Notebook from the North

A few times in our Notebook wanderings of the Arctic so far, we have come across the creatures that live under water, but when we talk about narwhals, bowhead whales, salmon and chad, what really is the difference between these animals? Well, that’s what we’ll be finding out this week, when we look at what Read more

The news seems to be full of scientists lately. Scientists developing vaccines and trying to understand how COVID 19 is spread, scientists commenting on the extent and issues related to climate change, scientists finding gases on mars and discovering new species in the Amazon. What really is a scientific researcher though, and how do you Read more

In plog 11: The Inuit, I said I’d write some plogs about various indigenous groups in the Arctic. Well, it’s been a long time coming but here is the second in that series! This time we’re exploring the Evenki in Northern Russia, looking at their history, beliefs, stories and activism. I should of course mention Read more

The animal kingdom is an incredible place. It was once only enjoyed by those in the countryside or those who have gone out of their way to venture into nature and study the wildlife there. However, thanks to folks like David Attenborough who have made documentaries in recent years, we have all become more accustomed Read more

The animal spotlight this week is the wolverine! Though known best because of its namesake played by Hugh Jackman in Marvel Movies, this animal has quite the superpowers of it’s own without Hollywood’s help. A smallish brown fluffy creature, perhaps quite cuddly in appearance, these animals are powerful predators with some practical but potentially grisly Read more

Do you know who has the record for reaching the summit of Mount Everest the highest number of times? Some grand moustached Victorian gentleman explorer? Adrenaline junkie American climber? Austrian mountaineer? Nope, it’s Kami Rita, a Nepali Sherpa who has been to the top 24 times. In fact, the highest number of ascents by a Read more