Thursday, June 17. 2010
Beyond Magazine!
 |
Kobalenko is featured in the May/June edition of Above & Beyond
Magazine.
The article titled "Axel Heiberg Island" chronicles the
history, wildlife and landscape of the third-largest uninhabited island
in the world!
To
download the article, please click here.
Jerry
will be joining us on our Greenland & Wild Labrador Expedition. For
more information on how you can join our Greenland & Wild
Labrador Expedition, please click here or email Sheryl at sheryl@adventurecanada.com
To
find out more about Jerry Kobalenko, the man of many talents, please click here.
Evening of Art from Algonquin Park
with DrawnonwardPlease join us at the historic
Steamwhistle Roundhouse to help raise some money to send kids to
summer camps across Canada. Drawnonward (and some friends) will be
showing work from Algonquin Park and the North. A portion of the
proceeds will go to the Taylor Statten Camping Bursary Fund. It
should be a fun night of art, camp stories and a few drinks. ONE
NIGHT ONLY.
When:
Thursday, 27 May 2010 at 18:30
Where:Steamwhistle
Roundhouse. 255 Bremner Blvd (near the CN tower)
Price: $10 entrance + cash bar
Walrus Magazine is Nominated for the National Magazine Awards
The Walrus magazine is proud to announce today that it has received thirty-three
nominations in 2009's National Magazine Awards, the most of any
publication in Canada. Our contributors were nominated across several
categories, and included twenty-three written, seven visual, two
integrated, and one special nomination. The winners will be announced at
the thirty-third annual National Magazine Awards gala on June 4, 2010
in Toronto.
"We are very proud of being the most-nominated
publication, but even more proud of the writers, journalists, and
artists who have been nominated," said Co-Publisher Shelley Ambrose. "We
are delighted that The Walrus continues to provide a venue for these
distinct Canadian voices to be heard."
The Walrus is no stranger
to success at the National Magazine Awards. In 2006, The Walrus was
named Magazine of the Year, and since 2003, the magazine has won
thirty-eight gold awards-most recently in categories like Humour, Art
Direction for a Single Magazine, Words & Pictures, Arts &
Entertainment, Politics & Public Interest, Best New Writer, Fiction,
Illustration and Personal Journalism.
Interested in joining the
2010 Walrus Magazine Expedition - Greenland & Wild Labrador? Click here to find out more
information or email Sheryl at sheryl@adventurecanada.com
Change Creates New Hybrids
 |
thousands of years, continental-sized barriers of sea ice have
separated
various
species of marine mammals, but Brendan P. Kelly, a marine biologist
with
International
Arctic Research Center at University of Alaska in Fairbanks,
suggests that as this summer ice melts away for good, these
species
will have to go to great lengths to survive, including creating new
hybrid
species.
Examples
of this kind of interbreeding, which is more possible between marine
mammals than among some other species are already accumulating, said
Kelly,
who has been documenting the evidence.
Recent
examples have occurred in the Canadian Arctic, including the 2006
discovery
of
a "Pizzly" or "Grolar" Bear in the wild - made possible by
warmer
climates and an extended ice-free season that have brought the
Grizzly
bear
into northern territories and forced Polar Bears to spend more
time
on land. Other recent examples have included a Narwhal/Beluga and
Harp/Hooded
seal
hybrids.
"We
may hang on to a lot of polar bear genes, they'll just be hidden in
the
grizzly
bear population. They'll still be bears- but they won't be the
polar
bears
we have known," Kelly said.
On
Adventure Canada's Into the Northwest Passage voyage in 2009, they
encountered
several
Grizzly Bears in Bathurst Inlet, Nunavut, an area also
known
for Polar Bears.
Join us on our Into the Northwest Passage: August
14-28,2010 by emailing Loretta at loretta@adventurecanada.com
New Fish Species Found in Greenland!
 |
Thirty-eight odd new fish
species have been spotted off the coast of Greenland.
Ten of the species new to
Greenland are new to science too. All 38
were discovered since the last such survey in 1992.
Rising ocean
temperatures due to global warming-which could be drawing unfamiliar
fishes to the region-and increased deep-sea fishing may be responsible
for the spike in fresh fish faces seen off Greenland, according to the
study, published in February in the journal Zootaxa.
Click here for images and
descriptions about some of the new species, please click here.
our Greenland & Wild Labrador Expedition. For more information, please click here or email Sheryl
at sheryl@adventurecanada.com
- Book And Pay By April 30th
more info!
Book by April 30thand
save 5% 
on
our Arctic Questand Greenland & Wild Labrador Expeditions.
