Nature Museum goes North

By Emily Fearon

Centretown residents got an intro to the Arctic recently, and it wasn’t from the cold winter weather.

The Jan. 26 screening of the documentary Arctic Greenhouse at the Canadian Museum of Nature was a tease for the next day’s symposium on Arctic biodiversity.

At the symposium the next day, researchers and speakers presented their findings on the topic. According to Athena Tzivanopoulos, a University of Ottawa student who attended the event, it was a full house.

Tzivanopoulos, who has a specialization in environmental sustainability for her master’s degree,  said that it’s good to be aware of what’s going on in Canada’s northern region. She added that knowing what could be harmful to the environment is important: “The small actions that we do could have huge implications.”

The museum has other upcoming Arctic-themed activities for its visitors. As announced last fall, a new permanent exhibit on the North will be unveiled in June as part of Canada’s 150th anniversary celebrations.

In another wing of the museum, there will be an interactive hub that allows visitors to follow an Arctic expedition being conducted in celebration of the sesquicentennial.

The expedition, called Canada C3, will be a 150-day sailing voyage around Canada’s coastline to mark Canada’s milestone year. The hub at the Museum of Nature will open one month before the voyage departs from Toronto on June 1. It is one of 11 interactive sites across the country that will showcase the trip.

C3, a reference to Canada’s three coastlines, is put on by the Students on Ice Foundation that facilitates trips to polar regions for students each year.

In addition to C3, Students on Ice is running its yearly expedition. Students between the ages of 14 and 24 are able to apply online for this opportunity.

Joining the crew and C3 team, any Canadian can apply to participate in one of the legs of the trip around Canada’s coast. Peter Wall, who works on the C3 team, said applications are expected to open by Feb.15.

Wall said the hope is for lots of community engagement when the ship lands, which it will be doing in 50 communities in the 150 days.

“It’s really a remarkable trip,” he said. “We’re really trying to bring the rest of the country along with us as we literally circle the country.”

“Through a trip like this, even if you’re not on the trip, residents of Centretown kind of come along for the ride,” Wall said.

“Through our website, through our social media channels, they can hopefully experience a little bit of some of what it’s like in these incredible places.”