Whistler teens-and the wider community-will have a chance to hear first-hand what it's like to be an explorer and citizen scientist in the Arctic.
On Wednesday, May 6, at 12 p.m., Sunniva Sorby, who lives in Squamish, and Hilde FŒlun Str¿m from Norway, will take part in a live video chat, hosted by the Whistler Public Library, LUNA, and the Whistler Youth Centre.
The pair-whose project is called Hearts in the Ice-has spent the last nine months in a rustic cabin (read: no running water, internet, or even electricity) in the high Arctic of Svalbard, Norway-with their nearest neighbour 140 kilometres away-collecting data for everyone from NASA to The Scripps Institute of Oceanography, BCIT, and the University Institute of Svalbard, to name just a few of the organizations.
"Us collecting data for nine months in a row is almost unheard of up here for these scientists, which is why it's so interesting to them for us to be collecting this data," Sorby told The Squamish Chief over satellite phone last October. "They're going to have information they can measure over a long period of time."
They were set to return home in mid-May, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, their trip is expected to be extended. Throughout their stay, the pair has been connecting with schools to share their stories and bring awareness to how climate change has impacted the Arctic.
They have a brief window next week during which they are travelling to a neighbouring town to restock supplies when they can connect over video with Whistler kids and take some of their questions.
If you would like to ask a question, you can submit it by the end of day on Tuesday, May 5, at www.sli.do/ and use the event code Svalbard.
To join the livestream on May 6, visit youtube.com/c/Exploringbytheseatofyourpants/live.
You can also learn more about Hearts in the Ice and contribute to their efforts at gofundme.com/f/hiti-embrace-the-planet-project.
