Geoff Green - Expedition Leader
Founder & Executive Director, Students on Ice

Canadian adventurer, environmentalist and educator Geoff Green has been leading expeditions and adventures from pole to pole for the past fifteen years. Many notable organizations such as the Discovery Channel, World Wildlife Fund, National Audubon Society and the Smithsonian Institution enlist Geoff to lead their groups into the world’s most remote and exciting regions.

In 2005, he received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from the U.S. Congress for his work with youth and the environment. He was also voted one of Canada’s “Top 40 under 40” – an annual national prize event saluting Canada’s top young leaders. In 2004, Outpost Magazine chose Geoff as one of the “Top 5 Canadian Explorers” to watch. In 2007, Geoff and the Students on Ice program received the prestigious Explorers Club Citation of Merit.

Geoff is the founder and Executive Director of Students on Ice Expeditions, an award-winning educational organization based in Gatineau, Québec, Canada. The program – now in its tenth year – has taken over 1,500 students, teachers and scientists from around the world on expeditions to both the Arctic and the Antarctic. The goal of this unique project is to give the world’s youth a heightened understanding and respect for the planet’s global ecosystem, and the inspiration to protect it.

As expedition leader, Geoff is a veteran of 76 Antarctic expeditions and 32 Arctic expeditions.

David Burgess, Ph.D.
Cryospheric Remote Sensing Scientist

David Burgess joined the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS) in 2006 as a Physical Scientist where he specializes in the use of airborne and satellite remote sensing technology to study the mass balance and dynamics of ice caps in the Canadian Arctic.

David obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Alberta during which time he spent 7 field seasons conducting glaciological studies on the Devon and Prince of Wales ice caps, Queen Elizabeth Islands. His research has focused primarily on quantifying recent changes in volume of the Devon ice cap, and studying the patterns of ice motion as measured from Satellite Radar Interferometry.

Since 2004, David has coordinated efforts between the University of Alberta and the Geological Survey of Canada towards calibration and validation of the CryoSat radar altimeter over the Devon ice cap. CryoSat is a European Space Agency initiative (due for launch in 2009) with a primary objective of measuring thickness changes of all land ice on Earth. Currently, David is primarily responsible for monitoring the mass balance of 4 ice caps in the Canadian high Arctic - a responsibility held for the past 49 years by the late Dr. Roy 'Fritz' Koerner of the Geological Survey of Canada. In December 2007, David was appointed the Canadian Representative to the International Arctic Science Committee’s Working Group on Arctic Glaciology.

Olle Carlsson
Polar Naturalist

Olle Carlsson was born in Sweden and is currently living there. Formerly a teacher, he left the profession in order to write, photograph, play jazz and travel. He has travelled extensively in the Atlantic sector of the Arctic, including the Northwest Passage, Greenland and Svalbard.

Since 1991, he has spent the northern winter seasons in his favorite area, Antarctica, sharing the migration route of the Arctic Tern, always heading for summer, in the North as in the South. In Antarctica he has been an expedition leader, naturalist and lecturer for various organizations. Olle admits to being infected by the Polar bug, defined by the early explorers as “if you have ventured into the ice once, you will always long to come back.” Apart from the remote North and South, he has worked as a naturalist guide, lecturer and Zodiac driver along the coasts of Europe, around England and in the Baltic Sea. He has backpacked parts of Asia and participated in a tree planting project in Kenya.

Together with his friend Stefan Lundgren, Olle has published Antarctica - In the interest of all mankind (1990), currently only in Swedish and appointed the Panda Book of 1991 by the Swedish section of World Wildlife Fund. More recently, Olle and Stefan have completed Svalbard - The Land beyond the Northcape (in English). In 1998-99, they completed another book in English, Antarctica - A souvenir book from the 7th continent. He has written several articles for magazines and newspapers, and also lectured and given slide-show presentations on the Polar areas around Sweden, Denmark and in the US.

Luke Copland, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor
Department of Geography, University of Ottawa

Luke Copland’s research focuses on improving our understanding of glacier dynamics and recent changes of ice masses, and their links to climate variability. He uses both satellite image analysis and fieldwork to make these measurements, and in recent years he has undertaken fieldwork in the Canadian High Arctic, Karakoram Himalaya, Antarctic, and European Alps. He also leads an annual University of Ottawa, Department of Geography glaciological field trip to the Mt. St. Elias Icefield in Kluane National Park, Yukon.

Luke Copland was recently awarded a Canadian Foundation for Innovation award to develop a new ‘Laboratory for Cryospheric Research’ in the University of Ottawa’s Department of Geography. This lab will house a suite of new computers, GIS and satellite image analysis software, together with a range of field equipment such as differential GPS units and ground-penetrating radar systems.

