Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 08/15/2010 - 17:32
Forums
Tundra Plants in a Changing Climate

Hey, My name is Alondra, and i go to St. Mark; my question is, What has been your favorite experience while you've been there?

Mon, 08/16/2010 - 00:56

Anonymous

Hi Alondra! My favorite experience so far....hmmmm...I don't know...there's so many!Of course, being six feet away from a polar bear yesterday was really cool. Driving an ATV for the first time was fun and scary! Talking with scientists is so awesome. Every single sunset is truly amazing. Then there was the first time I walked on the tundra. I will never forget that experience!
The truth is that there have been soooooooooooooomany experiences that I have loved and then there's been the hard ones that teach you stuff about yourself and the world around you. This entire summer has been a life-changing experience: from Costa Rica, to Nantucket, to Katmai, to Barrow and Atqasuk. I now love plants and like to stop and look at every single one (if that were only possible). It's interesting how once you have a name for something (like a plant) it has a special meaning to you. When I first arrived, I just walked on the plants without thinking about them other than that they looked different than the plants I saw in Costa Rica. Now, I know a lot of their names and I almost don't want to walk out in the field because I don't want to destroy Dactylina arctica, Ranunculus nivalis or any of my other favorite plants. They're special to me now because they have names other than "yellow flower" or "that weird-looking thing over there."
I hope this answers your question and I hope to hear more from you soon!
Keri

Thu, 08/26/2010 - 16:43

Anonymous

6 feet away from a polar bear? yikes. i'd probably faint. (;were you scared? (:

Fri, 08/27/2010 - 17:16

Keri Rodgers

Um, I wouldn't say I was scared...at least not that time. I was scared, though, when I was out on the Point in the evening with some friends because I realized I couldn't get away if I needed to.