
dogsledding and experiential/adventure learning programs for several years.

Expedition Team Members

WILL STEGER – TEAM LEADER
A formidable voice calling for understanding and the preservation of the Arctic and the Earth, Will Steger is best known
for his legendary polar explorations. He has traveled tens of thousands of miles by kayak and dogsled over 40 years,
leading teams on some of the most significant polar expeditions in history.
Steger led the first confirmed dogsled journey to the North Pole without re-supply (1986), the 1,600-mile south-
north traverse of Greenland (the longest unsupported dogsled expedition in history
in 1988), the first dogsled traverse of Antarctica (the historic
seven month, 3,471-mile International Trans-Antarctica
Expedition in 1989-90), and the first and only dogsled
traverse of the Arctic Ocean from Russia to Ellesmere Island in
Canada (1995).
Steger received his B.S. in Geology and M.A. in Education at
the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN, and taught science
for three years at the secondary level. In 1970, he moved
from his birthplace in suburban Minneapolis to the wilderness
north of Ely, Minnesota. There he founded a winter school and
developed innovative wilderness programs for 10 years. In 1991,
Steger received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters; University of
St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN and Honorary Doctorate of Science;
Westminster College, Salt Lake City, UT. His unique ability to
blend extreme exploration with cutting-edge technology, have
allowed him to reach millions of people around the world,
under some of the most hostile conditions on the planet and
be a pioneer in online education. Over 20 million students followed the 1995 International Arctic Project via on-line daily
journal entries and the first-ever transmission of a digital photograph from the North Pole.
Steger joins Amelia Earhart, Robert Peary, Roald Amundsen and Jacques-Yves Cousteau in receiving the National
Geographic Society's prestigious John Oliver La Gorce Medal for “accomplishments in geographic exploration, in the
sciences, and for public service to advance international understanding” in 1995. In 1996 he became the National
Geographic Society's first Explorer-in-Residence and received the Explorers Club’s Finn Ronne Memorial Award in 1997.
In 2006 Steger joined Neil Armstrong, Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Harrison Ford, in receiving the Lindbergh Award
for “numerous polar expeditions, deep understanding of the environment and efforts to raise awareness of current
environmental threats, especially climate change.”
Steger is the author of four books: Over the Top of the World, Crossing Antarctica, North to the Pole and Saving the
Earth. Read Will Steger's past expedition journals at www.willsteger.com

3
 Meet the Expedition Team

JOHN STETSON – EXPEDITION MANAGER

Stetson has traveled over 80,000 miles by dog team over the last 20 years,
primarily in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. Since 1986, Stetson has been
highly involved with sled dogs as an educator, explorer/adventurer and as a
professional racer. He has been a leader of several world-class expeditions, a
team member on numerous others, in addition to being a consultant and dog
trainer for many expeditions.
Stetson is a highly regarded and gifted sled dog trainer. His performance sled
dogs have secured many top finishes in races across North America, including
Championships in the grueling Hudson Bay Quest and the prestigious John
Beargrease Mid-distance Race.
From 1986 to 1990 Stetson was the training and logistics director for the historic 1990 Trans-
Antarctica Expedition. In 1993 Stetson founded Epic Adventures in Duluth, MN. Epic Adventures is an experiential
education organization which uses sled dogs to educate and inspire people of all ages and abilities. Epic has provided
incredible experiences for thousands. Stetson’s love of the Arctic and in its inhabitants led him to found Hudson Bay
Adventures in 1995. Located in Churchill, Manitoba, on the coast of Hudson Bay, Hudson Bay Adventures has educated
thousands of people on the use of sled dogs and their historical place in the Arctic.
Stetson is married to his partner and the love of his life Shelly Stetson and they have a wonderful son -- Nelson.

