The Latest in Tundra Fashion
So....... Rob and Kelsey called from Barrow saying the grid frame arrived in Barrow. They picked it up at the Barrow airport and took it over to the smaller terminal that does the village flights.…
Scientists and Teachers from Alaska and the Lower 48
Today was a school day. I went to The Meade River School to collaborate with their teachers. I had two goals: to do ITEX outreach and create a partnership between my school and their school. So, I'm…
The Last One!
Today I learned three things in the tundra: 1. How to use an electric drill 2. How to piece together matted trail. 3. That oil is slimy. So, as you know, the NIMS grid frame has not shown up yet…
So we’ve been waiting for a grid frame to arrive from Michigan. The grid frame is for the NIMS (Network Info-Mechanical Systems) transect. The NIMS transect is a 50 meter by 2 meter transect that we…
I'm a little too tired to write a lot...feeling kind of sick lately. However, I did manage to pretty much finish the ITEX video today so I’m pretty happy about that...Yippee!!!!! Tomorrow I'll be…
Diet Pepsi
Shopping on the North Slope is not like home. There is no mall with a few hundred stores. In fact, in Barrow there is only one large store callled the Stuaqpak. It has groceries, electronics,…
Tussocks, Tussocks Everywhere
Today was by far the hardest day physically since arriving to the North Slope. We hiked over ten miles in the tundra and we are ALL exhausted! Jeremy fell asleep on the couch the moment we got home…
After the Wind Storm
After being cooped and getting a severe case of cabin fever, we ventured out today to assess the wind damage. We checked out our tent, which holds field supplies: hammer, nails, tags, bug dope (lots…
Today it is so windy that the wind slaps sand against your face so hard you can barely breathe...so today is a day to catch up on projects. We took Sergio to the airstrip. We have no idea how the…
Sergio Flies His KIte
Teachers at The Meade River School have been moving back to Atqasuk this weekend. Two teachers, Terry and Maryellen, wanted to join us so we brought them along into the tundra to show them what we do…
Sergio and His Book of Souvenirs
  I'd like to introduce you to the research team in Atqasuk. Jeremy’s nickname is Papasaurus. He’s the oldest grad student on my research team at the ripe old age of twenty-nine. He’s finishing his…
Eriophorium vaginatum and Mosquitoes
In Barrow, the plants average a couple of inches tall. In Atqasuk, the plants average over foot tall! The shrubs are huge and sprawl out all over the place! They have thick, woody branches. The …