On March 3, 1990, a team of six men from six different countries and their 42 sled dogs completed the first-ever dogsled crossing of the Antarctic continent. The 1990 International Trans-Antarctica Expedition, led by Minnesotan Will Steger, travelled 3,741 miles in seven months, enduring temperatures as low as -54F and winds as high as 100 mph. In early December 2010, the team will gather for the first time in 20 years to reflect on their journey and its impact, felt around the world by both lawmakers and school children.

We invite you to join us at these public events:

• Free public forum - Perspectives on Climate Change, featuring China team member and scientist, Dr. Qin Dahe and University of Minnesota's Associate Professor Elizabeth Wilson. Dr. Qin Dahe is a well-known glaciologist, climatologist and a research fellow with the Chinese Academy of Sciences as well as the former Administrator of the China Meteorological Administration. Dr. Wilson spent 2009-2010 as a guest professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China researching energy and environmental policy issues. Details: Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, Cowles Auditorium, December 10th, 7 pm. Click here for more details.

• Expedition Reunion Event - Team members representing France, UK, China, Japan, Russia and the US will share their stories and video clips from the expedition at a public event on Saturday, December 11th from 3-5 p.m. The event will be held at Anne Simley Theater at Hamline University, 1536 Hewitt Avenue, St. Paul. Tickets are available at The North Face Stores in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The tickets are free; a donation of $5 for students and $10 for adults is suggested. Click here for more details.

The landmark expedition could not be replicated today: not only have dogs been banned from Antarctica, but the Larsen A and B Ice Shelves, on which the team travelled for a month, no longer exist, its demise a major indication of the impacts of climate change.

The impacts the team has made on a global scale are monumental. Following the expedition, the team members met with the heads of state in France, China, Russia, Japan and the US, calling for the ratification of the 1961 Antarctic Treaty; the Treaty involves 39 countries that cooperatively manage Antarctica for scientific purposes only. The team and sled dog "Sam" met with President and Mrs. Bush at the White House on March 27, 1990. In 1991, the Treaty was ratified, protecting Antarctica from oil and mineral exploration and preserving it for science.

In 2007, team member Dr. Qin Dahe of China shared the Nobel Peace Prize with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for his work on climate change. Dr. Qin's scientific contributions were largely based on the ice core samples he took across the entire Antarctic continent during the expedition.

Frenchman Jean-Louis Etienne and Minnesotan Will Steger both have committed themselves to raise awareness about climate change, informing citizens through expeditions and public speaking on how they can make a difference. Locally, Will Steger established the Will Steger Foundation to educate, inspire, and empower people to engage in climate change solutions. UK team member Geoff Somers has worked with numerous polar expeditions and lectured widely. Dr. Victor Boyarsky of Russia heads the Arctic and Antarctic Museum in St. Petersburg and has led numerous expeditions in the Arctic. Japanese team member Keizo Funatsu runs Silver Cloud Kennel in Alaska and has competed several times in the Iditarod Sled Dog Race.

As a result of the success of the expedition's adventure learning program, the Will Steger Foundation has incorporated the successes of this early online learning model into our nationally recognized climate change education programming. The courage, tenacity, perseverance and commitment to education that defined this expedition are core values of the Will Steger Foundation today.

"The Trans-Antarctica Expedition had a huge impact on my teaching style ," explains Louise Huffman, a teacher from Illinois, and past presenter at the Will Steger Foundation Summer Institute for Climate Change Education. "The expedition was truly interdisciplinary; students experienced the interplay between social studies, art, math and history. Also, I was inspired by working with the Antarctic scientists and was able to bring more energy to my teaching."

The educational program, which relied on the early computer networks of Prodigy, CompuServe, Minitel and Apple (as the internet was not yet available to the public), reached 25 million children worldwide. The team received letters, cards, handmade books and drawings from schools around the world, including rural communities in China and even the Australian Outback.

"Wherever I go," explained Will Steger, "I meet people who were affected by the expedition. Many of them followed the expedition in elementary school. Now that they are parents, they are teaching their children about global cooperation and the importance of working together to solve problems like climate change."

The expedition was the focus of four hour-long ABC-TV specials which won the station a National Sports Emmy Award. It was featured in the November 1990 issue of National Geographic Magazine. Jazz great Grover Washington wrote a song and dedicated his 1990 national concert tour to the expedition, called Protecting the Dream. Major sponsors Target Stores, The North Face and Gore-Tex launched an expedition exhibit in an 18-wheeled truck that travelled the country, providing armchair explorers a "vicarious" experience.

When the team reached the South Pole they shared this message with the world, still very relevant today:

"The 1990s will be a decade of global change, demanding a new way of thinking and renewed commitment to action. For the first time in history, there is hope for world peace, and yet the planet is threatened by an imminent environmental disaster. This generation must reverse the tide of destruction and strive to preserve the future. As we learned anew in crossing Antarctica, the only limit to achievement is the limit you place on your dreams. As you seek your own way in the world, look beyond personal gain to your responsibility as stewards of the Earth. Let your vision be guided by hope, your path be adventurous, and the power of your thought be directed toward the betterment of tomorrow." International Trans-Antarctica Expedition Team Statement

The following 24 dogs have been selected for an intensive training for the 2007 Baffin Island Expedition. At the end of our training phase, 20 of these dogs will be chosen to continue with us on the expedition. Each one brings its own unique personality to share. Some are shy while others are outgoing and playful. Some are noisy and eager on trail. Others sit down in the snow and grab a nap anytime the sled is stopped. Some of these dogs have traveled to the Arctic on previous adventures while others have spent all of their lives in Minnesota. Some have worked for the U.S. Forest Service hauling lumber and supplies across the frozen lakes of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Others have run in races in Minnesota, Montana, and Canada. Check out the dog bios below to get to know each our canine friends!

