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Angelal22 — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:33:19 CDT

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Luc taking in the rare sun at Ward Hunt Island

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Somewhere on Ward Hunt Island. Straight ahead is the geographic North Pole, 700 nautical away!

Kuria and Mark at Ward Hunt Island

Always on the look out, Brian--our hard working documentarist

Brian, Ainhoa and Luc trekking on the Ward Hunt ice shelf

Sebastian on the Ward Hunt ice shelf

The Pax Arctica team over a crack on the Ward Hunt ice shelf

High above the high Arctic. Somewhere above Ellesmere island on our way back to Resolute

The Pax Arctica team examining a crack at Ward Hunt ice shelf

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Expedition Blog

Angelal22 — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:11:44 CDT

In Summary
by Sebastian Copeland

The Canadian Arctic, more than anywhere else on Earth, shows direct signs of the effects of climate change. This was dramatically highlighted during our month long expedition by various dramatic developments. During our visit to the Ward Hunt ice shelf, it was revealed (thanks in part thanks to our findings and GPS coordinates!) that a four square kilometer chunk had permanently broken off. Additionally, in the same time period, the high risk of flash floods from the unprecedented thawing resulting from high temperatures forced the departure of many tourists visiting Baffin island. On our arrival in resolute on July 11th, we experienced a historical record high of 19C degrees (66.2F), which toppled the previous year’s record high on the same day of 17.5C. Climate change is a reality which faces and impacts the lives of every resident up here.

To symbolically summarize our experience, on the day of my departure from Iqaluit, Ola Johanessen, the Norwegian climate researcher, releases a provocative new report on the Arctic thaw stating that “ 90 percent of the decreasing sea-ice extent is empirically ‘accounted for’ by the increasing CO2 in the atmosphere’, adding that the Arctic ice cap will shrink “substantially faster” than was originally projected. The study was released by the Chinese Academy of Science.

In all, this was an extraordinary trip. Upon setting off on a journey of this nature, I have learned that the best that one can hope for is a smooth and safe passage, with the hopes that the experience will impact young impressionable minds with a message of personal accountability; and that their personal communion with this extraordinary landscape will stay with them forever. This is what happened to me. In the end, perhaps the best part of the experience was the human aspect and the relationship. Every child on the trip excelled in sometimes challenging situations of cancelled and delayed flights, not to mention camping environment sometimes inclusive of cold temperature, simple diets and various discomfort, and for some, a long way away from their parents or any familiar faces. The bonds that they created was, for me, the greatest gift.

A special mention goes to the adults: Luc, my partner, for his unwavering focus on managing complicated flight schedules; Matty, for her guidance, experience and high spirit; Brian for maintaining an upbeat approach and accumulating hours of in depth video interviews and spectacular footage soon to be assembled in the documentary The Young Ambassadors of the Arctic. And especially the mothers who came along on this adventure: Paige (Alexa, Ashley and Amber) for her steady smiling, positive and unconditional support; and my friend and partner since the early stages of planning Nicole for her courage and strength. This trip would not have happened without their help.

Finally, and on behalf of the Pax Arctica team, a great debt of gratitude goes to Doug Cole and the HP team for their belief in the mission and their support in sharing it each of you. I hope the stories we brought back have done justice to the uniquely privileged experience we shared in the high Arctic.
See you on the next adventure!

Sebastian Copeland

My Overview
by Kuria (check out my full blog)
First of all I want to thank Sebastian and our sponsors. I would also want to thank the group and everyone that taught me new things as well as the ones who learned along with me. I also want to thank Matty McNair for guiding us along and having a strong grip on holding her patience tight. This expedition pretty much put my life in order and on the path of who I really chose to become. I learned greatness is built by consistency, not by moment to moment. It definitely changed my life in a positive way. I wish we stayed in the high Arctic. Being able to see how us humans need to individually take responsibility of protecting the life cycle made me open my ability of spreading the message of trying to make this world a better place.

July 25, 2008
by Mark (see my expedition blog)
Early this morning Matty woke us up and made us build our tent because the weather forecast was still bad… There was a clearing so we took down the camp, packed quickly and loaded all the luggage on the plane. We left immediately for Resolute. We arrived late and went directly to the hotel and into bed.

July 24, 2008--Ward Hunt Island
by Ainhoa (see my expedition blog)

Once again, we thought we would be able to leave this morning but were wrong since the whole island was fogged in with ice fog. My dad still told the pilots to come to Eureka which is only about 1h30 minutes from Ward Hunt Island. We played Hearts a lot with Matty, Flaam, and Beth. Then the weather looked like it was clearing a little so we called the pilots and told them to fly over to see if maybe they could. So we packed up our bags and tents. We also put markers on the air strip so pilots could see it easily. But obviously, the plane wouldn’t land because there was too much fog. So we had to un-pack everything and set up all our tents again. Luckily, the plane was able to land somewhere only 21 kilometers away. Then we just had some dinner and after that the park rangers invited us to watch a movie in their hut. We watched A Mighty Heart. Then we played more cards and went to bed.

July 23, 2008--Ward Hunt Island
by Kuria (check out my full blog)
Today was a mellow very mellow day because we slept in after an exhausting day yesterday. We really didn’t do that much but as a group we picked up trash around the camp and that made me feel good deep down and boosted my energy up also. Mark and I decided to write a little positive message in the outhouse that said: :If everyone would do a little bit of cleaning up, the world would be a better place”. I love to try and make a difference in this world even by writing a little message like that really motivates me to clean up more and do as much as I can.

