Investigate climate change in the Arctic
| country: | Arctic Cruises, Canada |
| departures: | 2010: 16 Feb, 2 Mar |
| price: | From £1350 (11 days) excluding flights. We can help arrange flights |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
read 1 travellers review
the amazing things you'll be doing
In this inimitable Arctic landscape, you will take measurements at study plots extending from the tundra into the forest to monitor changes affecting the carbon stores in these peat-rich ecosystems. Summer and fall teams will use ground-penetrating radar, microclimate dataloggers, and soil coring to measure the permafrost and organic carbon stores. You'll also live-trap small mammals, sample trees and shrubs to evaluate their growth rings, and monitor plant development. February teams offer a unique opportunity to experience the edge of the Arctic in its most dramatic season: winter. Travelling by qamutik towed by snowmobiles, you'll classify ice crystals, measure snowpack thickness, density, hardness, and temperature. You can also build an igloo and sleep in it comfortably, even when the temperature outside is -30 or -40 degrees Celsius.
You'll be based at the Churchill Northern Studies Center, with dramatic scenery and a dome for watching the Arctic sky, and possibly the Northern Lights. You'll stay in dormitory rooms with up to eight beds in each, a quiet lounge for reading, and shared modern washroom facilities with hot showers, and meals provided by the Center's cafeteria.
7:45 am: Morning briefing, review of assignment progress, new assignments outlined
8:00 am: Breakfast and clean-up
8:45 am: Prepare for daily field program
9:00 am: Depart for field
12:00 pm: Lunch (at Churchill this will be taken at the CNSC)
1:00 pm: Depart for field if lunch was taken at a different location
2:30-5:00 pm: Return from field, begin laboratory work, data entry, etc.
5:30 pm: Dinner and clean-up
7:00 pm: Lab work, data entry, etc., optional field or lab/recreational activities/lectures
9:00 pm: Relax, read, socialize, go to bed, etc.
Morning and afternoon/evening schedules may be reversed depending on weather and project needs.
You'll be based at the Churchill Northern Studies Center, with dramatic scenery and a dome for watching the Arctic sky, and possibly the Northern Lights. You'll stay in dormitory rooms with up to eight beds in each, a quiet lounge for reading, and shared modern washroom facilities with hot showers, and meals provided by the Center's cafeteria.
a day in a life of a volunteer
7:45 am: Morning briefing, review of assignment progress, new assignments outlined
8:00 am: Breakfast and clean-up
8:45 am: Prepare for daily field program
9:00 am: Depart for field
12:00 pm: Lunch (at Churchill this will be taken at the CNSC)
1:00 pm: Depart for field if lunch was taken at a different location
2:30-5:00 pm: Return from field, begin laboratory work, data entry, etc.
5:30 pm: Dinner and clean-up
7:00 pm: Lab work, data entry, etc., optional field or lab/recreational activities/lectures
9:00 pm: Relax, read, socialize, go to bed, etc.
Morning and afternoon/evening schedules may be reversed depending on weather and project needs.
travellers' tales
The most memorable part of my holiday was lying down on the snow in the fresh air (-37) and watching the Northern Lights dancing all over the sky. (more)
volunteer travel - what's it all about?
Are you looking for an adventurous trip with a purpose, or on a gap year or career break? If you want to make a difference in some of the world’s most important conservation areas - and in community projects - then volunteer trips are for you! Volunteers tend to have a sense of adventure, and come from a range of different backgrounds and from all over the world. Edward Abbey said 'sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul'.
how this holiday makes a difference
|
This project has resulted in the establishment of a long-term environmental monitoring network to quantify the ecological impacts of climate change. Studies in the Churchill region are providing early-warning signs of global environmental change driven by climate change. The data from this project has contributed and will continue to contribute to global change-monitoring programs crucial for climate change assessment.
There is an environmental policy for this expedition and sustainable practices are implemented wherever possible. These include addressing issues of resources, waste, water, energy, biodiversity, together with adhering to ‘leave no trace’ principles. This project employs local people and supports the local economy. We are a not-for-profit international environmental organisation committed to conserving the diversity of life on earth and the world’s natural resources in order to meet the needs of current and future generations. On any one of our many projects around the world you are certainly not a tourist. You will be working as a field assistant helping world renowned scientists on real environmental projects, and learning about conservation issues. We give people the knowledge and the motivation to do something positive towards helping the environment, regardless of experience and background. The data that you will help to collect will be used to inform conservation decision makers around the world. Since 1971 our research has led to: We are aware that many people travel to their project by air and recognise the impact of this on the environment. In an effort to minimise this, we have teamed up with an organisation that offsets emissions from your flights by funding renewable energy, energy efficient and forest restoration projects around the world. As an environmental organisation, we recognise that our day-to-day operations have an impact on the local, regional and global environment. We have an environmental policy which outlines our commitment to continuous improvements in our environmental performance. We have developed an Environmental Management System based on the guidelines and standards set out in ISO14001 and the Global Reporting Initiative, in order to measure our performance against agreed targets to deliver our environmental policy. These include: paper usage, recycling, responsible travel, carbon offsetting, green energy providers and many more environmental and social principles that form a continuous thread throughout our whole operations. Main image courtesy of Peter Kershaw. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |