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Leader’s Daily ARCHIVE To read the current Leader’s Daily -- Click Here
DATE: July 18
Hi everyone, it's Geoff Green here. As the director and expedition leader of Students on Ice, I look forward to sharing our upcoming Arctic Expedition with you! We are busy gearing up for our departure next Friday, July 22nd. Our international expedition team includes 64 students, 16 chaperones, and 20 scientists, experts, journalist, photographers, and two film crews! Each day beginning July 22nd, we'll be sharing our experiences via this website. Participants will be sending back daily journals, photos, expedition updates and much more. We would love to join us vicariously are armchair expeditions on what will surely a life-changing journey from Iceland to Greenland to Nunavut, Canada. The Arctic awaits.....
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DATE: July 21, 2005
Posted: 10:24 PM ET
The journey begins...
Our group of excited expeditioners began arriving to Ottawa, Canada today. Everyone made it in safe and sound. Over the next few days, our group will continue to grow as participants from across Canada, the US and around the world come together as one in Iceland on July 23rd.
Today in Ottawa, a number of the students were treated to a special visit at the head offices of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. See www.itk.ca. Eric Loring and some of the other ITK staff talked to the students about many of the important issues facing the Arctic and its people, such as Climate Change and POPS (Persistent Organic Pollutants). Thank you ITK for taking the time to host our group! We are also thrilled to have two ITK youth representatives joining our expedition, David Joanesie and Tommy Akulukjuk.
This evening we walked from the Radisson Hotel to the Ottawa Market for dinner at the "Peace Garden". This was not just any dinner. We were not only treated to a fantastic meal, but also a wonderful presentation by the World Harmony Run organization. See www.worldharmonyrun.org for more information. During the Students on Ice Arctic expedition we will be carrying the World Harmony torch from Iceland to Greenland to Canada! Thank you Diva and all the gang at the Peace Garden!
Then to conclude our first day, we walked back to the hotel past the Parliament Buildings just in time for the evening lightshow on Parliament Hill!
The journey continues on Friday as all fly to Boston and meet up with another 40 members of our group. Then its on to Iceland tomorrow night. Yeehoo... We're off!
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July 22, 2:45 pm
Today, everyone met up at the Ottawa Airport and the check in was completed without incident. The whole group was last seen chatting excitedly as they disappeared beyond the security gates on the first leg of the trip via Toronto then Boston. Most of the group will then be complete and it will be off to the glaciers and hot springs of Iceland.
All signs indicate that this is going to be another remarkable adventure with a group of exceptional youth.
Just back from the airport.
We look forward to Geoff's update tomorrow.
Stan and Sandy Green
P.S. Below is Geoff's entry from last night. Please also visit our journey update page for photographs as well
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DATE: July 22, 2005
Posted: 10:00 PM ET
Update:
Hello from Boston! It's been an epic day; our group has grown larger and we are set to take off at 9:30 for Reykjavik. It's been a long day so some sleep on the plane will be welcomed in preparation for the polar ventures ahead. Stay tuned for news of our arrival in Iceland.
Geoff
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Hello from Iceland to all SOI trip followers:
We arrived in Iceland at 6:30 a.m. It's bright and beautiful; 20 degrees celsius. We went straight to the buses and on to the Blue Lagoon which is geothermally heated. Fantastic! A great way to refresh after a long flight. In the Blue Lagoon meeting room we received out first lecture from Ari Trausti, Iceland's leading guide and geologist. He talked about how active and alive Iceland is geologically. During the ride from the airport, all the students noticed the volcanic terrain and the totally different landscape. Someone commented that it was like 'driving on the moon.' After the lecture, Diz Glithero gave an introduction to the Education Program.
The students have boarded buses for a tour of the capital region of Reykjavik and will return by 5:00 p.m. this afternoon for a safety drill, introductory briefing and dinner. Then, we'll set sail at 10:00 o'clock! Everyone is tired but excited and we are now officially Students on Iceland.