July 22, 2008 -- Ward Hunt Island
by Flaam (see my complete trip blog)

Today Beth had a really hard time waking up. After breakfast we went for a walk to the ice shelf we can see from the back of the camp. We walked for about 3 or 4 hours in the slushy snow. We stopped for lunch (well, cheese and crackers once again) when we couldn’t go any further: we had reached a huge crack! It was about 100 feet wide. There was also a seal in the water. After lunch we started walking back to camp when we encountered another crack. We took photos with the sponsor flags. At each crack we would take the GPS points and photos to send to the climatologist Derek Mueller. Everybody’s boots were soaking wet so I was thankful that I had rain boots! The way back was much shorter. I talked with my dad and sister.

July 22, 2008 -- Ward Hunt Island
by Beth (see my trip diary)

This morning was SO horrible! I did not want to wake up! I had such a bad sleep. Then we went for a walk on the ice shelf to look for the cracks. In the beginning I was so tired, I had no energy at all. I had spotted an enormous crack from a distance. It took forever to get there. Once we got there we had lunch. After lunch, we took pictures with the sponsors flag. Well, the Global Green USA, Global Green France, Pax Arctica, and Explorers Club. On our way back, I had more energy. Plus I was talking to Matty. I talked the whole way back with her. It was really nice to talk to her. Now we just got back, and they are making dinner. Night night. XOXO Beth

July 21, 2008--Ward Hunt Island
by Ainhoa (see my expedition blog)

This morning, the Zangrillos, Nicole and Boogie took the Twin Otter back to Resolute Bay. Now we are 9. After they left, we had breakfast, then went to talk to the Park rangers for an orientation. Next we climbed up the red mountain and got a good view of the whole island. Then we hiked up another hill that was right behind it. We went down to a part of the ice shelf and walked on it a little. We didn’t see the big crack but maybe we will tomorrow. Then we walked back to camp which is basically walking across the entire island, pass the lake. We had some lunch, then relaxed, took naps. Once I woke up from a nap, my sister and I went to the lake to get fresh water. Tomorrow we will go on a different area of the ice shelf to see the bigger cracks. Also, Zepher is being a bad dog and ate Matty’s tent up. The plane will probably come back Wednesday to take four of us to Mount Barbeau, then take the rest to Resolute.

July 20, 2008--Ward Hunt Island
by Amber (see my expedition blog)
We finally went to Ward Hunt Island. The plane was one hour and fifteen minutes. When we got there, it was really windy and cold. We are leaving back to resolute tomorrow, Mommy and my sisters.

July 20, 2008
by Mark (see my expedition blog)

We went to Olympia’s tent and we played cards. We played president and spoons but at a certain point we heard a plane and ran out to see it. They told us that we needed to prepare our bags because we could finally leave for Ward Hunt. We boarded the plane and took off. On the plane we were singing in French, Italian and Inuktitut. We arrived on the island and it was freezing cold. I was thinking of my friends in Europe spending time at the beach and was a little envious, but then I realized that nobody was as lucky as I was, because I was on top of the world, and could open the tent and see an iceberg…… I was super lucky! The second thought was that all this would no longer be there soon if we did not do something. So lets DO SOMETHING! Lets CHANGE! We have only one world lets take care of it. Now I am going to bed with this dream.

July 19, 2008--Otto Fjord
by Sebastian Copeland

I wake up at 8AM to get Luke up for our daily call to Ken Borek for an update on weather and planes to Ward Hunt Island. The island is especially relevant to our mission as it holds the largest remaining ice shelf in the Arctic and large cracks have been recently observed foretelling its coming demise. As I step out of my tent, a family of snow geese replete a dozen chicks in tow stroll by the water’s edge. I have time to throw boots on and a fleece (I am in my underwear!) and grab my camera. I sneak up on them and manage to steal a few shots as they all move to the water and climb on and off the many ice patches parching the surface. That is until I run out of space on my camera flash card! And I am too far from my tent at this stage to run there and back. Oh, well: a nice break from shooting icebergs! Temperatures are frigid, especially half dressed and I crawl back into my sleeping bag just in time to realize that I am freezing. Soon a downpour turns to snow and sleet. A sheet covers the tents and everyone sleeps in. We will have covered all conditions! By mid-day, the sun comes out blasting strong rays across the fjord. A Canadian air force Twin Otter lands by us. They come back from Ward Hunt Island where the conditions today are clear! We plan for a pick up mid-day and keep our fingers crossed. Our wait here might come to an end. An afternoon hike up the surrounding hills reveals the unique scope of the fjord’s vista. Otto, like Disco Bay in Greenland, is unique in that its two glaciers pour directly into the water releasing icebergs like an ice cube dispenser! There will be no late night shooting today off the boat as the ice patches make navigating the fjord impossible. Unless tomorrow proves different, I feel that this could well be be the last time I have such autonomy shooting icebergs from the water in the Arctic. It is 12:30AM, chilly (about 0C degrees) and I am spent. Mask on!