ABBY FENTON – EDUCATION COORDINATOR AND EXPEDITION MEMBER

Fenton, a native of Boston, Massachusetts, developed a love of wilderness early in

life. She spent her first night in a tent with her parents at age two. As a child she
grew up camping and canoeing with her family in Maine. Her passion for winter
adventure developed in high school when she participated in several extended
winter backpacking trips in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
A graduate of Earlham College, with a BA in Human Development Social Relations,
Fenton has spent the past 10 years working in the field of Outdoor and Experiential
education. Combining her love of people and wilderness, Fenton has worked as a
camp counselor, high-ropes instructor, and program director for various outdoor
education centers including the Farm and Wilderness Foundation, the Hulbert
OutdoorCenter, and Gennessee Valley Outdoor Learning Center. Fenton has spent
5 years working for the Voyageur Outward Bound School leading backpacking,
climbing, and dogsledding expeditions for all ages in northern Minnesota and the
Rocky Mountains of Montana.
Loyal to her urban roots, Fenton is committed to meeting the needs of urban youth
and has worked, most recently, directing a youth program in inner-city Minneapolis.
She has traveled throughout South America, Northern Ireland, and Western Europe,
and is passionate about connecting kids of all ages with the outdoors and the
environment through experiential education.

4
Meet the Expedition Team

ELIZABETH ANDRE – EDUCATION

COORDINATOR AND EXPEDITION MEMBER

Andre spent ninety-six weeks of her first sixteen

years of life at sleep-away summer camp. Her
love of outdoor exploration that germinated at
summer camp grew as a college student at the
Iowa Lakeside Laboratory where she participated
in an archaeological dig, collected plant specimens
from quaking bogs and mapped glacial-stagnation
topography using surveying equipment. Then
as a student at the Wild Rockies Field Institute,
an expedition-based college-level academic field
school, it blossomed into her passion: environmental
education through expeditions.
Andre then earned a Master’s degree in Outdoor
Education at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia.
For 240 days a year, over the next four years, Andre
led wilderness expeditions for the Wild Rockies Field Institute and
Outward Bound Schools. When she wasn’t instructing expeditions, she was exploring reefs, whitewater rivers, rock crags
and mountains on her own.
In the autumn of 2004, Andre began doctoral work as a Fellow at the University of Minnesota. Her research focuses
on expeditions as an educational tool. Andre’s doctoral work in education, as well as her experience leading dogsled
expeditions for Outward Bound, connected her with Will Steger and the 2007 expedition to Baffin Island.

NANCY MOUNDALEXIS – DOG TRAINER AND EXPEDITION MEMBER

Nancy hails from King George, Virginia. Her love for nature and adventure grew
out of her time at a science-based Nature Camp where she was a camper and
counselor. After graduating from The College of William and Mary with a degree in
Environmental Geology, Nancy served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Togo, West Africa,
working with sustainable agriculture and forestry for two years in a little village named
Aledjo Kadara. She worked as a winemaker near her hometown for two years at
Ingleside Winery and then found her way to Minnesota where she instructed canoeing
and dogsledding for Outward Bound courses over a period of four years. Now, Nancy
spends her summers working in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for the
Forest Service and runs sled dogs in the winter.

5
 Inuit Expedition Team Members

BORN AS SIQUJJUT, PUJA, NAGITARVIK, KIGUTIKARJUK

THEO IKUMMAQ - EXPEDITION MEMBER AND INUIT
PARTNER

Theo Ikummaq is an Inuit hunter and explorer who has

experienced the effects of global warming first-hand. He is a
trained expert on moving ice and travel in the Arctic region of
Baffin Island.
Theo was born in an igloo on January 20th, 1955, in the town
of Iglulik, Nunavut. He attended a boarding school run by the
Oblate Mary Immaculate, Order of the Roman Catholic Church
in Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut from 1961-68. Theo spent his
teenage years at an outpost camp on Baffin Island using only
a shortwave radio for communications. From 1979 to 1982,
he studied Renewable Resources Technology Management at
Fort Smith College in the Northwest Territories, Canada. His skills include hunting techniques,
wildlife and animal behavior observation, Arctic survival, and shelter building. Theo has lived and explored remote areas of
Greenland, Arctic Bay, Iqaluit, Broughton Island, and Ottawa, Canada. In 1987, he traveled on the Ultima-Thule Expedition
by dogsled from Iglulik, Nunavut, to Thule, Greenland. The expedition traveled 3100 km and included five team members
with three teams of dogs, building igloos along the way for shelter. Theo has worked with National Geographic on Four
Cultures - Life on Baffin Island and Isuma Productions on Journals of Knut Rasmussen and The Fast Runner. He is the co-
author of the book, Ice Thru Inuit Eyes. He currently lives with his wife, Lydia, in Iglulik, Nunavut.

