Cristina Veresan
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Where in the world is Svalbard?

5/29/2014

16 Comments

 

When I got the call from National Geographic back in February that I had been chosen as a Grosvenor Teacher Fellow, it was quite a shock. I was congratulated on my selection and informed I would be exploring "the land of the ice bears." Wow, I thought, I am going to the Arctic! Then, "You will be on an expedition of Svalbard in June." After saying thank you repeatedly, crying uncontrollably and finally hanging up the phone, I looked at my laptop in front of me and promptly googled "Svalbard."

Where in the world is this region I have the opportunity to explore?

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Svalbard is an archipelago that has been part of the Kingdom of Norway since 1925, and the islands are about halfway between continental Norway and the North Pole in the Arctic Ocean. Svalbard compares in size to the state of West Virginia or the country of Scotland. About 60% of Svalbard is covered in ice, but there are areas of low-lying and very well-adapted vegetation. In fact, I can expect to see some exotic Arctic flowers since it will be the summer season.  

During my summer expedition, I can expect variable temperatures ranging from 30-50°F and a lot of daylight! Though some areas are untouched wildness, Svalbard has been used over the years by hunters, fishers, mining companies, and scientists and actually has the northernmost permanent settlements in the world. 
16 Comments
Maya
5/27/2014 07:38:35 am

This is wonderful! And by the way, what types of Arctic flowers would live there? I didn't even know any vegetation would be able to thrive there!

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Miss V
5/27/2014 07:56:53 am

I did not know that there were such beautiful plants and flowers there either, Maya! Apparently there are over 160 species of vascular plants, as well as non-vascular mosses, lichens, and algae. This site has some great images of wildflowers: http://cruise-handbook.npolar.no/en/svalbard/vegetation.html

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Isabelle G
5/27/2014 07:39:51 am

Miss Veresan I hope you have a great time in the Arctic! Please come back safe and tell us all about your trip to the Arctic and the animals you saw there! How will you get to Svalbard? And are you scared to get eaten by a fluffy polar bear? Have lots of fun and tell us about it all she you get back!
~Isabelle

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Isabelle G
5/27/2014 07:47:04 am

I hope you have a great trip Miss Veresan! Please come back safe and tell us about what you learned and what animals you saw and show us the pictures you took. How will you get to Svalbard? And are you scared to be eaten by a fluffy polar bear? I hope you come back safe so you can teach us more awesome things.

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Miss V
5/27/2014 08:40:34 am

Thanks, Isabelle! I will definitely be taking LOTS of pictures for you. I will begin my journey by a flight from Honolulu to Newark, NJ. I stay overnight then the next day I will fly to Oslo, Norway. From Oslo, I take a small plane flight to Svalbard, where I board the National Geographic Explorer!
It will be fun to observe the polar bears from the ship, but I do not want to see any while hiking. The number one priority of naturalists and other staff is to keep everyone safe! I will let you know what kind of safety measures they take.

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Rina Robin
5/27/2014 02:22:15 pm

Hi! I can't wait until I hear about your trip next year in 7th! I watched the news that you were on and you did an awesome job. What did you have to get for the trip? Do you have to wear a lot of layers of clothes? I hope you have fun and get some pictures to show us when you get back!😀

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Miss V
5/28/2014 03:52:40 am

Thanks, Rina! 7th grade science is going to be awesome! I promise to take a lot of pictures. In fact, I got a new camera for the trip. I also got a down parka, waterproof pants, long underwear, wool socks, fleece, a wool hat and gloves...need lots of layers! I also had to buy knee-high rubber boots which I will wear whenever I'm off the ship hiking.

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Jack F
8/4/2014 12:20:59 pm

That sounds like it's going to be really cold in the summer! I can't imagine how it's going to be in the winter.
And I didn't know that plants can even live in such a cold place!

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nicholas
8/4/2014 01:20:40 pm

how cold was the water

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John
8/4/2014 01:37:52 pm

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John
8/4/2014 01:37:23 pm

How cold was the water and how was the silvery and cloud water formed

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Kayla<3
8/5/2014 12:39:19 pm

Wow Ms.V it looks like you saw a lot of awesome and amazing things on your trip!!! Cute Polar Bears:)

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Sydney Goto
8/5/2014 04:11:04 pm

Looks like you had an awesome trip! Hope you had a lot of fun and talk to us more about your vacation trip.

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Angelo R
8/6/2014 10:13:18 am

I wish I went to the Arctic! I hope you had a lot of fun!

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Angelo
8/6/2014 10:16:11 am

Are you going to give us a quiz on your vacation?

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Kainalu
8/7/2014 02:08:54 pm

Awesome Ms.V I'm glad you got to experience your trip to the artic!!

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    This blog contains occasional dispatches from my science classroom and professional learning experiences. Thank you for reading!

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