Your Arctic Quest will begin in
Kangerlussuaq, Greenland as we set sail down one of the country's
largest fjords, crossing the Arctic Circle. Join us as we voyage to the
wilder places of Greenland & North Baffin Island as we visit the
Greenland icecap in Ilulissat, meet with our local hosts in Clyde River
and Pond Inlet and marvel at the sheer bird cliffs of Bylot Island.
Our journey to Greenland & Wild Labrador
will let us experience true wilderness and open spaces of the Greenland
& Labrador coasts. Beginning in Ilulissat, amidst its many icebergs
we set out on a southerly route visiting Greenland's Capital, Nuuk
before crossing the border into Canada. We'll visit the Inuit regions
of Nunavik and Nunatsiavut and have our breath taken away by two amazing
national parks - Mealy Mountains and Gros Morne.
Learn more about our Arctic Quest by clicking
here or email your questions to Matthew James at matt.james@adventurecanada.com.
Expedition, please click here or email Sheryl at sheryl@adventurecanada.com
Fe: 400 Years Young
What do Georgia O'Keeffe, Ansel Adams and Jeff Bridges have
in common? All are legendary artists inspired by the unique landscapes
of New
Mexico and Santa Fe - the only American city to be designated by UNESCO
as a creative city.
400 years ago, settlers from Spain realized
the potential
here and made their way north from Mexico to settle in the Rio Grande
watershed. Joining the rich Puebloan culture that had resided here for
over 1000
years, they built a city, dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi and older
than the
New England colonies.
Anglos like me have stumbled on this
utopia - breathtaking
scenery, exquisite cuisine, art and music - all a rich blend of
southwestern
hospitality. Join me on the Santa Fe Trail for a taste of it all and
help
celebrate our 400th Birthday!
Carol
Heppenstall
Tour Director
For more information on our Sante Fe: 400 Years
Young, an intimate small-group guided experience with Carol
Heppenstall, please click here.
Hike Gros Morne Before Exploring the Gulf of St. Lawrence!
Maritime Explorer: Islands of the Gulf
Adventure Canada is excited to now be offering an optional
pre-embarkation day tour to hike in the beautiful Gros Morne National
Park!
It has been said that: 'Gros Morne is to geology what the
Galapagos are
to biology.' A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the landscape is one of
spectacular landlocked, freshwater fjords and glacier-scoured headlands
in an ocean setting.
Departing on September 24, our day will be spent exploring this
outstanding
environment. We will have the opportunity to visit the tablelands,
where we can view one of the world's best examples of the process of
plate tectonics. Those looking to stretch their legs can enjoy a
lengthy hike to the coast and be rewarded with spectacular cliff top
views. The two dominating landscapes, coastal lowland and alpine
plateau provide habitat for an array of flora and fauna: moose, woodland
caribou and giant Arctic hare, as well as over 30 species of wild
orchids. We can find boreal, arctic and temperate species all in one
compact geographic region. All of this diversity and a stunning
backdrop to boot, Gros Morne is a place to be appreciated.
please click here or email Matthew James matt.james@adventurecanada.com
Quest: Bowhead Whales of Isabella Bay
Imagine yourself on the bow of the
ship and everywhere you look, you can see the magnificent and
awe-inspiring
bowhead whale. That was what passengers on the 2008 Baffin Expedition
were lucky
enough to experience.
Adventure Canada's newly announced
2010 Arctic Quest will be re-visiting Isabella Bay enroute to the tiny
community of Clyde River.
Isabella Bay is a pristine late
summer and fall feeding and resting stop-over for a large proportion of
the
threatened Davis Strait-Baffin Bay bowhead whale population. Isabella
Bay (or
Nigingnaniq) was designated a National Wildlife Area in 2008 and is a
336,000
hectre marine region on Baffin Island that is a crucial feeding area for
threatened
bowhead whales. The area includes two deep offshore troughs that are
rich in
copepods, a main source of food for the 18 metre long, 70 tonne bowhead
whale. As we sail through beautiful Isabella
Bay, you'll want to be on deck as we hope to catch a glimpse of these
massive
marine mammals.
For more information on our Arctic Quest Expedition,
please click here or email Matthew James at matt.james@adventurecanada.com
Share your
experiences - email Rebecca at Rebecca@adventurecanada.comto have your story
included in AC's monthly newsletters.
Thursday, April 1. 2010
CTV News with Cedar Bradley-Swan and Michelle Valberg
Friday, March 26. 2010
Save 20% on our Scotland to Spitsbergen program!