LUKIE AIRUT, INUIT HUNTER

Lukie was born in 1942 and spent his young years at an outpost camp
outside of Iglulik. He is a hunter and has held a variety of different jobs
over the years. Lukie is a celebrated carver and has been a member of
the Canadian Rangers for 15 years. He has spent more than 30 years
running dogs and brings a lot of knowledge of Inuit traditional ways to
the expedition team. Lukie lives in Iglulik with his wife Marie and has nine
children.

SIMON QAMANIRQ, INUIT HUNTER

Born in 1953, Simon spent most

of his life in Arctic Bay in northern
Baffin Island. He remained there until
he moved to Iglulik last year with his wife Eunice and
six-year-old son Ishmael. He makes his livelihood as a hunter and carver. Simon is a
renowned artisan and has traveled widely in Europe and Alaska to demonstrate and
exhibit his carving. Simon is a member of the Canadian Rangers and a Northwest
Territory Craft Council Member. He is also a polar bear hunting guide and skilled dog
driver.

6
The Expedition Dogs

Sled dogs are amazing creatures! They have been used as pulling animals for many hundreds of years in the north.
Until the advent of the snowmobile in the 1950’s, sled dogs were the primary means of travel in the snowy parts of the
world. Traditionally, long-haired huskies were used as sled dogs but these days you may see any type of dog used to pull
passengers on sleds, skis, skates, or bikes.

Will Steger has been training sled dogs for educational arctic expeditions at the Homestead Base Camp since 1974. As
with previous expeditions, the dogs that are used for Global Warming 101 Expeditions are from one of three categories:

CANADIAN HUSKY
The Canadian Husky, also known as the Canadian Eskimo dog or the Canadian Inuit dog, is a registered pure-breed dog.
These dogs are incredibly durable and hardy. They are not very fast but they have evolved to survive the extremely brutal
conditions on the ice, very much like the polar bear or the arctic wolf. These dogs average about 80 pounds.

ALASKAN HUSKY
The Alaskan Husky is 20 percent lighter than the Canadian Husky and has been bred to be much faster and have a thinner
coat. They are not considered to be a pure breed since there have been a variety of other types of dogs bred into their
lineage.

POLAR HUSKY
The Steger Polar Husky is a husky blend. In the 1970’s, Will Steger began combining Alaskan and Canadian Huskies with
the vision of creating an extremely powerful dog that has the hardiness of the Canadian with a bit more speed. These
dogs are usually bigger and have longer legs than either of the other types of huskies.

11
 Baffin Island: The People

Inuit communities have worked hard

to bring their culture back from the
edge of extinction. From the mid 1800s
to the mid 1990s, with the arrival of
European whalers, fur companies,
and missionaries, and the Canadian
government from the south, non-
natives increasingly claimed the
land. By the 1960s, the Inuit people
had become renters in their own
home. Something had to be done.
Throughout the late twentieth century,
Inuit communities across northern
Canada began organizing to take
ownership of their native lands and
people. On April 1, 1999, the largest
land claims agreement in Canadian
history was signed in Iqaluit, Baffin
Island, creating the territory of
Nunavut, an area one-fifth the size of the country. The agreement gave power
back to the Inuit to govern their own communities. Since then, Inuit pride has experienced a resurgence throughout the
Arctic. But their culture has become endangered once more. Increased warming threatens the entire cultural survival of a
people who have worked hard to retain their identity in a changing world.

