For the past two years, 50,000 researchers from more than 60 nations have been exploring the Poles as part of the 4th International Polar Year, risking frostbite and falling into crevasses in order to gather Nature’s secrets. They’ve studied polar bears and penguins, glaciers and the Southern Ocean surrounding the Antarctic.
We’ve brought together some of those researchers to share their personal stories of adventure and research, supported by dramatic new high-definition video and authentic artifacts, such as the clothing worn to protect against the cold.
Speakers tentatively scheduled to present at Polar Palooza include:
Tessa Vance
Tessa is an ice core scientist, recently returned from a 2-month expedition to Law Dome, inland from Australia’s Casey Station – the only woman on a 7 man crew.
Martin Riddle
Martin was the Chief Scientist of the 2007 cruise aboard the RV Aurora Australis, voyage leader of Australia’s contribution to the Census of Antarctic Marine Life.
Rob King
Rob is an expert on krill, the small creature that is the all-important link in the Antarctic food chain, food for penguins, seals and giant whales and an indicator of the health of the Southern Ocean.
Jackie Richter-Menge
Jackie is a researcher of Arctic sea-ice, changing faster than anyone anticipated, and co-leader of America’s first IPY research project.
Mike Castellini
Mike is a seal scientist, penguin enthusiast, and veteran of more than 15 expeditions to both the Arctic and Antarctic.
Richard Glenn
Richard is an Inupiat whaling captain, professional geologist, drummer in an Eskimo dance group and an amateur rock band. Living in Barrow, Alaska, northernmost community in the USA, he’s been experiencing climate change every day.
After each presentation there’ll be plenty of time for questions and answers and a chance to interact with some of Earth’s most extreme explorers. (With luck, some of the younger members of the audience will be the polar explorers of the next generation!) Check out the when and where...