Marianne Douglas, Ph.D. - Professor
Department of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta
Director, Canadian Circumpolar Institute

Marianne Douglas has spent the past two decades conducting research on global environmental change. A professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta, she is also the director of the Canadian Circumpolar Institute. Although the focus of her research has been in the Canadian Arctic Islands, she also spends time in Antarctica and has completed field seasons in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica as well as on Livingston Island off the NW tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. She has also worked on board ship-based expeditions as a lecturer around the Antarctic Peninsula. She and her students use paleolimnology, i.e., the study of lake sediments, to reconstruct past environmental baseline conditions. Sediments are akin to an archive as they preserve a variety of microfossils and other proxy indicators of past environmental conditions. Only by understanding the natural variability of a region can one decipher the nature and degree of ongoing change. She and her research team have been documenting the effects of global warming in the Arctic as well as the effects human activities are having on the environment.  

Marianne completed her University education at Queen’s University, followed by a research associate position at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Prior to joining the University of Alberta in September 2006, Marianne spent 10 years as a professor in the Geology Department at the University of Toronto. She strongly believes that knowledge gained first hand, such as by visiting the circumpolar regions, is the more useful and effective base for education.

Eric Galbraith, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor
Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences,

McGill University

A native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Eric worked as a geologist in South America and the Canadian Arctic before becoming an oceanographer. His research looks at how global ocean circulation interacts with the rest of the climate system, what this means for marine life, and how the ocean will respond to future climate change. He has lectured aboard cruises throughout the North Atlantic, and in both the Arctic and the Antarctic. He recently completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Princeton University and is currently an Assistant Professor at McGill University.

Hans Gelter, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor,
Senior Lecturer & Education Manager
Division of Media & Experience Production,
Department of Music & Media,
Luleå University of Technology

Hans Gelter, Ph.D. in Biology, holds a faculty position as Senior lecturer in Biology and education program coordinator for the Master's Program in Professional Experience Production at the Department of Music, Media and Experience Production, Luleå University of Technology, Sweden.

Hans teaches various subjects within the Experience Production Study Program, such as Hospitality, Interpretation, Guiding, Environmental and Outdoor Education, Experience Production, Creativity Management etc. He has previously been teaching Biology, Environmental and Outdoor Education at the Department of Teacher Education at Luleå University of Technology, and Genetics, Evolution and Ecology at Uppsala University.

Hans has experience as Nature Interpreter and Guide working with the Swedish company TEMA Resor on safaris in Tanzania, nature trekking in Greece, Madeira, the Austrian Mountains and in Nepal. Hans also runs a nature tourism company - Guide Natura - and is presently engaged in a validation/certification system for nature guides in Sweden.

Hans has participated in scientific expeditions on Greenland and along the Northern Russian Arctic coast as well as private nature tours in Northern Canada, the USA, across Europe, in Central Russia, Australia and New Zealand. He is a keen Mountaineer, having climbed on expeditions in the Alps, the Alai and the Himalayas. Hans is a member of the uArctic Network for Northern Tourism Researchers and the International Network on Polar Tourism Research.

Sonja Heinrich, Ph.D. - Teaching Fellow
School of Biology, Gatty Marine Laboratory

University of St Andrews

Sonja Heinrich studies sympatric ecology and conservation biology of marine mammals. She is currently a Teaching Fellow with the School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Scotland. More to come...

Santiago Imberti
Ornithologist

Santiago Imberti was born and raised in Patagonia, Argentina, which meant that wilderness was only a short step from his front door. A long lasting love for nature was the logical consequence of the years he lived there.

Santiago obtained a degree in tourism and ornithology, which allowed him to combine his love for nature and the outdoors with his work as a bird-watching and fly-fishing mountain guide. During the off-season Santiago continues his ornithology research focusing his attention on the birds of Patagonia and Bolivia. He also uses this time as an opportunity to travel around the world bush walking and birding, studying different bird communities and their surrounding environments. Santiago photographs and writes about the places he visits and his experiences as a guide, trying to convey in words and pictures some sense of the magic of nature. He has traveled to Antarctica many times. His articles and stories have been published in scientific journals and popular travel magazines.