July 19, 2008--Otto Fjord
by Alexa (see my expedition blog)

Today I slept in and it felt good. It was snowing outside here in Otto Fjord so Matty delivered us some breakfast in our tents. I was so happy to not to have to go out and then have to take off all of the clothes that I put on for going outside. Thank you Matty! We then went outside. Oh, wait: yesterday we went on a boat and went under, and around and in between icebergs, and wow, it was so cold. It was amazing! Now back to today—where was I? I went putatuking (ice hoping) and had a blast! While we were doing this Boogie was barfing, and Ainhoa was sick too. Then Flaam got sick. She was throwing up everywhere. Mommy thinks it is because of the water. Ashley and Amber were really mean to mommy.

July 18, 2008--Otto Fjord
by Kuria (check out my full blog)
These are some of the things I learned from a friend as well as one of my role models, Sebastian, about religion. I learned about Protestantism founded by Calvin and Luther who went on exile in Switzerland and rejected the corrupt catholic church of their day. This morning after we had breakfast, we walked along the shore by where we camped at. We were taking tons of pictures of icebergs as they slowly flipped one after another. I would never imagine myself anywhere near and that’s what makes it so much more exciting and fun. It’s very hard to explain the feeling you get but what happens is your heart starts feeling really warm with positive rich vibes that keep your mind clear and helps you concentrate and think about your personal weaknesses as well as remembering your loved ones back home. It’s a really special time, believe or not it feels like therapy. After a couple of group pictures, it started drizzling lightly. But I didn’t want to go back in my tent. So I kept going along with Sebastian. Sebastian has really caught my attention with his knowledge and has showed me advice that will definitely beat down negative peer pressure. He was talking to me about how to avoid negative peer pressure; the meaning and understanding of religion, and different dynamic of law. Sebastian also showed me and taught me the right way of being a young leader. I sincerely appreciate his effort and also just who he is.
Wild life seen: Wooley bear; white rabbit.

July 18, 2008--Otto Fjord
by Olympia ("Boogie") (check out my full blog)

Today we woke up and took a nice walk along the shore to look at the beautiful icebergs. They were really, really big!! 8/9th are below the surface and 1/9th is above the surface. After that we went on a little motorboat. We looked at icebergs. We looked under the icebergs and over them. Then we got to the campsite—we meaning the kids—played cards and went ice hoping: that’s where you jump from one ice piece to the other. We also watched one iceberg flip. Then we went good night.

July 17, 2008--Otto Fjord
by Mark (see my expedition blog)

We woke up very late and had breakfast. When everybody was ready we started to walk all the way to the glacier. It looked very close but was a 10km walk. It took 2 hours and a half to get to the point where we had lunch. After lunch Sebastian talked about the global warming. He said we waste 2 million plastic bottles every five minutes… he also told us how we could avoid a lot of waste with simple gestures like bringing your own bottle on a walk, your own bags when you go shopping, switch of lights when not necessary, turn of the lights in the house. We continued walking for 45 minutes and arrived to a river before the glacier. This river was formed by melting ice. I went all the way round and arrived before everyone else so I named the glacier ‘Napapijri Glacier’. It was huge and beautiful. You could see many different water falls come down. Near the water the ice was deep blue. It was a privilege to be there because in 20 or 30 years the ‘Napapijri Glacier’ would no longer exist probably. I had a strong feeling about wanting to do something to save the world!
After this incredible day we headed back and I arrived first also on the way back. I went to bed immediately, I was exhausted.

July 17, 2008--Otto Fjord
by Ashley (more from Ashley)

Dear journal, we woke up late except for my family tent. We woke up late because Alexa threw up (Ewwwwww!!) Then we heard today was the day we were hiking to the huge glacier which looked like a five minute walk. (it was so dumb). We started walking; it was not so bad until the glacier started moving away! (I thought) I was totally exhausted by the time we stopped for lunch. My knees were throbbing from pain. By the time we got to it it was late. It took us six hours to walk there, plus there was this river you had to cross to get to the glacier and had to go knee deep in the water. I had my hiking boots on and didn’t want to get wet, so I said I want to go down there and Matty said it was head high so I decided to stay back and not get wet. But a little bit of land went down and I fell in! You don’t know how mad I was at Matty. I was so mad because Matty told me to go the wrong way. My hiking shoes were soaping wet. I took the foot thing out ,and I was so mad I forgot it. I was leaving because I was so mad that nobody came to help. When I left my inside foot thing, I can never wear them. Plus they were extremely expensive. On the way back from the glacier, Matty was really nice. Beth caught up and made up a funny song, and we sang it at the top of our lungs. We had a blast!! Then Kuria was carrying Amber on his shoulders and met up with us and Boogie. By the time we got home it was soooo late. We ate and went to bed!!
PS I bet Flam had the worst birthday!

July 16, 2008--Otto Fjord
by Amber (see my expedition blog)
I had a fantastic day. We had two great plane rides and good food. We finally got out of resolute that day and I got to go to bed in a tent; that is what I did not like. The ice patches were so fun to play on and it is so cool to see the icebergs like rocky dots on the water.

July 15, 2008 -- Resolute
by Beth (see my trip diary)

We went to Beechey Island today! I have worked there before but in the spring. It is really nice there! At Beechey Island is a sight where Sir John Franklin had stopped to camp. He was an explorer from the British Navy in 1845 (?) He was looking for the Northwest Passage! He is really interesting because during the mission, all of his crew were dying of lead poisoning from eating out of their canned food. From that, his crew of 129 men men rapidly died and they disappeared throughout the journey. Today, scientists and many other people are still trying to find the ship and the people. It is nice scenery at the island.
OMG, we saw a dead polar bear! It was really sad! Well, we’ve been waiting five days now for the weather to clear to go up to Ward Hunt Island! It is getting pretty boring. All my good friends/best friends are on vacation :+(( But hey, Flaam’s birthday is in two days!!