THE INUIT VOICE

The world is changing rapidly for the Inuit, becoming a place they no longer recognize. In some cases, they do not even
have the language to describe what is happening to them – species are appearing that they have never seen before. Their
food sources are disappearing. The weather is changing rapidly. The landscape is changing as well, with rising water levels
and melting permafrost. Global warming is an environmental injustice against the Inuit and poses one of the greatest
threats their culture has ever faced. Here are quotes from Inuit residents of Baffin Island and the Northwest Territories,
telling their experiences in their own words:

“Global warming is getting stronger every year. In the past, when lakes freeze over with ice some people would be jigging for fish. Now
it takes longer for lakes to freeze. There used to be ice that never melted. Now there are more of them melting due to earth warming
up. It is not like it used to be.” –Pauloosie Nakoolak, Coral Harbour (Northwest Territories, Canada)

“It’s usually in springtime before the ice breaks up that a seal spends time basking on the ice. At that time they are going through the
moulting stage. But if the ice breaks up early, then the moulting is incomplete; therefore the hair will be old and brownish in colour. I
will know right away that the moulting phase was disrupted by early ice breakup.” –Inusiq Nasalik, Pangnirtung (Baffin Island, Canada)

“Right now the weather is unpredictable. In the older days, the elders used to predict the weather and they were always right, but right
now, when they try to predict the weather, it’s always something different.” –Z. Aqqiaruq, Iglulik (Baffin Island, Canada)

“Long ago, there was always ice all summer. You would see the [multiyear ice] all summer. Ice was moving back and forth this time
of year. Now, no ice. Should be [multiyear]. You used to see that old ice coming from the west side of Sachs. No more. Now between
Victoria Island and Banks Island, there is open water. Shouldn’t be that way.” –Frank Kudlak, Sachs Harbour (Northwest Territories,
Canada)

“When there is lots of ice, you don’t worry too much about storms. You get out there and travel in between the ice [floes]. But last few
years there has been no ice. So if it storms, you can’t get out…” –Andy Carpenter, Sachs Harbour (Northwest Territories, Canada)

18
Expedition Dispatches

Jonah also shared observations of a suffering polar bear population. In the past five years he reported an increasing of
bear encounters near town. Hungry and on the hunt for food, these bears create a nuisance and can often be quite
dangerous. As a result, many of these bears end up being shot in self defense. Jonah has also observed an increasing
number of underweight polar bears, and reported two recent instances when dead bears where that were very skinny
when they died.

Other members of the HTA shared stories of unusual bird migrations. Canadian geese, for example, have made a dramatic
increase in the past 5 years. The hunters have noticed their impact on other native bird populations, forcing them out of
traditional nesting areas. They also reported increased sightings of marine animals such as dolphins and sea lions, common
down south but unusual this far north. They also reported seeing eider ducks overwintering further north than usual.

At the end of the meeting we gathered around the map to gather valuable local knowledge of the route to Clyde River.
The group cautioned us against polar bears and slushy ice, and recommended travel on the land side of the ice floe
edge. They pointed out several HTA cabins along the way, and suggested several short cuts to make our travel easier. Levi
Nutaralik ended the meeting by presenting each of us with a knife engraved on the side with “Qikiqtarjuaq HTA”.

The people of Qik continue to be gracious and welcoming, willing to share their observations from the land, and eager to
make us feel at home in their remote village. Full of fresh meat and fish, local stories, tea, and bannock, we certainly feel
thankful for their hospitality and kindness.

Qujannanmiik (thank you) Qikiqtarjuaq!

Abby

33
 Expedition Dispatches

Qik Kids Speak Out Against Global Warming

Wednesday, 28 March 2007

Kids in Qikiqtarjuaq know about global warming. At Inuksuit School they are learning about the impact of pollution
in the south on their Arctic homeland. They are also learning about the impact of their own actions on the immediate
environment and what they can do to make a difference. Walking through the hallways of the small school, we were
struck by the student art work and posters up on the walls. Below is a photo gallery of their work

34
 Expedition Dispatches

Quluaq School Plans for

Earth Day
Monday, 16 April 2007

Weather: Temp 14 °F / -10 °C, Wind 14 MPH / 22 KPH

Cloud cover: Low clouds and blowing snow

The weather stormed and blew outside, but inside Quluaq School we were
warm and dry. Students grades 3-12 gathered to hear stories and film from our
expedition and learn more about global warming.