Jeffrey Kavanaugh, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor
Department of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta

Through his research, Jeffrey Kavanaugh seeks to improve our understanding of glacial systems: how they flow and respond to forcings, how they interact with climate and sea level, how they archive past climates, and how they shape the landscape. His current research is focused on how mechanical conditions at the glacier bed are controlled by hydraulic conditions in the subglacial water system. Because the flow and stability characteristics of ice masses are strongly influenced by conditions at the base of the ice, this question is central to the understanding of many interesting aspects of glacier behavior, such as fast flow exhibited by surging glaciers and ice streams. Furthermore, a realistic representation of basal processes is necessary to improve the accuracy of ice sheet models. He uses a variety of techniques to investigate the interactions between hydrological and mechanical conditions at the glacier bed, ranging from developing and installing novel subglacial instruments to developing and analyzing numerical models.

Lee Narraway
Adventure Photographer

Lee Narraway spent her childhood exploring the wetlands, forests and lakes of Eastern Canada with her father, an outstanding naturalist and environmentalist. This ignited a passion and curiosity for the outdoors that continues to this day.

Lee received her first camera at ten years of age and soon discovered the joy of sharing her view of the world with others. She uses natural light and her ability to communicate with people to create unique environmental portraits. Her professional career is now focused on travel and adventure photography.

In her quest for outstanding images, Lee has skied, hiked, canoed, backpacked, and traveled by dog team, horseback, snow machine, helicopter, hot air balloon and icebreaker to remote and isolated parts of the world.

When she visited Canada's High Arctic, Lee became fascinated with its diversity and haunting beauty. Now, she strives to capture its mystery and magic on film by documenting the dramatic scenery, the wildlife and the evolving lifestyle and culture of the Inuit.

Based in White Lake, Ontario, this professional adventure photographer continues to travel the world, discovering wildlife, landscapes and characters through the lens of her camera. Her popular photography workshops have been taught in such diverse areas as Australia, Chile, Antarctica and the Arctic.

Scobie Pye
Polar Scientist & Historian

Scobie Pye is a research scientist with a Masters of Science degree from the University of Tasmania, Australia. Over the past 30 years much of his life has been spent in southern latitudes working with the British Antarctic Survey, and the Australian Antarctic Division and the University of Tasmania. He has spent four winters and seven summers on the island of South Georgia, two summers on the floating ice shelf station of Halley Bay in the Weddell Sea and two winters and nine summers on Australia’s Macquarie Island.

Scobie’s main scientific interests are focused on the conservation and management of Polar Regions. He has worked and traveled extensively in the northern latitudes. In 1978, Scobie was awarded the Fuchs Medal for outstanding service to the British Antarctic Survey.

Natalia Rybczynski, Ph.D.
Paleobiologist, Canadian Museum of Nature

Natalia Rybczynski is a paleobiologist at the Canadian Museum of Nature whose research interests include the evolution and biogeography of polar vertebrates. Her current field research program focuses on fossil deposits in the High Arctic. Paleoenvironmental reconstructions based on these deposits provide valuable evidence for climate change research and also a context for investigating vertebrate evolution. She and her students study fossil vertebrates using an interdisciplinary approach (e.g., stable isotopes, comparative anatomy and biomechanics) to better understand the evolutionary relationship between form, function and environmental change.

Natalia did her undergraduate studies at Carleton University and a M.Sc. at the University of Toronto. Her Ph.D. was completed at Duke University in 2003, and since then she has led multiple expeditions to the Canadian High Arctic, including the expedition in 2007 which led to the discovery of the “proto-pinniped” – Puijila – an ancient relative of the lineage that today includes the seal, sea lions and walrus.

Belinda Sawyer
Polar Educator

New Zealander Belinda Sawyer has extensive experience planning, organizing and leading expeditions to the world’s far-flung outposts. Belinda is a certified ship’s master, dive master, and has led many expeditions to the Antarctic continent and to extreme depth sites such as the RMS Titanic and the German battleship Bismarck. She is one of world’s deepest diving females having completed a dive to 16,500 ft. in 2005.

Belinda has spent over 10 seasons in Antarctica in a wide range of capacities including guide, naturalist, lecturer, environmental officer, logistics and safety specialist. She also promotes exploration and sustainable management of the world oceans through various education institutes.

Claudia Schröder-Adams, Ph.D. - Professor
Department of Earth Sciences, Carleton University

A Professor of Earth Sciences at Carleton University, Claudia Schröder-Adams teaches geology and paleontology courses including Dinosaurs, Earth’s Paleogeography, Basin Analysis and Field Geology. The Dinosaur course is one of the most popular courses at Carleton and led to the creation of the Vertebrate Paleontology Program in collaboration with the Canadian Museum of Nature. Her research focuses on basin analysis, stratigraphy, paleoceanography, micropaleontology, anoxic basins, estuaries and incised valleys and takes her to western Canada, Canada’s west coast, the Arctic and eastern Australia. She has participated in DSDP and ODP expeditions including Leg 119 to Prydz Bay, Antarctica.

