Why are scientific expeditions carried out? What happens during an expedition and what kinds of demands do conditions in the field make on researchers? What are the results of these expeditions? These questions are explored and explained through reportage, blogs and images at the current exhibition at ICEHOTEL. The material will be on display until the end of the season, in the middle of April.
“As a tourist resort it’s very rewarding to participate in this kind of context, not least because of the link with climate research– something which we also actively work with through our own environmental goals. We offer much more than our popular snow-scooter tours and luxury meals,” says Petra Wadlund Lindh, Project Leader at the well-known ICEHOTEL, which was recently chosen as the "Best Experience in Sweden" by French, German, British, Dutch and Italian tour operators.
The research projects touch on everything from cloud formation and foxes in the Arctic to climate research in the Antarctic.
“The Polar Year has created great possibilities to reach the general public with information about my research on Arctic foxes and the ecosystem in the Arctic. The positive responses I received via my expedition blog and the interest shown by the general public has been very inspiring for my work as a researcher. I really hope that the networks that have been created between researchers and the public during the International Polar Year can continue in the future to benefit research in the arctic regions,” says Tomas Meijer, researcher at the Stockholm University’s Department of Zoology.
“An important part of the Polar Year has been the active dissemination of the results of the research to the general public via exhibitions, seminars, the internet and now film. We hope that the film inspires and helps create greater understanding for the polar regions and for the research itself. Our long-term goal is to inspire the next generation of polar researchers,” says Hanna Zetterberg Struwe, information officer for the Swedish Committee for the International Polar Year and the Swedish Research Council.
The researchers’ documentary material has been assembled in an eight-minute long film in which polar research and polar environments are illustrated via image, music and the spoken word. The film is being shown in a special film theatre at ICEHOTEL from 12pm, on 23rd January 2009.
See the film here: http://www.su.se/english/research/2.439/sweden_and_polar_research
Information about the expeditions: http://www.su.se/english/research/expeditions/
Read one of the expedition blogs: http://isss08.wordpress.com/
For further information contact:
Petra Wadlund Lindh, Project Leader ICEHOTEL, tel: +46 (0)980-66 859, mobile: +46 (0)70-668 03 58, e-mail petra@icehotel.com,
Linda Carlsson, Project Leader Stockholm University, tel: +46 (0)8-16 22 56, mobile: +46 (0)737-45 71 79, e-mail: linda.carlsson@kommunikation.su.se
Hanna Zetterberg Struwe, Information Officer The Swedish Committee for the International Polar Year, tel: +46 (0)8-546 442 39, e-mail: hanna.zetterberg-struwe@vr.se.
For images contact: Stockholm University Press Office, e-mail press@su.se or tel: +46 (0)8-16 40 90
The producers would like to give a special thanks to the participants in the expeditions during the International Polar Year, the Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat, the Swedish Museum of Natural History, ICEHOTEL and Fred Goldberg.