While Elizabeth and I opened and closed the presentation, Theo, Simon, and
Lukie rose to the occasion, describing the mission of the expedition from the
Inuit perspective. The three addressed the students in Inuktitut, describing some
of the changes they had observed in our travels so far and the implications
these changes have for traditional Inuit culture. They also talked of the joys and
challenges of travel on the land, and the thrill of running a dog team in traditional Inuit fashion. Will shared stories from
his travels in the polar regions and talked about the power of the Inuit voice to affect environmental policy in the U.S, and
world-wide.

Quluaq School teachers and staff are planning an exciting series of events for Earth Day, to be celebrated in Clyde River on
Monday, April 23rd. Ideas for the day include environmental games, poetry for the earth, and 101 things Clyde River kids
can do to slow global warming. Quluaq students are also invited to make a statement on global warming in the form of
an art piece, to be presented by Will Steger and Theo Ikumaaq to the U.S. Senate in June 2007.

In the lobby of the brightly lit school hung a

beautiful welcome sign from the students, reading
“Clyde River Says Thanks for Caring About
Our Earth.” The expedition team would like to
thank the students of Clyde River for their warm
welcome and concern for the environment. We
are inspired by their participation in Earth Day and
hope that their commitment inspires classrooms
around the world to do the same!

We encourage our online audience to share their

Earth Day stories on the GW101 online forum.

Abby

36
Expedition Dispatches

C lyde River Students Love T heir Land!

Tuesday, 24 April 2007

Temperature: 12 F/ -11 C
Wind: 20 MPH/ 32 KPH
Cloud Cover: High clouds, partly sunny
Sunrise: 4:33 am
Sunset: 10:34 pm

The Student’s at Quluaq School in Clyde River have something to say to the world: “We love our land!”. This was
evident in the artwork made by 2nd and 4th grade students, who drew pictures of their homeland and native
traditions during our visit to the school today. Included in the drawings were pictures of igloos, dogsleds, kayaks,
tents and inuksuks, as well as images from the Arctic landscape. We spent the morning at the school, sharing more
stories from the expedition and discussing global warming. When asked to make a statement about global warming
and their Arctic home, the students responded with enthusiasm. We plan to deliver several of their drawings to the
U.S. Senate during our presentation in July.

We visited with a group of twenty high school students earlier in the morning, who
also had a message to deliver. Several students presented the GW101 expedition with
a list of “Clyde River’s 101 Solutions to Pollution for our Earth”. The students, who
spent the week preparing the list, read each one of the solutions out loud in English
and Inuktitut. The list was presented to us in the form of a diploma tied with a red
ribbon. Mixed in with a call to use alternative energy sources and create less waste,
were several solutions unique to an Inuit perspective:

Live like an Inuit, simple and off the land

Ski-doo less and walk more
Instead of using motorboats, canoe, kayak and sail
More dogsledding instead of ski-dooing
Eat more raw foods

The 101st solution on the list was a universal message for people around the globe: “Educate yourself...read as
much as you can on global warming and share with your children...for their future...”. We hope this list will provide
an inspiration, for classrooms, families and people everywhere, to think of solutions to global warming and steps
that can be taken on a local level.

Clyde River, as a whole, has also made a statement of their love for the land during our time here. Instead of
celebrating Earth Day, the community decided to celebrate Earth Week, hosting a variety of events around town.
Simon took third place in a traditional clothing fashion show and came in first place with Lukie in an igloo building
contest. There was snow carving on the ice yesterday afternoon and an Earth Day cake decorating contest last night.
The week culminates in a community feast and celebration this evening.

Our time here has been a pleasure and we will miss the kind and generous people we have come to know over the
past 12 days. We would like to thank the Hamlet Office and community members for all of the events planned this
week and for their flexibility in our ever changing schedule. We will remember Clyde for its rich and vibrant tradition
as well as its strong and committed vision for the future. Our expedition leaves tomorrow morning and we hope that
several of the local dog teamers will follow us out.