Geoff
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DATE: July 25, 2005
Posted: 8.15 PM ET
Hello All,
Another unbelievable day! Its 1030pm Iceland time. (6:30 pm ET Ottawa). The ship tonight is just buzzing with excitement and energy. It started with our morning arrival to the fishing village of Olavsvik. We spotted our first whale, a Minke, at about 730 am just before dropping anchor. Then after breakfast our adventures began, the highlight of which was our trip up to the Snaefellsness Glacier! A 4x4 bus picked up our first group around 900am to take us up the winding dirt round leading up and up and up from the village.
As we ascended the fog got heavier and heavier until we were in the clouds and visibility was very poor. After about 30 minutes of driving through the fog, we arrived to the end of the road and disembarked to find a very barren, cold and misty landscape. But we were here to see a glacier, so our intrepid group began to climb. And climb we did, for about 1 ½ hours! We had to be careful to keep the group together with the cloudy conditions, and then just when we were beginning to wonder if we were going to reach the glacier, the sun broke through, the clouds opened, and there we were standing at 1200 metres, on the glacier with the most breahtaking view of the rugged Iceland coast stretching far below us. There was a moment of silence to allow us to totally absorb what we were seeing. Wow! Our group hug at the base of the mountain had paid off! For the next 45 minutes, our geologists and glacialogists Fritz, Eric, Ingrid and Peter conducted some classrooms on ice, and taught the students about glaciers, snow and ice. We were officially Students on Ice today! So many lessons, and moments and awe inspiring things. This is what we call the greatest classroom on earth. You could really see the kid's spirits coming to life today. The seeds of transformation, and a reconnection with Nature being planted. And so much more. We also visited the village, some of the students were invited to tour a fish plant, others explored a waterfall, and others examined the Iceland architecture. At the end of the day, there were a lot of red, happy faces.
This evening we were joined by the two newest members of our group, Justin Trudeau and Sophie Gregoire. At our recap and briefing after dinner we welcomed them aboard, and then celebrated our incredible day with stories, impressions and reflections...It was a great way to wrap up, and also say farewell to Iceland, because this evening we begin our journey to Greenland. It is hard to believe that we've already been here three days! Three days our group will certainly never forget, and a great start to our expedition. Iceland's national newspaper even came to interview us and take photos of our group as we were getting set to depart. Tomorrow morning look for lots of photos and more journals about today from the students!!! In he meantime, here are some journals describing our day yesterday (see Daily Journal Updates) ... All the best to everyone following our journey.
Geoff Green
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Tuesday Jul;y 26
Hi All,
We're at sea this morning with very calm conditions and making excellent progress. Everyone had a good and needed rest last night. We're beginning the program this morning with a lecture from David Gray on "Birds of the Arctic". Lots of new journals and pictures for you.
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July 26, 2005
Time: Posted Wednesday July 27th at 2:20 PM ET
Middle of the Denmark Strait
To put it mildly, it was a whale of a day! An incredible day where one wonderful thing unfolded after another. We awoke to extremely calm seas and sunshine. With Iceland behind and Greenland ahead, this was our first official "Sea Day", which means an opportunity for lots of lectures, workshops, hands-on activities, time on deck, bird-watching and much more. Oh, and did I mention whale watching?!! Our first whale sighting was a 0730hrs, the next at 10:30hrs, then again, and again and again. We saw at
least 50 whales throughout the day including a Sperm whale, Fin whales, Minke whales, and dozens of Sei whales. However, without any doubt the highlight of our day was an encounter with the largest creature ever to live on our planet. a Blue whale!!!!!!! In fact, not just one but two! A mother and her calf. For the next hour and a half we shared space with these two magnificent animals. All the students were out on deck and the sense of awe and wonder in the air was palpable. We could hear and feel the whales as they exhaled and inhaled they were so close. Richard Sears, our whale expert, was like a kid in a candy store, and he explained to the students just how rare it was to see Blue whales. Indeed, this was the first sighting of a mother and calf in the Denmark Strait! In over 40 years at sea our Captain has only seen 5 Blue whales. Our team of Students on Ice saw two on their first day! In order to properly identify both the Blue whale, we put a Zodiac in the water to get close enough to get a good photo ID for the Blue whale catalogue. Diz, Richard and I approached slowly and were able to get some excellent shots which we'll now cross reference to see if these are Blue whales that have been ID'ed before, and if so where. Stay tuned.
