Adventure Life is honored to donate $2,000 to support Hearts in the Ice, an ambitious project headed by Hilde Fålun Strøm and Sunniva Sorby. Hilde, from Norway, and Sunniva, from Canada, will be spending 9 months in the high Arctic of Svalbard, Norway. They will serve as citizen scientists, collecting data for Arctic research relating to climate change, and their main goal is to initiate social engagement around the environmental changes occurring in the polar regions.
Hilde and Sunniva will be the first women to winter alone in the Arctic, living in a historic trappers' cabin called Bamsebu. Bamsebu is 140 km from the nearest hub of civilization, with no electricity or running water, and 90 days of their 9-month stay will be spent in total darkness in the heart of the Arctic winter.
The project will be sourcing supplies with as minimal packaging as possible, utilizing solar and wind power, and testing a variety of sustainable and innovative technologies, including the use of electric snowmobiles.
With 46 years of combined experience working in the Arctic and Antarctic, Hilde and Sunniva have observed the impact of climate change first-hand. With the Hearts in the Ice project, they aim to create a platform for global dialogue around climate change, centered on the poles and how the changes in these environments have consequences for the entire globe. They encourage everyone to get involved in their own way, whether it be by donating to the project, sharing the message and starting conversations, or learning how to reduce their individual carbon footprint.
Hilde and Sunniva will be broadcasting their experience via satellite, publishing on their social media platforms, and regularly engaging in video chats with classrooms around the world.
Read more about Hilde and Sunniva and the mission of the Hearts in the Ice project here.
TrustScore 4.8 | 174 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 174 reviews on
1 day ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.