July 14, 2008--Resolute
by Ainhoa (see my expedition blog)

This morning we woke up early to finish packing our bags and load the truck. Then we went off to the airport. But unfortunately we got bad news that we had to return to the hotel and check back at the airport at noon because the weather at Ward Hunt Island was terrible. We went back to the hotel and hung around, played cards. At noon, my dad and Sebastian went to the airport and came back with more bad news that we wouldn’t be able to leave at all today. So that afternoon we played more cards and games. After dinner, we were able to go and meet a famous French photographer named Yann Arthus Bertrand. He is famous for taking pictures from the sky, from helicopters. He was staying in a hotel nearby. He showed us a preview for his movie coming out in June 2009. It’s called “Home” and the preview was really cool with lots of amazing images from 50 countries. The message of the movie is to warn people about global warming. Then we came back to the hotel and went to bed.

July 14, 2008
by Mark (see my expedition blog)

Today I woke up very late and wanted some breakfast, but when I went downstairs they were already serving lunch… to my disappointment I settled for lunch. Sebastian gave us a lesson on photography. He explained that we should never do a photo just for the sake of it but always feeling something inside your self. He also said that you should research the best angle before shooting. I felt good because I like taking pictures and learning interesting new things. After this lesson I played with the computer for a while. We also played cards, had dinner and went to bed.

July 13, 2008 -- Resolute and Somerset Island
by Flaam (see my complete trip blog)

We woke up relatively early today. We had to prepare all the luggage fro the trip to Ward Hunt island. First of, we took out all the food, separating breakfast food (oatmeal, hot chocolate etc) from lunch (cheese, power bars, nuts) and dinner (pasta, soups). We also had to separate the food into 12 days, 9 for the expedition and three extra “safety” days. Finally by noon, that was over, we spent the afternoon lounging around. We visited an archeological site, where the Thule people made houses [600-800 years ago]. Later on, we each had to individually pack. Around 5:30 we ate dinner and at 6 we flew in a Twin Otter to Arctic Watch on Somerset Island, about 20 minutes away. From there we took ATV’s to the water where we saw the Beluga whales up close! There were about 500 of them. The adults are white, the teenagers grey, and the babies black. I had never seen a Beluga whale before (except in a zoo). Sebastian, my dad and Nicole flew over the whales with a helicopter. Finally we finished packing and went to bed.

July 13, 2008--Resolute
by Alexa (see my expedition blog)

Today we hung out at the hotel, and after dinner we went to see the beluga whales. It was so much fun!! The whales where so adorable! When we got off the plane, ATV’s picked us up and we drove down to the whales. On our way there, Amber and I sat in the back and sang songs until we got close to the whales because if we were laud we could scare them away and they wouldn’t come back. When we were there, I couldn’t get good pictures because they were too far out. Mommy got really cold and was “chilled to the bone”. When we got back to the plane, I warmed her up. We had Skittles on the plane ride back. I was talking with Momma the whole way. Whenever I am with mommy it brightens up my day. Facts about beluga whales: - sensitive to loud noise - adults are pure white - teens are grey - babies are black - they like the sun - the whales turn adult at age three - they like to scratch on the sandy gravel to take off the dead skin - they stay up at the top of the ocean - the whales are very easy to see from the plane - they stay in groups Today I slept in and it felt good. It was snowing outside here in Otto Fjord so Matty delivered us some breakfast in our tents. I was so happy to not to have to go out and then have to take off all of the clothes that I put on for going outside. Thank you Matty! We then went outside. Oh, wait: yesterday we went on a boat and went under, and around and in between icebergs, and wow, it was so cold. It was amazing! Now back to today—where was I? I went putatuking (ice hoping) and had a blast! While we were doing this Boogie was barfing, and Ainhoa was sick too. Then Flaam got sick. She was throwing up everywhere. Mommy thinks it is because of the water. Ashley and Amber were really mean to mommy.

July 12, 2008--Resolute
by Olympia ("Boogie") (check out my full blog)

Today we woke up at 7:30 to go have breakfast. Breakfast in the South Camp Inn in Resolute is from 7:00 to 8:00. That night I slepped with Alexa so we came down together. After breakfast, we went to this place that was really, really big, and it had two rooms: one room was for food, and the other was for speeches. So when we went there, we had to be silent to hear the speeches, but we also heard Inuit throat sing. It was so cool, it sounds like instruments! We also saw Inuit dance. They danced so good, it seemed like they were practicing for a long time (which they probably did). Well when the science was spoken, I fell asleep. “And then water here is 1,000 feet deep blah, blah, blah!!! It was really boring! After that, we ( Alexa, Mommy, Mark Ainhoa, Flaam, Matty and me) had lunch. When me, Mark and Alexa went outside for lunch, a little boy came up to us and said: “Ask me about my weener!” And me Mark and Alexa laughed so hard! After that, people over 15 can go on a boat called the Icebreaker. It was so unfair!! But then they managed to get Kuria, Ainhoa, Flaam, and all the grown ups, but Matty. Alexa, Mark, Matty and me went back to the hotel. When we got to the hotel, Alexa, Matty and me went to this store to get journals for Ainhoa and Flaam. Mark went with Beth on the ATV’s. We did not find journals. And then Matty told us that in an hour we were all going to go on a hike up a mountain that was really high. So when Alexa and me came to my room, we decided to take a nap because we did not want to go on the hike. Get it? Well if we sleep we would not go on the hike. So I had like a little apartment in the hotel, with stairs and we were waiting for my mom and we were practicing what we will do when she came. When we were practicing the 5th time, she came up the stairs and we were jumping on the bed when she came. But we did not go on the hike after that; two really nice girls came named Blinda and Sapora. We were laughing so hard. After that we had dinner and ice cream. Night night. Sleep tight. Mind the bugs don’t bite. And if they do, catch them tight, and they won’t bite another night!

