ONTARIO, OTTAWA--(Marketwire - Aug. 10, 2012) -
| When: | Monday, August 13, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. |
| Where: | Canadian Museum of Nature, 240 McLeod Street (at Metcalfe), Ottawa |
| What: | Media are invited to a celebration marking the return of participants for the 2012 Students on Ice (SOI) Arctic Expedition. Students on Ice is an award-winning organization that takes students, aged 14-18, on educational expeditions to the Arctic and the Antarctic. |
| Seventy-five students from Canada and seven other countries visited Baffin Island and Greenland by ship from July 30 to August 12. NOTE: As was reported extensively across the country, the journey was nearly cancelled as excessive ice in Iqaluit harbour prevented access to the expedition ship. Following a few extra days in the community, the Canadian Coast Guard rescued the expedition by ferrying students to the waiting vessel. | |
| Who: | The team of students was joined by scientists (three from the Canadian Museum of Nature), historians, artists, explorers, educators, and polar experts. They learned about the natural history, human history and environmental challenges of these Arctic regions. |
| Highlights included the dramatic unplanned shuttle by the Canadian Coast Guard, sightings of iconic Arctic wildlife including polar bears, visits to remote Inuit communities such as Qikiqtarjuaq, beautiful hikes in isolated areas, an Arctic swim and a voyage across the Davis Strait to visit communities and landscapes in Greenland. | |
| The Welcome Home event will include videos and photos from the expedition, an Inuit throat-singing performance and the opportunity to meet and interview students who participated on the journey. | |
| Remarks by: | |
| -Margaret Beckel, President and CEO of the Canadian Museum of Nature | |
| -Geoff Green, Expedition Leader and Founder of Students on Ice | |
| -Students and experts who participated in the expedition |
Contact Information:
Mark Brooks
Students on Ice Expeditions
819-827-3300
Toll-free: 1-866-336-6423
mark@studentsonice.com
www.studentsonice.com/arctic2012
Dan Smythe
Canadian Museum of Nature
613-566-4781
Toll-free: 1-800-263-4433
dsmythe@mus-nature.ca
www.nature.ca
Students on Ice Expeditions
819-827-3300
Toll-free: 1-866-336-6423
mark@studentsonice.com
www.studentsonice.com/arctic2012
Dan Smythe
Canadian Museum of Nature
613-566-4781
Toll-free: 1-800-263-4433
dsmythe@mus-nature.ca
www.nature.ca