28 June, 2000

Wednesday, June 28, 2000

It's Been an Adventure!

I don't know where the time goes. It seems as though I had just met up with the Healy a few days ago. We are now sailing to Reykjavik, Iceland. We are due to arrive tomorrow morning at 8:00 A.M. GMT. My experience aboard the Healy has been very rewarding. I have had the opportunity to work beside energetic scientists who love their jobs and pass on their enthusiasm in their interactions with crew, fellow scientists, and the TEA teachers. Working with Drs. Lisa Clough and Larry Lawver has given me the itch to get back in school. Thanks for all of your patience and knowledge!

For the past week and a half, I have been trying to figure out a way to have this type of experience on a yearly basis. I had mentioned to Jay after our first few days of good weather that I usually experience good weather during my travels. Once again that perception has held true. We have had only a day of fog and rain, little wind, and mostly sunny skies. So, if there are any Arctic researchers that need a little good luck with the weather I am available, cheap. I have also enjoyed the time spent with the crew of the Healy. They have been great. Friendly, funny, helpful, and patient would be a few of the words to describe them. You could not ask for a better group to work with. Now, it is time to bring the experiences I have had into my classroom and help other teachers bring the excitement of the Arctic environment into theirs as well. All during the trip, my mind has been churning with ideas. Studies of sea ice, ice algae, biodiversity, weather, and coring are just a few of the areas my students and I will continue to explore in the next few years. Thanks to the TEA program, the National Science Foundation, and especially the TEAM Healy's coordinator Kelly Falkner, for making this all possible. Todd Hindman Anvil City Science Academy Nome Public School P.O. Box 931 Nome, Alaska 99762 mailto:thindman@nps.k12.ak.us http://school.nook.net/users/acsa/