Dr Naomi Holmes (Senior Lecturer in Biogeography and
Palaeoecology) is off to Norway for a five week expedition with the
charity British Exploring. Naomi is the Chief Scientist of the Arctic Finnmark
expedition. The expedition is based in Finnmark, near to the Øksfjordjøkelen
glacier. The expedition will comprise over 50 explorers, who, along with the
Chief Leader, mountain leaders, science leaders, two Doctors and ten trainee
leaders and their mentor, will spend their summer exploring and investigating
the Arctic environment. All the training is now complete, including an
induction weekend, winter skills training, meeting the explorers, and a wilderness
first aid course.
British Exploring is a charity whose objective is ‘to
advance the education of young people by providing inspirational and
challenging scientific expeditions to remote, wild environments and so promote
the development of their confidence, teamwork, leadership and spirit of
adventure and exploration.’ (http://britishexploring.org/AboutUs.aspx). British
Exploring have a scientific enquiry model based around the idea of ‘science
with purpose’, which will hopefully inspire the explorers and encourage them to
continue with scientific exploration in the future.
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British Exploring Scientific Enquiry Model: Science with Purpose(Source: http://britishexploring.org/ParentsTeachers/ScientificresearchandFieldwork.aspx) |
While in Norway the explorers will carry out a number of
interesting science projects investigating many aspects of the varied glacial
environment in which they will be based. The weather during the expedition will
be monitored using Kestrel weather stations kindly loaned by the Royal
Meteorological Society. Projects will be undertaken on the glaciers (weather
dependent), meltwater streams and lakes. A local Tern population will
be the focus of an ornithological investigation, while vegetation distribution
will be mapped. The impact of the expedition on the vegetation and soils (e.g.,
erosion) will also be recorded.
For more information about British Exploring please see http://www.britishexploring.org/
