Dr Glenn Sheehan (Senior Scientist, Barrow Arctic Science Consortium, BASC) showing NPRB members around the excellent new science facilities at BASC (photo courtesy of Eric Olsen)
Last week, I participated in an historic meeting of the North Pacific Research Board in Barrow. This was the first time that the Board has meet in a rural location in Alaska and only the second time the Board had met outside Anchorage. Barrow was an ideal location for the meeting as one of the key topics discussed during the meeting was the development of a new Arctic research initiative in partnership with Arctic industries, communities and other research organizations such as the National Science Foundation.
Dr Cynthia Suchman, NPRB Executive Director, welcoming community participants in an evening meeting with the NPRB
(photo courtesy of Eric Olsen)
In addition to the usual Board business, we were also able to engage with a diverse group of stakeholders in Arctic research and education. One of the most memorable presentations we received was from the North Slope Borough School District Superintendent, Peggy Cowan, who outlined the remarkable steps the District is taking to link science literacy with Inupiat culture. While in Barrow, NPRB staff also presented a series of lessons to local students.
Board members inspecting coastal erosion at Point Barrow - the rate of change in the Barrow coastline is accelerating (photo courtesy of Eric Olsen)
Overall, Board members greatly appreciated the opportunity to learn from Barrow residents and to assess first hand what is happening in the Arctic - it was pleasing to see how that meeting immediately informed Board decisions on Arctic research (see http://www.nprb.org/). It will be fascinating to observe the impact of NPRB research on Arctic science and on resource use in the Arctic in the decades ahead.
No comments:
Post a Comment