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Expedition Blog, pg. 2

Angelal22 — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:42:38 CDT

July 11, 2008--Iqaluit/Resoulte
by Sebastian Copeland

Fly in from Kimmirut after home stay with Inuit. Early rise and short twin otter flight to Iqaluit for a few hours layover. Just time to reconfigure packs for the trip up North. Pack efficiently, and plan for the ascent of Mt Barbeau, after the kids return home July 25th.

This only Luc, Matty and I will do, though there is talk that Ainoha might join us.

4 ½ hour flight lands us in Resolute. Could have been called Destitute.

Frontier town. Mojave desert feel—desert landscape with sea ice in background. Surreal. Dusty. And WARM! Today sets a historical record high of 19C degrees! The same day last year had set a record high of 17.5C degree… Quite literally shorts and flip flop weather. Completely unprepared for these temperatures, as I have with me mostly winter gear. It is disconcerting to be in this desert—it receives less precipitation than the Sahara desert.

Cowboy sensibility, but instead scientists with Inuit as Indians. Sun never sets here, and it never gets dark in the summer months: 24 hour daylight. Very friendly community—no crime. We stay at the South Camp Inn, which is run by the very kind Aziz, who happens to be Beth’s father! Lots of human waste: washing machine, cars, computers. No Maytag friendly repairman in these parts, one can gather! Functions somewhat outside the law in the way isolated outposts do, and not the worst for it. Friendly people; no visible law enforcement. Kuria, again, is quick to make friends with local Inuit; as is Boogie, Alexa and Amber. Tomorrow promises to be a great program, with the arrival of the Canadian Fisheries and Oceans Canada Coast guard ship, the Louis S. St Laurent, in from doing field research. We timed our trip to be there for that arrival, to bring a scientific dimension to the kids experience in the Arctic. There will be a presentation of the scientists work, as well as a visit on the ship.

July 10, 2008
by Kuria (check out my full blog)

Today we had to go on with our expedition, so we got up pretty early and rafted towards Kimmirut, and a man named Louly helped us tow the rafts across a lake. Louly is Pascale’s husband and they are both Matty’s friend. As Pascale went to unload the truck with our luggage, Matty directed us to the town with a little hike. We had lunch and then had an opportunity to walk around town, and meet some local kids our age. We met some really friendly people who took us where they go swimming and where they play soccer. We went back to Louly and Pascale’s house and had Caribou for dinner. I loved it. After dinner the local kids showed us where they play poker, but I chose not to play because they are really good. It’s interesting how they take poker really seriously and when they have no more money they trade. We had a home stay with Inuit people, her name is Latie: a single mother as well as a grandmother. She is a very swet lady, and we also found out that she is also related to Beth, when we got there and started introducing ourselves.

July 10, 2008
by Flaam (see my complete trip blog)

We woke up to find our entire tent covered in mosquitoes. That was quite impressive. Last minute (in Greenwich) I bought mosquitoe nets with my mom, so I am really thankful for that. I had never seen so many mosquitoes in my life. Today I was a little “down”, kind of out of energy and missing home. No choice though, you have to keep paddling. When we arrived in Kimmirut, Pascale let us have lunch at her house which was really nice. In the afternoon, while many were showering and taking baths, I went with Boogie, Nicole, my dad, and Sebastian on a boat to ride around the bay. Though we did not see any polar bears, we had a great time. We saw seals and the icebergs were incredible!

For dinner, I had caribou. Finally everyone went ot sleep in a family. I don’t really feel I got the “experience” I stayed at Pascale’s house.

July 9, 2008--Soper River
by Ashley (more from Ashley)

We woke up it was beautiful, sunny and not as windy as the other days, but we had some bad news: MOSQUITOES! We had not so many mosquitoes when we were paddling but it was still hard. We stopped and waited on the side while the walkers had to catch up and we played the hand game. We saw the walkers and they came on the boat. At lunch we walked to see the blue rock that is only found in Chile and Argentina and the Arctic. We also saw mica and graphite and I took some small samples of it. We all got back in the raft and I slept until we got to our final destination. We had to carry all our stuff to camp. Mark was hilarious about the beans and made me laugh a lot. Then we went to bed.

July 8, 2008--Soper River
by Ainhoa (see my expedition blog)

Today was an interesting day… We woke up at 7 and it took about 2 hours to pack up camp. We cooked eggs and bacon for breakfast. Then we blew up the rafts and packed up our equipment. Twelve people went on the rafts, and four people walked. We started off pretty well on a few rapids. We had lots of tail winds. But then the winds weren’t on our side anymore and they were bringing us to shore and we were getting stuck on rocks. Everyone was soaking wet and miserable. Everyone was getting frustrated with each other and we were all cold. We stopped for a good lunch and switched the walkers and the paddlers on the rafts. The wind got really bad. Boogie was freezing cold. We had to go to shore and pull the rafts along the river until our campsite. By then we were all very happy. We got dried off and set up camp. Then we made macaroni and cheese for dinner with pieces of hot dogs. We cleaned up and got ready to sleep. I am VERY tired. The end. Goodnight!