	Bones is a tough, strong 8-year old from original Steger Polar Husky blood lines. He has numerous expeditions under his belt and has a beautiful blond coat that keeps him super warm on cold northern nights. His favorite pastimes are pulling hard and eating.
	Bullet is a 3-year old 65 pound grey village husky who was born in northern Canada on the coast of Hudson Bay. He is curious and has a winning personality and a very expressive voice. Bullet makes many friends in the dog yard as he is easy to get along with and loves to play.
	Carlos is 3 years old and also from original Steger blood lines. He is a handsome, grey, wolfish-looking dog. Weighing in at 90 pounds, he pulls hard and also has the brains to go with his good looks.
	Cilantro is 2.5 years old He is 60 pounds worth of hard-pulling sled dog. He starts to dance on his hind legs when he knows mealtime has arrived. This enthusiastic Alaskan husky has two brothers trying out for the team as well: Thyme and Basil. Cilantro is showing promise as a fast moving leader.
	Didgi is 2 years old and mottled brown and white. He is named for an Australian native instrument, the didgeridoo since he has a playful sing-song bark. He is a pure- bred Canadian Husky from the coast of Hudson Bay and loves attention from people.
	Frankenstein (Frankie) is a 7 year old and a three-time Iditarod veteran. This brown Alaskan Husky is no stranger to hard work and long trips. He has recently been spending time up in front of the team in lead and is friendly but shy. At 60 pounds, he is smaller for an expedition dog but tough and you will hear his big excited bark at feeding time.
	Jake is a classic-looking Canadian Husky. He is a 70-pound strong man who has white fur with striking black spots on his face and ears. He is motivated to do any task set in front of him. Break out the harness and he is raring to go.
	Jimmy is a very big dog with a very big head. He is 4 years old and pulls like a horse. He is a very enthusiastic fellow who really digs in on the uphills. In the dog yard, however, this guy knows how to relax and definitely appreciates a good belly rub.
	Jones is a 10 year-old veteran of many short and long dog races. He is 50 percent Canadian Husky and 50 percent Alaskan Husky. He was the lead dog on the championship team in the 2005 Hudson Bay Quest. He has been a trusted lead dog for years and is someone you want on your team when the going gets tough. He is 64 pounds and tough as nails. He has pulled a sled over 25,000 miles in his life time.
	Nyla is a beautiful 5 year-old Polar Husky who is proving to have the confidence and drive to stay out in front of the team as a lead dog. She is very responsive and affectionate towards people. Her warm, white coat is thick and she has tough feet that will keep her happily running across Baffin Island this winter should she make the team.
	Pepe is a leggy 9 year-old polar husky who enjoys running with his brother Rudy. He has traveled far and wide, including traversing Ellesmere Island with a pack on his back. He is enthusiastic about anything that is put in front of him (especially his food dish!). He is social and is always ready to play with his neighbors in the dog yard.
	Sasha is a strong, muscled 5 year-old white husky whose bark you will not forget (he seems to be saying "hubba hubba hubba!"). He is an amazingly strong athlete with a strikingly nice coat. Sasha resembles his father, Tuvik.
	Simma is an affectionate 5 year-old Canadian Husky from northern Manitoba whose color and shape make her resemble another famous animal that lives in Canada, the polar bear. Simma has amazed her trainers with her work ethic and rise to athleticism this season. She's tough and strict and keeps her younger running partners in line.
	Skid is a 2 year-old Canadian Husky whose first experiences with pulling a sled were not typical of a dog who is now one of the hardest-pulling dogs in the yard. He got his name by pulling back on his neckline and skidding on his paws for his first few runs until he figured it out and he started pulling . He is grey and white and weighs in at 65 pounds.
	Sonny is a 3 year-old white Polar Husky whose mother, Nyla, is also in the running for the Baffin Island teams. He is a very mellow, 70-pound dog who amazes us with his pulling prowess. He is shy when you first meet him but warms up fast and becomes very affectionate.
	Sparky is a 3 year-old pure bred Canadian Husky whose sleek black coat and white markings make him an eye-catching addition to the team. He is small and weighs 60 pounds but has lots of personality to round him out. He enjoys playing with his buddy, Denali, in the dog yard.
	Teekona is an older dog with previous experience running in lead. He is an explorer at heart, and sometimes abandons the trail to chase down a chipmunk or squirrel. Tall and strong, he can set the pace for the rest of the team. He is a mellow personality in the dog yard but enjoys attention, often letting out a low happy groan when his back gets scratched.
	Tuvik is a 7 year-old Greenlandic Husky who has traditional Inuit-bred genetic lines. Perhaps the hardest-pulling dog in the yard, he revs up the team by barking and being the first to rise and jump in his harness after a break. Tuvik approaches everything in his life with exuberance and could teach us all a lesson or two about enjoying life.

• Stetson family camp out
• Waiting outside Iglulik
• Nelson mining for ice

• Jones (lead) - 10 year veteran
• Whisper (lead) - On loan from Jamie Nelson
• Changing tent partners

• 20 mile day, absolute minimum
• "Dogs are what makes it possible"
• Stay tuned for more on Stetson's dogs