Journal Entry

Excited, anxious, awed, humbled, proud, nervous, and energized are just a few of the feelings I have experienced in less than 24 hours of my PolarTREC orientation in Fairbanks, Alaska. The teachers, organizers, researchers, technology and logistics support personnel who have assembled are quite the group. These are clearly people who are engaged in their profession and always striving to explore and create positive experiences for their students, regardless of age. It reminds me what it is like to be on the other side of teaching. Students are often feeling these same emotions at school as they are exposed to something new- the tables have turned, for the time being I am once again a student. I am reminded of the importance of speed and repetition of concepts, of experiencing and applying new skills, and most importantly of asking questions.

Within my short time in Alaska I have already envisioned numerous things I want to share with my students. Their excitement as I left school on Friday was contagious, they shared with me these few tid-bits:

  • Take lots of pictures
  • Stay warm
  • Have fun
  • Look for the northern lights
  • Discover a new organism (and name it after yourself...or us!)

These are all words of advice I have taken to heart. They will get to experience the things I do via my stories and lessons; it's a part of my responsibility to relay it in a meaningful way, and I can't wait to start sharing with them.

What are some aspects of the Arctic, Alaska, expedition life, microbes or other topics you would like to know more about?

Toolik Field Station (1)Photo by Josh Dugat (PolarTREC 2010), Courtesy of ARCUS

Here's a glimpse of Toolik Field Station where I will be this summer.

Comments

Mon, 02/10/2014 - 16:41

Susan Steiner

From reading your journal, I can see you really understand how your students feel when learning really begins!

Mon, 02/10/2014 - 17:41

Guest

I am so excited that you will be writing a journal and we will be able to share in your adventures! I'm wondering about how many hours of darkness vs. hours of light there are in Fairbanks in February. When it is light, is the sun above the horizon?

Mon, 02/10/2014 - 22:07

Lauren Watel

Hi Sandy,
In general during this week the sun rises around 9:00am and sets at
around 5:00pm. However the amount of daylight is increasing quickly, in
the 10 days I am up here the total amount of daylight will increase by
over an hour! From 7hrs 45min to 8hrs 53min. There is still dawn and
dusk, but it doesn't seem to linger like it does in the summer. If it is
light out, the sun is in the sky or very near the horizon.

As a fun aspect I was able to see the green flash at sunset on the 9th.
The sun sets much slower, and the flash is slightly longer than it is
when at lower latitudes.

Tue, 02/11/2014 - 05:11

Guest

That is more sunlight than I had expected! The green flash! Must have been clear at the horizon that evening! Any aurora borealis yet?

Tue, 02/11/2014 - 19:02

Guest

I was so surprised when I heard you were in Alaska already! You will have such an interesting experience. I will be excited to read your journal each day. Someone told me you had sent a picture of yourself with frozen nose hairs. I'm afraid our old bones could not bear up with such cold temps! Don'T forget to wear your ear muffs and leggings. Love you lots GGd and GGlee.

Fri, 02/14/2014 - 22:05

Guest

I can see from the photo that your camp is surrounded by tundra. I remember walking on the tundra. It felt like walking on sponges.
I wonder what land animals you will see next summer. Will large herds of caribou come by? Will you see any wolves or foxes? Do they have musk ox up there? I have never seen them. What do the polar bears do in the summer when the sea ice melts? Don't they come on land to have their cubs?

Do you know if the lake has any fish? I remember seeing grayling in the lakes. I think they are related to trout and taste about the same. I wonder if they eat the mosquitoes.