July 7, 2008
by Sebastian Copeland

We have spent saturday in Ottawa finalizing preparations. Luc, Mary and I spend our afternoon shopping for breakfasts, lunch and snacks for 15 days and 15 people. The proportions are daunting: 27 kilos of cereals, 500 power bars, etc. Nicole, Olympia and Kuria rush to the airport to meet Mark, who flies in from Italy. Paige arrives at the same time with Alexa, Ashley and Amber. Flaam and Ainoha are busy re- arranging clothes and distributing the Napapijri lot that made it: but 2/3 of our shipment got stuck in customs, and I had to leave Los Angeles without it! The rest will be hand delivered to us but not before the 11th, after our Soper river excursion. The weather here is warm and beautiful; it is hard to imagine that we will be in winter clothes in 24 hours. John Coo from Green Cross Canada and his wife Alex give us a warm, welcoming dinner--seeing us of in style!

Post dinner, we spend another hour removing excessive packaging to reduce extra weight from the large containers we will be checking in to our flight to Iqaluit in the morning. It is 2 AM. We will meet tomorrow in the lobby at 6:30 AM!

July 7, 2008
by Ashley (more from Ashley)

We woke up and went for breakfast at Matty’s house. After we went to the science museum and learned a lot about cool things (plants and ice). We went back and talked about the center and then we went there. We watched a movie about sfety in the Arctic. We wnt back to Matty’s house where we spent a long time packing. Then Ainhoa and Flaam helped weigh the luggage to see if we were 2900 pounds. Fortunately we were close (3180). We went to the beach and got stuck in quicksand a lot. Flaam saved us. On our way back we say dead whale blubber. We all got on the roof and jumped. Flaam and Kuria took pictures of me jumping off the roof. Mark made us crack up on the porch. Then Matty told us that we were leaving. At the airport we played hang games. Then my mom and Mary bought homemade pizzas. Mark was hilarious during the games. Then we heard that we might no make it because there wasn’t enough room in the plane. Then Sebastian and Luc arranged it so we could go. The girl pilot was really mean and rude. We landed safely by the river and went on to bring the luggage really far away, and it was heavy especially the rafts were 95 pounds. Then Matty set up our tent as demonstration. Then we snacked and went to bed.

July 6, 2008
by Alexa (see my expedition blog)

Today was one long day, but it sure was a fun-filled one too. Boogie (Olympia), Nicole (her mom), and me where all sitting next to each other on the plane ride from Ottowa to Iqualuit. Boogie and I had such a blast on the plane ride, we practically giggled the whole 3 ½ hours. When we finally landed we had four hours until our next flight, but that never happed because of the terrible weather. Instead we went to Matty’s wonderful home and spent most of the day there. While we were at her house Brian (our cameraman) interviewed me and I think I did a very good job, and I have noticed that I am not “scared” of being in front of a TV camera, which is very good. The reason why I am not being afraid of talking in front of a camera is because I have a dream about being in movies and now I know I am not worried. YES!!!!! All of us kids laughed and played all day long. I feel as if all of us are brothers and sisters. We have all became a big family and it is so much fun. This trip has started out to being a trip of a lifetime and I am thrilled about everything that has happened and that is going to happen. This is such a great beginning of a wonderful trip!!!

July 5, 2008
By Luc Hardy

Ottawa – a beautiful capital. Big buildings that were built to last are made of thick stone walls. Their spiraling turrets lighten the structure as they reach toward the sky. The oxidized copper roofs create an organic green contrast against the blue sky. The weather is perfect. The air is the temperature as our skin. We drive from the airport along a beautiful canal that creates a meandering lifeline through the city. Bicycles and runners and strollers move along the sidewalks share by walkers intoxicated with the peaceful mood. We toured the city with John Coo, our host from GreenCross Canada, as he drove us from the airport to the hotel and appointed out those ‘not to miss spots’ like only a local can do.

At the hotel our group begins to take shape as members of the expedition arrive through out the day. The tasks are delegated as we rush to take advantage of our last opportunity to gather supplies. Nicole coordinates the arrivals of Mark and the Zangrillos; Luc, Sebastian and Mary shop for food; Flaam and Ainhoa manage the fitting of gear from Napa Pijri and distribution of sunglasses from Oakley; Olympia is our meet greet master (since she has already met all of the young explorers) she handles introductions wth ease while Brian interviews the explorers about their expectations of the adventure that is about to unfold.

Meanwhile the Coo family has spent the day preparing a feast. At 8 pm, we sit together at a long narrow candle lit table decorated with flags representing our many nationalities brought together at a long narrow candle lit table decorated with flags representing our many nationalities brought together by GreenCross and Pax Arctica. Sebastian leads our toast – to our hosts and the beautiful Arctic we are about to encounter!

Learn more from Luc at his personal Arctic Ambassador's expedition Pax Arctica's blog.

