FortWhyte Alive collaborated with the University of Manitoba’s Centre for Earth Observation Science to host the 18th annual Arctic Science Day in early March.
This day is a unique learning experience for students and teachers to learn about Arctic science and careers in climate change research and environmental sciences from real scientists.
At the in-person event, 140 students and their teachers explored a wide range of Arctic research topics including remote sensing technology and its real-world applications, marine mammal species and the threats they face from climate change and human activity, and ocean science concepts like ocean acidification and how carbon dioxide affects water chemistry.
They also learned how contaminants such as mercury move through food chains, examined ice core sampling and snow science, and explored Arctic microbiology and marine food webs, along with the impacts of oil on aquatic ecosystems and how differences in saltwater and freshwater density influence ocean processes.
A virtual learning option gives more students, including Northern classrooms, the opportunity to learn too.
“The most valuable part of the experience for my students was helping them to notice and wonder about the world through the lens of arctic research.” – Teacher at Arctic Science Day
Students also shared some insights into their learning experience:
“I learned there are so many different perspectives – hands-on and outside, using technology to collect data, photography, audio recording, etc. It’s really interesting to see how many ways there are to examine something!”
“I learned how drones can be used to study aquatic environments over time, and the different resolutions used (spatial, temporal, etc)”
“The most valuable part of today was to learn, perform, and observe different sides of science in cold weather,” and “I learned about careers in research – research seemed boring, not anymore.”
“The application of scientific concepts into real-life situations, and the lecturers clearly connected the relationship between humanity and the Arctic’s quality.”
A big thank you to the University of Manitoba’s Centre for Earth Observation Science, and Manitoba Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Council for providing the day’s workshops and helping us to inspire the next generation of environmental scientists.
Thanks to our generous sponsors, NSERC-Promoscience and Honda Canada Foundation for supporting this year’s Arctic Science Day.