As part of the Canadian GEM (Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals) program, Claudia is presently conducting a multi-year geological investigation assessing a number of sedimentary basins in both the Eastern and Western Arctic regions to produce a pan-Arctic biostratigraphic framework. Claudia has just completed a three year term on the National Science and Engineering Research Council Discovery Grant Selection Committee. She served as Chair of Carleton’s Earth Sciences Department from 2003 to 2006 and is active in several science outreach programs.

Claudia will provide a deep-time perspective of the Antarctic continent and its geological and associated ecological history. Students will review the evidence that has allowed us to infer the history of Antarctica from ancient times, with a focus on the evolution of terrestrial and marine ecosystems of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. Claudia has a passion for field-based teaching and her research and field work is an ideal combination for the SOI program.

Tim Straka
Education Program Director, Students on Ice

Tim Straka co-creates transformative learning experiences with students of all ages. Committed to environmental and civic education, he has taught at elementary, secondary and post-secondary levels across North America, in Central Europe, in Antarctica and the Arctic.

Tim’s interests range widely from philosophy, to eco-psychology, to bio-regionalism, and youth empowerment. He has worked with Outward Bound Canada, the YMCA of Greater Vancouver, the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, the Kawartha Outdoor Education Centre, Ontario’s Ministry of Education and several Canadian Parliamentarians. Tim is a member of the Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication, the Ontario College of Teachers and the Council of Outdoor Educators of Ontario.

Tim lives an active lifestyle. He enjoys skiing, paddling, swimming, biking, hucking frisbees and back-country travel. Tim is currently completing the construction of his home which will meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design/LEED™ for Homes Platinum Certification.

Tim earned a Master of Science degree in Environmental Studies from Lesley University, and undergraduate degrees in Outdoor and Experiential Education (Queen’s University) and Politics (Bishop’s University). He has worked full-time with Students on Ice since 2007.

Alex Taylor
Polar Educator

Alex Taylor’s Antarctic career kicked off in 1992 when he was hired by the British Antarctic Survey as a polar guide for a glaciology project in the shadow of Mt. Vinson. This led to dozens of other expeditions and soon to leading expeditions in the High Canadian Arctic. A love of the polar region’s incredible landscapes, wildlife, history and other-worldly experiences keeps him coming back to these remote locations year after year.

More than 10 seasons south in Antarctica have afforded Alex the privilege of visiting many parts of the continent working in support of science projects for the British Antarctic Survey and the United States Antarctic Program. He has also provided technical and safety support for television and films down south. Most notable were the two ship-based expeditions to film the award-winning feature “Shackleton’s Antarctic Adventure”.

Alex has a degree in Kinesiology from the University of Calgary, specializing in Outdoor Pursuits and Geography. He has climbed and traveled all over the world but the Canadian Rockies and the Canadian Arctic remain his favourite places on the planet.

Alex’s home base is in Canmore, Alberta. He has been working in the Rocky Mountain National Parks for over 23 years. His eclectic work life has always been focused on the wild outdoors and has included jobs as a wildland fire fighter, wildlife technician, weather station specialist, still photographer and videographer, to name a few. When not in Antarctica, Alex works as a back country project manager for Parks Canada in Lake Louise.

Niki Trudeau
Participant Coordinator, Students on Ice

Niki Trudeau holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics and is a graduate of the University of Ottawa's Bachelor of Education program. Her love for the outdoors began on paddling trips with her family in Algonquin Park. It was this passion for environmental awareness and outdoor adventures that brought Niki to Students on Ice in 2008.

As the SOI Participant Coordinator, Niki's ability to smoothly coordinate trip logistics and be the primary participant liaison is instrumental in making SOI expeditions successful. She manages the day-to-day operations of our field programs and provides support for expedition staff, educators, chaperones and student participants. As part of her work, Niki travels on Arctic and Antarctic expeditions. This immersion helps her understand the student and staff experience and provide support to all those hoping to participate in SOI expeditions.

Michel Valiquette
Expedition Videographer

Michel Valiquette is an experienced and accomplished producer of adventure and travel documentaries. He is the founder and owner of Valiquette Productions which is an independent production company based in Montréal, Québec. He has worked with Geoff Green on various film projects in the polar regions for the past 5 years and has traveled and documented Students on Ice expeditions in both the Arctic and Antarctica. Michel is an avid sailor and has also participated in the production and filming of many other expeditions, notably, “Mission Antarctique” a CBC/Radio-Canada production documenting a year-long expedition in Antarctica with Jean Lemire aboard the Sedna IV.