July 5, 2008--Ottawa
by Sebastian Copeland

We have spent saturday in Ottawa finalizing preparations. Luc, Mary and I spend our afternoon shopping for breakfasts, lunch and snacks for 15 days and 15 people. The proportions are daunting: 27 kilos of cereals, 500 power bars, etc. Nicole, Olympia and Kuria rush to the airport to meet Mark, who flies in from Italy. Paige arrives at the same time with Alexa, Ashley and Amber. Flaam and Ainoha are busy re- arranging clothes and distributing the Napapijri lot that made it: but 2/3 of our shipment got stuck in customs, and I had to leave Los Angeles without it! The rest will be hand delivered to us but not before the 11th, after our Soper river excursion. The weather here is warm and beautiful; it is hard to imagine that we will be in winter clothes in 24 hours. John Coo from Green Cross Canada and his wife Alex give us a warm, welcoming dinner--seeing us of in style!Post dinner, we spend another hour removing excessive packaging to reduce extra weight from the large containers we will be checking in to our flight to Iqaluit in the morning. It is 2 AM. We will meet tomorrow in the lobby at 6:30 AM!

July 2, 2008
by Sebastian Copeland

Dear Pax Arctica 08 team,

This email constitutes the complete email information for each of the participants--or family leader whose responsibility it is to communicate with their significant other!

To begin with, I want to thank you and congratulate you for taking the leap into this adventure, which promises to be extraordinary.

We have been working diligently for months to complete this program, through the ups and downs of budgets and scheduling complications. We are now on the footing of departure, and I feel privileged to be in your company for this voyage to the North.

I know that things are hectic for all of you and that your spirits are most likely mixed with excitement and apprehension. I want to ensure each and every one of you that you are in the most responsible and capable hands.

I am not, of course, referring to myself as this is by no means a one-person show. Everyone of you has been hand-picked for specific characteristics which will prove critical in carrying out our mission: 1) to safely witness the changing environment of the Arctic at the hands of climate change; 2) to interact with local culture and hear first hand how this is affecting their culture; 3) to interact with scientists in the field; 4) to experience the Arctic summer ice in a way that will be gone within this generation; 5) and of course to bring your experiences back to your daily world and share the result of your findings.This, with an emphasis on the younger generation, who will most feel the result of this dramatic shift in our world's natural balance.

We have a coalition of children representing Germany (Olympia 9), France (Flaam 16 & Ainhoa 14), the US (Amber 9, Alexa 11 & Ashley 12), Italy (Mark 12), Kenya (Kuria 15) and an Inuit (Beth 15).

As such you are all officially about to become the YoungAmbassadors of the Arctic

By way of introduction, I would like to tip my hat off to Luc who has lent his tireless efforts, as well as committed to personal sacrifices to juggle some of the more thankless aspects of this planning. Luc and I will be your expedition leaders.

We are lucky to have enlisted the guidance of Matty McNair, of North Winds. Matty is a veteran of the ice, having lead multiple groups to both the North and South poles. She is a legend, with a background in education, which will prove invaluable given the nature of our young participants.

Like all expeditions, our trip is not impervious to meeting the challenges of last minute adjustments, weather, and other variables. As you know, this is not a tour-guided experience at Club Med. It is an expedition. I will ask you to keep that in mind when plans change without notice, and affect your expectations, and your mood. We have worked very hard to create a program that is inclusive of all the complex aspects of flight availability, practical restrictions, and other mechanical considerations. This for a group of 15 in the high Arctic!

For now, what you can count on is meeting in Ottawa on July 5th for a group "meet and greet" and dinner arranged thanks to the generous support of John Coo of Green Cross Canada (we will miss you Matty and Beth and will raise a glass in your absence!)

We will leave very early on July 6th for Iqaluit, about a 3 1/2 hour flight. There, we will meet Matty and Beth, and have a couple of hours to adjust our packs for our journey down the Soper river. We will be flown to the river in the afternoon for a three-day rafting expedition, including camping each night, to reach the Inuit village of Kimmirut on July 10th. In Kimmirut, we will benefit from a home stay with Inuit families.

On July 11th, we will be flown back to Iqaluit, and head up to Resolute. Some will need to spend one night in Iqaluit and join the group the following day; Paige, Ashley and Amber have volunteered for this: thank you!We will stay at the South Camp Inn Hotelin Resolute from July 11th-14. We will meet scientists returning from field studies and discuss with them the nature of their findings. We will stay in Resolute for two days (not a most scenic town, I warn you!) until our first leg to the North will take half of the group to Ward Hunt Island, the northern most Canadian land in the Arctic. Because of plane payloads, length of the flight (about 3.5 hours) and availability, half of our group will need to stay one additional night in Resolute--July 14. Bring a book!

On the ice, we will set up camp and conduct excursion at the edge of the world, where the land meets the pack ice which scientist warn will likely break entirely this summer.We will examine the state of the ice shelf, and look for fresh cracks.

After three days, our planes will come back and take us to Otto Fjords and then Tanqueray Bay for another few days measuring glaciers, taking in the majestic beauty of this vanishing landscape, hiking, and doing some light trekking. Due to payloads, the plane will make rotations, taking in one part of the group, and coming back for the other. Each group will be inclusive of at least one team leader/guide.

