Updated: Watch videos from The Changing Arctic Event! Over 80 people joined the Will Steger Foundation and partners for a thought-provoking conversation on The Changing Arctic on October 27th at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs.

Watch the Videos and read the recap

This weekend and into next week we will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of Will Steger's North Pole Expedition.  The reunion will be an opportunity to reminisce and remember their unbelievable journey and "...accomplishment; the first confirmed trek to reach the Pole without resupply, [which] was deemed by National Geographic "a landmark in polar exploration."  It is also, however, a sobering reminder that due to unpredictable Arctic ice conditions attributed to climate change, it would be very difficult for the North Pole expedition to be completed successfully today.

If you plan on visiting the Minnesota History Center's Family Day (May 15 from 12-4) dedicated to the North Pole Expedition Reunion, you will have the opportunity to learn more about the Arctic, how it is being impacted by climate change, and why it should be of concern.  If you are looking for more resources about the Arctic and climate change you can learn more through our Arctic Community Curriculum.  The Arctic Climate Impact Assessment report is also very comprehensive if you are looking to go more in depth.  Finally the NOAA Arctic Report Card is a great succinct update of the most recent environmental changes to the Arctic.

We spent our final day on our Alaska tour in Fairbanks exploring solutions to climate change. We toured the Permafrost Tunnel, originally built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to store vehicles outside of the extreme cold temperatures that define the interior of Alaska. Now, the tunnel is used primarily by engineers and arctic scientists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks to study permafrost. The tunnel temperature is consistently held at about zero and has a putrid smell from thousands of years of earth decomposing. Together with a group of about 16, including faith and environmental non-profit leaders from the Fairbanks community, we toured the tunnel and learned about the various layers of permafrost.

• Arctic Hare abound
• Chocolate eggs? Easter Bunny?
• Trivia Challenge - Who is Henry Cater? Send your research to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it