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Ground Squirrels can be spotted everywhere around Toolik Field Station on a daily basis. They come across our path as we walk to the lab, or the run across the boardwalk as we head out to the plots or tram site. Arctic ground squirrels can reach 500 to 900 grams in weight, which makes them the

Remote --- Just how remote is Siberia? Evidence of the Arctic's seclusion from the rest of the world is scattered as far as the eye can see. What arrives in Cherskiy, Russia, rarely leaves. Rusting metal sweeps the landscape in waves. Abandoned ships and aircrafts float down river. A cacophony

My last week in the Arctic has begun! Although I am sad, the team keeps me busy and I try to help out with whatever I can. Over the last few days we have collected Eriophorum vaginatum, or tussock flowers, also known as cotton grass. Steven Unger will be dissecting these flowers to search for

Permafrost is permanently frozen soil and you can find it underneath the entire North Slope of Alaska. It can be about 90-600 meters thick here, but near Toolik lake it is 200 meters thick. Permafrost thaws every summer and affects how deep roots can grow and therefore what kinds of plants can grow

The Arctic Circle: Where the Sun Never Sets --- June 21st marks the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Banners line the streets and music blares from nearby tents. In Cherskiy, Siberia, the solstice marks a time to celebrate the sun and fertility. Parties echo through the night, which

Toolik Lake is a kettle lake, which means it was formed by the melting of large blocks of buried glacier ice. It is 1.5km2 and at its deepest it is 25 meters. ## Two Food Webs Benthic The benthic zone is the lowest level of a body of water. In Toolik lake, diatoms, or photosynthetic algae, and

Collecting Data --- The meticulous collection of data is a critical component to any scientific inquiry. It is also potentially the most time consuming and logistically challenging element of any effective project. While the U.S. science team, as a whole, is examining boreal larch tree forests

Most caribou are further north, where they can raise their young away from the constant buzzing and biting of mosquitoes, but if we are lucky, we can spot a few lone caribou near Toolik. When it comes to antlers both the male and female caribou produce them. Males will shed them in October after the

PolarConnect, Toolik Farewell, and Next Steps Fairbanks, AK June 30, 2019 *** ####Video of the Day: Earlier this week, Dr. Rose Cory and I were able to present the work from this past month via internet livestream as a PolarTREC PolarConnect Event. Many thanks to PolarTREC for