Great lectures by David Gray on Arctic Birds, Peter Johnson on Coastlines, and Fritz on Ice and Glaciers filled the rest of the day, as well as several fantastic workshops on Weather, GPS navigation, Whale ID, and the Bottle Drop Project we are conducting to study ocean currents (more on that later).
At the end of the day, everyone was experiencing a state of euphoria. The positive energy charged through each of us, and our sense of being a team, a family grew because of what we had all just shared. Whales continued to appear all around the ship, even at our day's Re-cap and Briefing on the
stern deck, were the feeling of celebration was strong. A giant group hug, stories and impressions shared made it a great moment. Today we truly connected with the natural world. Let's hope some seeds were planted that will last a lifetime.
As though all that were not enough, our day concluded with a timely and very inspirational talk by Justin Trudeau after dinner. The power of Justin's talk and his impact on the students can be seen by reading some of the student journals sent this morning to the website. Amongst his many messages, was the power of every individual to make a difference in our world.
It is now 3:30pm on July 27th, and we are nearing the coast of Greenland in thick fog. David Gray's lecture this morning on the history of Greenland showed us that we are following the same path the Vikings took when they sailed from Iceland to Greenland. The seas have been a bit rougher this
afternoon (although still relatively quite calm) and some of the students have been experiencing their first bouts of sea-sickness. As we say, it is all part of the experience! We hope to enter Prins Christian Sound at the southern tip of Greenland early this evening, and possibly go ashore for our first steps on Greenland just after dinner! Stay tuned.
Geoff Green
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Date: Thursday, July 28th 2005
Time: 3:50 PM ET
Hello everyone!
Last night we arrived to Greenland. It was a dramatic arrival in the fog and mist. We spotted our first icebergs just as we entered Prins Christian Sund, which is a narrow but deep sound passing through the bottom tip of Greenland. Around 9:00pm we entered a small fjord and anchored in a protected cove. The Zodiacs were quickly launched and we spent the rest of the evening exploring the fjord!
At the top of the fjord two massive glaciers spilled down from the Greenland Icecap to reach the sea. We saw and heard some calvings as giant pieces of ice broke off the glacier wall. It was a magical evening of exploring a seldom visited corner of the world. We also had a close encounter with a few Bearded seals that were sleeping on some ice floes. By 11:30pm, we were all back on the ship, but the day did not end there. About 25 students and staff decided to celebrate their arrival to Greenland with a cold dip in Arctic waters! A midnight swim to join the Arctic Swim|Team!!
This morning we landed at a Viking ruin called Herjolfnaes near the southern tip of Greenland's Cape Farvell. We literally walked in the footsteps of the Vikings and explored this ancient settlement where the remains of their houses, a church and barn could be seen. We are presently sailing up the dramatic Tasermuit Fjord where we hope to make a landing this evening. It is a rainy day but the 2000 metre high cliffs surrounding us can be seen through the clouds. Lectures today have included one on the Vikings and Eric the Red by Carol, and one about Climate Change by John Streicker. All the students are doing great! The expedition spirit is growing by the day!
Our latitude is 60 20'4 North
Our longitude is 044 43'9 West
Geoff
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July 29th - Expedition Leader Update
Good morning from Nanortalik, Greenland where we arrived this morning at 8:00am. This is a small, colourful Greenlandic town of about 1,400 people. Upon our arrival this morning, the former headmaster of the local school, and present-day tour guide, came on board to tell us a bit about the history of the town, and the present day issues. Everyone is now off on a walking tour of Nanortalik. The highlights are sure to be the incredible museum they have here, and the Greenlandic choir that are going to sing for us in the church! We set sail at 1300hrs this after noon to travel northwest to the tiny uninhabited island named Uunnartoq. Here there are ancient hotspring pools built by the Inuit which we hope to bask in for a few hours while watching icebergs drift by….
