Friday, August 3, 2007

Hello Readers,

Today was the first full day that I spent with Students On Ice and I am not in the least disappointed! We had a very full day; after we woke up (at 6:30 a.m.!!!) we had no time to sit around! Our first stop was the Canadian Museum of Nature. We had the privilege to be shown around thousands of specimens, fossils and artifacts that are not open to the public. We saw and learnt about everything from the process of finding DNA to diamonds that have not been removed from their ore. It was a fantastic learning experience! The museum later held host to an IPY (International Polar Years) and Students On Ice kickoff celebration with respected guests such as the Chinese Ambassador and many other influential politicians and businessmen.

After a tasty 100-mile lunch (all food comes from within 100 miles) we hopped on the buses and headed down to Parliament Hill for a tour of the Center Block (the main parliament building). It has been a while since I have been to Parliament and with every stunning archway, magnificent dome, and exquisite sculpture came a sense of pride at being Canadian! It is quite spectacular. Following the wonderful and educational tour we headed back to Carleton to spend the rest of the evening there. The last thing I would like to mention about today is that at the end of this evening we had our first formal lecture. A representative of the CSA (Canadian Space Agency) talked about the connections between Earth and Mars and the importance of satellites for GPS and telecommunications and how they can be used to study issues like Climate Change.

Another day down, tomorrow we set sail from Churchill, Manitoba!

Keep on reading as the days progress!

Thank You

Connor