Abby 37
Expedition Dispatches

Sunburns
Monday, 07 May 2007

Coordinates: 69.44.011 N, 80.47.748 W

Distance Traveled: 33.81 mi / 54.41 km
Weather: Temp 12°F / -11°C, Wind 5 MPH / 3 KPH
Barometric Pressure: 1049 hPa
Cloud cover: Clear
Sunrise: 3:17 am
Sunset: 11:28 pm

There can be no fashion consciousness when your skin is burning. Ever

since we left Clyde River, the sun has been relentless. It rises well before
we wake and doesn’t set until we are fast asleep. It reflects off all the
white snow and ice and burns even the undersides of our noses and under
our chins.

Each one of us has his or her own methods for trying to protect our skin. Stetson, Abby and I slather on the zinc oxide sunblock and don
baseball caps and bandanas. We joke that with the thick white paste on our faces we look a bit like geishas or clowns. One day when my zinc
layer was especially thick, Stetson asked if I was trying to scare away the polar bears.

Will covers up with his hood and a leather “beak” that attaches to the bridge of his sunglasses and covers his nose and cheeks. The famous
mountaineer Reinhold Messner gave the beak to Will when they were both preparing for expeditions in Antarctica in 1990.

Ed Viesturs’ preferred method for beating the sun is to wear a baseball cap, glacier glasses and a hood. It’s difficult to stay cool enough with a
hood up, however, when the sun is warm and you’re exercising.

Even with our vigilance against the UV rays, our skin is taking a beating. The other day when I finally crawled inside the shelter of my tent, I
looked at my face in the mirror on my compass and saw, much to my horror, that the skin was flaking off in sheets.

It’s not just our skin that is taking a beating. Otto, one of the cameramen, left his sunglasses off for too long the other day and went snow-
blind, a painful but temporary condition. He had to spend the next day inside his tent with his eyes closed, waiting for his eyes to repair
themselves.

Our red sled bag is bleaching out to a yellowish-orange and our ball caps are fading.

It’s not just the snow and the 24-hour daylight that makes us vulnerable here in the Arctic. The ozone layer is thinner here in the Arctic than it is
at lower latitudes. The thinned ozone layer lets through more UV radiation than you would get further south.

Although many people confuse the two issues, global warming and the ozone hole are separate issues. Stratospheric ozone thinning was
caused by chlorofluorocarbons that are now banned. The ozone layer is beginning to repair itself. Here in the Arctic, however, the ozone layer is
slower to recover. This is due in part to the effect of global warming on stratospheric temperatures.

During the spring the ozone layer is at its thinnest so we, along with the other living things in the Arctic, are exposed to the greatest amount
of UV radiation. For plants and animals, the spring is also the time in their life cycles where they are the most vulnerable to damage from UV
radiation.

So, although we may look ridiculous, we will keep covering ourselves up with sunblock, hats, beaks and hoods.

Elizabeth 43
 Expedition Dispatches

Students in Iglulik say “Respect Our Earth!”

Monday, 14 May 2007

Date: May 14th, 2007

Temperature: 10 F/ -12 C
Wind: 9 mph/ 15 kph
Cloud cover: Clear blue skies

Sunrise: 2:46 am
Sunset: 12:08 am

The schools in Iglulik, Nunavut are full of life and energy. The walls are decorated with student artwork, bright posters,
and historic photos from the community. Sprinkled throughout both schools are handmade signs welcoming the Global
Warming 101 Expedition Team back home. While Iglulik isn’t home for all of us, the warm welcome we continue to
experience makes it feel like it could be. Students greet us with smiles and waves at every turn.

The team came together for one last hurrah this morning to share our experiences with the elementary and high school
students in town. Both schools have been actively following the expedition online and students were excited to hear our
stories. They were also excited to see the first official screening (fresh from Jerry’s computer) of the video from our arrival
into Iglulik. Students shrieked and applauded as they saw themselves or people they recognized on film. The pride was
palpable during both presentations, in both the students and our Inuit team members, as Simon, Lukie, and Theo spoke
in front of the crowd. While we all felt like stars in front of our young fans, it is clearly these three men who are the real
heroes in the eyes of their community (and rightly so!).

