Heading North

I leave tomorrow for three weeks in Svalbard in the Norwegian Arctic, serving as lecturer aboard the National Geographic Explorer.  Word has it that they have been seeing large numbers of polar bears on the ice this year, despite the dramatic reduction of icepack throughout the Arctic ecosystem. It will be great to see bears again, and to better understand how they are adapting to changing conditions.

I will try and post pictures and comments from the field, but – surprise, surprise –  internet access is apparently pretty challenging at 80 degrees north. (Maybe that’s a good thing…)  In any case, I will certainly post whenever I can, or else I will save my comments until I reach more hospitable latitudes.

For those of you roasting in the brutal summer heat : I wish I could bring you home a massive chunk of ice… Stay safe.