But lets back up a bit to yesterday, which turned out to be an incredible day of discovery. It began with our early morning departure from Prins Christian Sund, and our arrival to the Viking ruin site Herjolfnaes. High winds meant that we had to anchor about 2 miles away from the site, which resulted in a long, wet and fun Zodiac ride. The site dates back to 985 when a small community of Vikings settled here. It would have been a strategic spot for trade and apparently the main Viking here was quite a businessman. We walked amongst the ruins of the old Church, barn, hall, as well as their earthen homes. The cold and misty weather definitely inspired respect and appreciation for the Vikings and the conditions they endured. It was great to see many of the students sitting off by themselves trying to absorb this place, the history, the surroundings… Today they stepped back in time…
In the afternoon we sailed up the famous Tasermuit Fjord. For years, I have wanted to go up this long and dramatic fjord, but never had the chance. Finally, yesterday we did it and it did not disappoint. In fact, it far exceeded all expectations. Near the end of the fjord, as we approached the Greenland Icecap, we came across two valleys stretching off to the east. Now I have been fortunate to see some of the most beautiful valleys and mountain ranges in the world, but this was truly a Lord of the Rings experience. Towering spires up to 2010 metres (ie Torres del Paine), hanging glaciers, waterfalls, raging rivers… But the most surprising and bewildering aspect was the incredibly lush vegetation. There were meadows, flowers, birds, mushrooms, lichens, mosses, junipers, and even trees! Big trees! The smells, the sounds, the power of this place was overwhelming. You might even say spiritual. Which may be why it called Monastery Valley, due to the ancient Viking monastery ruins found here. It is also aptly called the Garden of Eden of Greenland…
In small groups we spent over three hours exploring and hiking throughout the valley. Some groups became mountain climbers and reached the higher bluffs for a spectacular view of the valley, while others beach-combed, searched for the Viking ruins, and enjoyed interpretive talks from the staff. What a classroom! I think everyone at some point took a moment and realized they were in a very special place where few have been before. It was quite surreal…
Back on board for a late dinner, the atmosphere was again charged and vibrant. It is wonderful to see how this group of students and staff are really coming together. The sharing, the passion, the knowledge, the experiences, the friendships, the new ideas, perspectives and discussions….this is what Students on Ice is supposed to be all about… and this is what is happening before our eyes.
Stay tuned…. Geoff
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July 30, 2005 - We have just departed Arsuk, Greenland and are cruising up the west coast of Greenland in search of more whales. This morning's visit to the small community of Arsuk was a real highlight of our journey so far! The mayor of the colourful and friendly village of 170 people greeted us personally upon our arrival. We were taken on a walking tour (there are no cars here!), which included visits to the museum, church and around the many houses. Some of the intrepid hikers climbed up to the top of the ridge behind Arsuk for a panoramic view. Then we were all treated to a kayak demonstration by one of the local men. He showed us about 20 different types of rolls, and other very impressive manouevres. Apparently, he is known as one of the best kayakers in Greenland.
We were all surprised and humbled to find out what happened next! In the community hall, the people of Arsuk had prepared a huge feast of many traditional foods for us. There were samples of seal meat, Muskox, whale and fish, as well as coffee, tea, cakes and cookies. It was a wonderful atmosphere of cultures meeting and sharing. Our group of Students on Ice proved themselves to be excellent ambassadors, even staying behind to help clean up.
Before leaving, some of the students led by Ole, our Icelandic student, ran around the village carrying the World Harmony Torch. It was quite a sight to see our students running in their rubber boots with the torch flaming along! All for a great cause!!
We now bid farewell to Greenland and start our journey across the Davis Strait to the Canadian Arctic. This afternoon lecture and workshops are planned, as we turn our attentions back to the issue of Climate Change Impacts on the Arctic. Hope that you are all enjoying our daily journals.
Best regards,
Geoff
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