After a few days in those locations, we will then fly to Mount Barbeau in two rotations, and consolidate our group in this location before undertaking the evacuation of the bulk of our group. Most will then leave for Resolute, where some of you will sleep one night on their way to Iqaluit and then Ottawa. It is possible that while in Barbeau, some of you will have to leave some cargo to accommodate the payload of the plane back to Resolute. That cargo would then be brought back by those left there to scale Mount Barbeau. This will be determined when we factor the mean weight of everyone including luggage. Which is why I am insistent that you keep your weight/clothe/pack to a strict minimum: Twin Otters have a weight maximum that is further reduced by the possible need to affix them with skis depending on the snow conditions. Please keep that in mind.

Through this process, as you know, we will be filming a documentary, left to the capable hands of Brian Knappenberger, our documentarist. Young Ambassadors of the Arctic will hopefully result in a clever and captivating hour-long film on the adventures of this motley crew to the top of the world, to document and advocate its changing conditions at the hands of climate change.

We will have iridium/satellite phones but those will be used for emergency purposes only. Please do not count on using them for personal use. If you need one, bring one.

A warm thank you to our female adult participants who have committed to advancing this important mission by lending their participation to "roughing it" in the North. With that I am referring to Paige Zangrillo, Mary Hardy and of course my friend, partner and companion through the many months of uncertainty, Nicole.

I also want to thank HP for their support and who will be uploading fresh content in the form of daily blog--when possible--and will create a web identity for each one of our young Ambassadors Also to thank, my friends and sponsors at Napapijri have also been an invaluable partner and have gone to considerable efforts to provide a large amount of clothing which I will distribute when we meet, if you have not gotten it already. Oakley glasses have generously donated glasses; Y&R should also be thanked for their participation. As well of course as Global Green USA and Green Cross International whose flag we are representing in this international coalition!

The children will also be given cameras--courtesy of HP. The pictures you bring back, I will edit and distribute to add to their visual identity on the website when we return. To that effect, I will likely borrow the card from the camera to upload images upon our return. Children should be encouraged to save battery power when away from a power source/hotel--especially in the second part of our trip. There will be VERY limited access to solar power, and children should be encouraged not to look tirelessly at--and share-- their image, unless they are within striking distance of a power source. Count on bringing an adapter as I am not sure what the power outlets will be. Additionally, I will distribute a journal to each of the children. Each child will be required to input a daily entry. This too, I will borrow at the end of the trip to transcribe their impression for web purposes.

For those interested in sharing the experience with your friends and family members, two blogs will be uploaded. One at:
http://www.sagaxexpeditions.com/blog/blog.html
as well as on HP’s Wiki site at:
http://expressioncenter.wetpaint.com/page/Sebastian+Copeland+and+the+Arctic+Ambassadors

On the practical side, I will ask that you all input a contact information by responding here in the case of an emergency and give your personal medical insurance company, as well as blood types for each of the participants.

Additionally, I have attached a release form to be scanned and signed for those of you who have not done so already. PLease print, sign, scan and return tome (for Amber, Ashley& Alexa, please include a photograph).

There will be additional forms to sign, courtesy of Brian for the documentary when we are all together.

If you have any additional questions, you know where to reach me, or Luc.

Attached is a check list. Use your discretion. It is comprehensive, and feel free to edit.

Welcome to the adventure, and thank you for your trust!

Sebastian

See more from the Arctic Ambassadors

» Expedition Overview
» Sebastian's Biography
» Expedition Photo Gallery
» Young Arctic Ambassadors
» Team Leaders
» Expedition Itinerary &Map

Sebastian Copeland and the Arctic Ambassadors

Angelal22 — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:54:14 CDT

Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. -- North American proverb

See more from the Arctic Ambassadors

» Sebastian's Biography
» Expedition Blog
» Expedition Photo Gallery
» Young Arctic Ambassadors
» Team Leaders
» Expedition Itinerary and Map

We've all heard the news: global surface temperatures are rising, the ice caps are melting and our planet is changing. But how many of us have seen these conditions firsthand. Nowhere on Earth is the impact of global climate change more acutely felt than in the Arctic.

The Young Ambassadors of the Arctic is the first in a series of initiatives, collectively grouped under the name Pax Arctica, created by Sebastian Copeland, Luc Hardy and Global Green USA to sensitize public opinion on the climate changes and challenges facingthe Arctic region.

With sponsorship help from HP, an international coalition of children will take a trip to the North in July 2008, setting out on a month-long expedition of the Arctic region. The kids -- ages 9 - 17 -- come from diverse backgrounds and areas around the world, yet share a common passion to learn more about climate change. Young Ambassadors of the Arctic aims to engage the young as the eyes of their generation, leading them to experience the Arctic in a variety of ways: interacting with local culture; working alongside scientists in the field; and, of course,experiencing the ice itself ... which risks being gone within their lifetimes.

Last year saw the greatest depletion of summer ice, leaving experts confounded by the implication. In all, half a million square miles of ice simply vanished during the summer months. That is an area the size of Texas and California combined. It is now clear that the Arctic sea ice will likely break entirely much sooner than was initially predicted. To put this in perspective, projections two years ago pinned 2050 as the time this would happen. Last year it was 2025. Today, scientists fear that this summer could see for the first time the northern polar cap mostly broken up, opening maritime routes never before imagined.

In addition to exploring and assessing the conditions of the region, the group will help determine what steps are required to guarantee its preservation for generations to come.

They'll spread the word via the HP Community in the form of blogs and photos during the expedition, through the kids' schools, in the media, and with production of a documentary retelling the adventure.