12 March 2020 April 2020 Alaska Arctic Trip Officially Cancelled

THIS Time - There WILL Be Another Time

As expected, the National Science Foundation, PolarTREC, and The Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS) have officially canceled my participation in the April 2020 Arctic science expedition. The Office of Naval Research and University of Washington Polar Science Center are not behind in officially cancelling too.

Science Continues

It was interesting to learn that the important science WILL continue as the director of the International Arctic BuoyA float moored in water or ice to mark a location, warn of danger, or indicate a navigational channel. Programme, Dr. Ignatius Rigor will be able to ship the built buoys to Utqiagvik. Dr. Rigor has long standing strong relationships with people in Utqiagvik who have helped him and his team deploy buoys in the recent years. So, with lots of specific instructions, he plans to crate the buoys and ship them soon, so they can take them out via snowmobiles out 20-40km on the sea ice to deploy them before the ice melts. It's really neat to me that the local people can contribute so much to the science of collecting such important weather and current condition data in the Arctic Ocean.

Headed to the Arctic Circle Sometime

I am confident that a science expedition to the Arctic WILL happen with the International Arctic BuoyA float moored in water or ice to mark a location, warn of danger, or indicate a navigational channel. Programme in the next 18 months. It may not be to the Alaska. The Arctic Circle is huge and there are so many possibilities including Canada, Greenland, and more. I AM part of the team and will continue to be part of the team. So, stay tuned for what's to come.

In the meantime, laying low under shelter in place orders from the county and state government trying not to become part of the problem as an unintentional vector of covid-19. Moved everything I need for a couple months out of my office in the Third Street Center and am now set up at home. Thankfully my house has a sunny south facing porch that is blocked from the wind - it may become my favorite new office space.

Covid or Corvid?

And for some much needed levity in case you haven't already seen this on my social media channels (twitter: @WildRoseEducate; instagram: wild_rose_education; facebook: Wild Rose Education):

I've been googling Covid-19 too much and sometimes I accidentally type in corvid as well and have seen so many pics of really cool birds. Thought I would share some of these really cool corvids. Here are only 16 of the 120 corvid species around the world.