The students did a beautiful job decorating the gym for our arrival. Their posters and artwork make a strong statement
about their commitment to fight global warming. We thought we would pass their message on to you, in hopes that you
might be inspired by their work as well. We hope that people all over the world will heed the message from the young
people of the Arctic: “Respect our earth!”

We said goodbye to Will this morning, who

is headed to Iqaluit before flying home to the
Cities. We will join him there tomorrow evening.
Tomorrow will be a busy day as we tie up loose
ends, pack up, and prepare to leave. I don’t think
our departure will feel real, however, until we find
ourselves high above the open ocean, headed
south.

Stay tuned for our final dispatch...

Abby

44
Expedition Dispatches

Ref lecting on the Expedition

Tuesday, 29 May 2007

The Baffin Island Expedition is complete, but the lessons learned and Inuit voices are just beginning to be
reflected upon and shared. We have returned to Minnesota and to a new season - May in Minnesota is
green and lush; lilacs bloom and spill over back yard fences and maples, elms and birches show off their
brand new leaves. Up on Baffin Island it is spring too; snow is melting off the black rocks, ice is opening
up on the long rivers that run down from the interior, young seals are learning to swim and polar bears
are mating.

The Arctic, though beautiful beyond words, is an unforgiving host. Those who wish to live and thrive there must learn to adapt as a means of survival.
We came to listen to the voice of the Inuit people. Of course, as in any culture, there are a million voices each one with its own unique perspective on
the world. Despite differing perspectives, however, we did hear common threads.

We heard over and over again, in each community, a concern for global warming and the changing Arctic environment. We heard much evidence of this
change, of new species migrating north, of warming oceans and melting sea ice, and of the impact this has on the delicately balanced Arctic ecosystem.

We learned more about traditional Inuit culture, how intricately it has been woven into the land, and visa versa, over thousands of years. We also learned
more about contemporary Inuit culture, how it is a blend of the old ways and of the new. We quickly saw how the family is the center of life and the
source from which people gain strength. For an outsider it is hard to tell where one Inuit family ends and another begins. In the small communities
families join together to hunt, socialize, celebrate and support each other in the face of hardship.

Most of all, we learned about the Inuit spirit of resiliency and adaptation. When we asked about Inuit cultural survival in the face of global warming, we
heard the same reply time and time again: that the Inuit will continue to adapt as they always have. The question many Inuit asked us in return, can the
rest of us adapt?

There are technologies and strategies available to slow global warming. All we need is enough willpower as a collective community of humans to
make some changes. Part of what makes Inuit communities so strong is the unavoidable knowledge that they must work together to survive in a harsh
environment and that, without roads out of their communities, the solutions to challenges must come from within. They realize that their survival
depends on community and cooperation. They maintain their care and concern for community in spite of differences. This can be a model for the rest of
us.

This vision of strong local communities working in harmony with local environments is a vision that could inspire us. A beautiful alternative to our current
way of doing things could give us the motivation we need to make changes. A desirable goal for which to strive could turn global warming from a
depressing and overwhelming problem into an opportunity for collective action towards more beautiful, vibrant and diverse “local” communities.

The focus on community and connecting people is integral to our work, from expeditions to education, to the way in which we go about slowing global
warming; we believe that global warming will be slowed by people and organizations taking collective action. We believe that dramatic change in
personal and societal responsibility requires perseverance, courage, tenacity --the qualities of a polar explorer. We believe that by connecting people to
people, place to place, spirit to spirit, we can mobilize and act to make a difference.

We hope you continue to join us on online - we will continue to share the credibility and power of the eyewitness voice from varying perspectives. We
intend to share the stories of educators, students, individuals, and business leaders who are taking local action to inspire and catalyze individual and
collective leadership to achieve the changes we need.

We sincerely thank you for your interest and support and for following the Baffin Island Expedition. Please continue to visit www.globalwarming101.com
to share your thoughts, discoveries and actions to slow global warming.

Climate change is a huge challenge. Together, however, we can slow it. In the process we can develop better communities and more fulfilling
connections with the natural world. This is truly exciting. 45