Book by April 9th and save 20% of our first Arctic sailing of the summer. An adventure that explores the wild side of Europe, our Scotland to Spitsbergen
itinerary calls in at the remote islands of the North Atlantic: St. Kilda, the Faroes, Jan Mayen and of course Spitsbergen. Lovers of natural history and landscape will be drawn to the wild shores that are home to bird colonies, marine mammals, polar bears, volcanoes, jagged cliffs, fjords and the midnight sun.
Bring a Friend to the Galapagos!
savings of 15%
When you and a friend book on our October 2010 or March 2011 Galapagos departures you both save 15%! A land of plenty, the Galapagos
is a must see for any nature lover. Swim with sea turtles and penguins, dance with the blue footed booby, kayak with sea lions, gaze at the mighty Albatross and the Magnificent
Frigate as they soar above you. With wetsuits, snorkeling equipment, kayaks and good company are provided, all you need is a sense of adventure!
For more information on either of our Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands tours, please click here or email your questions to Loretta loretta@adventurecanada.com
Why not extend your stay and pay a visit to the awe inspiring site of Machu Picchu? For more information please click here.
Mush Mush! By Carol Heppenstall
T
he makings of a perfect vacation: beautiful weather; exciting programs; great food and yes great company! Such was the case on our recent voyage to Whitehorse for the Yukon Quest.
Debbie and Fred Last did an excellent job as resource hosts, particularly opening their beautiful ranch - Windy Ridge - for our final dinner a la bar b qued char!
Highlights included Sam McGee's cabin, searching through the archives for gold diggers and Pierre Burton's relatives. The day at Frank Turner's (22 time winner of the Quest) Muk Tuk Kennels where after brief instruction our four teams raced to the Yukon River and mushed for three hours! It was exhilarating to say the least and kudos goes to Mary Hunter, long time Adventure Canada traveller, who had her own team! The mushers' banquet included great food and the stories of
all 22 Quest teams. The race is 1000 miles in length and there were high and low moments for everyone. My favorite part was the awarding of steaks to the winning dogs who loved being on stage with their leader, Hans Gatt. And did I mention alpaca hobnobbing?
The Yukon is a magnificent place to visit and I for one want to return perhaps to capture the fall colour or another Yukon Quest. Sandra introduced us to Haiku poetry and we all wrote feverously all week. Here is the winner:
Waiting for the glow
In the dark and cold we pace
Finally, its here.
By Mike Holloway
Check out my blog for a taste of the Yukon!
PS thanks for a fabulous Birthday party folks!
Carol is guiding two other intimate departures to the Arctic this summer:
Silent Messengers
Santa Fe: 400 Years Young
Climate Change and the Musk Oxen
Musk oxen once were plentiful across the entire Northern Hemisphere, but they now exist almost solely in Greenland and Canada's high Arctic. A dramatic decline in populations began about 12,000 years ago and was often credited to human hunting patterns. However a new study, by international scientists, suggests that the decline was due to a warming climate rather than to human hunting. This is the first study to use ancient musk oxen DNA collected from across the animal's former geographic range to test for human impacts on musk oxen populations. The late Pleistocene period was marked by rapid environmental change as well as the beginning of the spread of humans across the Northern Hemisphere. The team has studied the genetic diversity and population decline of a number of species and concludes that because of the wide-ranging fluctuations between species,
changes in the arctic environment are much more likely to account for fluctuations in populations as each species will adapt to climate changes in different ways.
For more information on this study please click here.
Interested in seeing musk oxen? Head to the Arctic one of our three Arctic Expeditions:
Arctic Quest
Tusaqtuut project makes Tides Top Ten List!
Many of your will remember the dynamic Meeka Mike and her
passion for preserving and encouraging the use of Inuit Traditional Knowledge. Her ongoing project, Tusaqtuut, has caught the attention of Tides Canada, an organization that promotes opportunities for people in Canada and around the world to escape poverty, strengthen their communities and live on a healthy planet. Each year Tides Canada selects ten organizations
that are making enormous inroads in building a more just and sustainable world.
The Tusuatuut project documents indigenous Inuit knowledge by working together with the last generation of traditionally-raised elders and works to enable Nunavut youth to regain and
retain their sense of identity, heritage and responsibilities. Meeka and her father Jamasee were special guests on our 2008 High Arctic Adventure.
Travel with our cultural ambassadors on any of our 2010 Arctic programming and gain a greater understanding and appreciation for the Inuit culture.View our 2010 Canada and the North Brochure online.
Would you like a paper
copy? Send your mailing address to info@adventurecanada.com