How many days are there between the flowerings of bilberry plants until their berries are fully ripen? Is this number of days the same in the Arctic as it is in central Europe? When do the leaves fall off the trees in the autumn? Does this occur at the same time from south to north in Europe?

This webinar is part two in a series of webinars about PHENOLOGY, which is the study of how plants and animals time their life events to the rhythms of the seasons. In the first part, I introduced you to phenology. In this webinar, I will tell you about the phenology of plants, with emphasize on species that you and your pupils have observed in the EDU-ARCTIC Monitoring System. In later webinars, we will also look at insects and birds. Please gather your pupils for these lectures, and let us explore your data for phenology patterns!

Presenter: Paul Eric Aspholm

When will the dandelion flower this year and when will the different birds arrive? The study of phenology is how plants and animals time their life events so that it follows the rhythms of the seasons. Some of the phenomena of phenology we observe, like the first bird singing in the spring, happen the same time of the year – often nearly at the same date. How is this possible?

In this webinar, I will introduce you to phenology. It is part of a series. In later webinars, I will tell you about the specific phenology of birds, plants and insects. In the final parts of the series, I will use some of the data that you and your pupils have collected in the EDU-ARCTIC Monitoring System. Please gather your pupils for these lectures, and let us explore your data for phenology patterns!

Presenter: Paul Eric Aspholm

We are proud and excited to announce our MONITORING SYSTEM MOBILE APPLICATION is ready for downloading on smartphones/tablets.

Both registered teachers and other users are welcome to use it. You will be able to add photos from your observations and submit reports directly from you mobile device or on portal, as before. However the main idea is to encourage STUDENTS to report from their locations (home, during holidays etc.). They will be able to add photos, gain EDU-COINS, and exchange them for unique prizes: backpacks, photo albums, jigsaws, magnets, wallpapers. Encourage your students to use it – and participate in test phase till the end of February.

Please note that, as was also suggested during EDUCATORS’ FORA, we added 2 new plants for reporting, more suitable for southern regions of Europe: dandelion and black alder.

Are you wondering what a polar station might look like? Is it big? What's inside? Where does electricity and water come from? What facilities are needed to conduct environmental monitoring in the Arctic? What happens, for example, in a hydrochemical laboratory? How does it look - a place where some people spend more than a year of their life, living, working and ... having no other place to go to? If you want to know the answers to these questions - this lesson is for you! I invite you for a virtual walk around the Hornsund - Polish Polar Station, during which you will see how does the "home" and “office” of the polar explorers look. We will also find out what monitoring is carried out at the station and in what way. Join a live lesson broadcasted from Hornsund - Polish Polar Station on Spitsbergen!

Presenter: Anna Nadolna

Heraclitus said "Panta rhei", which means "all flows" but... did he mean also the Arctic?

When you think about this distant polar region, you probably think about glaciers, ice and snow. What about rivers or lakes? Are there any?

Yes, there are! Meet some Great Arctic Rivers and learn whether water is freezing or flowing in the Arctic. We will have a closer look on how does the work of a hydrologist look like at the Polish Polar Station. Students will learn what is a catchment and discharge, and how to measure how much water flows in a river.

Also - do you know what Winnie the Pooh, buckets and oranges have to do with streams and work of hydrologists? Find out during a live lesson broadcasted from Hornsund - Polish Polar Station on Spitsbergen!

Presenter: Anna Nadolna

This guest webinar will be conducted by Assoc. Prof. Michał Łuszczuk from Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Poland.

During the meeting we will try to discover why the Arctic can be recognized as a laboratory of contemporary international relations. To answer this question we will analyze the development of global significance of the region over the centuries, however, our special attention will be focused on the current situation in the first decades of the 21st century. We will discuss then: who, why and what for is engaged in the Arctic affairs, and to what extant this region is unique from the perspective of political sciences and International Relations studies.

Presenter: Michał Łuszczuk

Discover the extraordinary inhabitants of the far north and learn about their amazing properties, allowing them to survive in this harsh, cold environment. Meet true unicorns, musk-scented buddies of mammoths, record travellers, ice bugs and many other fantastic creatures. And where can they be found? Of course - in the Arctic!

Presenter: Anna Wielgopolan

A tsunami is a rare geohazard, but all areas by a coast can be affected by a tsunami triggered by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions or perhaps landslides. What is a tsunami and what causes a tsunami to happen? How can we be more safe with these natural hazards?

Presenter: Lis Mortensen

12 April is the International Day of Human Space Flight and May the 4th is the International Space Day. To celebrate the two we present a short lecture by Julian Podgórski from IGF PAS. Its topic is space rocks and explains the meaning of words such as meteor, planetoid or meteorite.

In Norway, ptarmigan hunting is a strong and old tradition that brings great nature and social experiences, money to rural communities and food to the table. The hunting season lasts from early September to the end in March, so it is carried out in both spectacular autumn colours and in intensively cold snow. Experience ptarmigan hunting with me in this webinar, from the planning to the dinner!

Presenter: Jo Jorem Aarseth

Is it possible to buy a trip to the Arctic or the Antarctic, and visit the research station? How about "sightseeing" or "booking a room"?

During the lesson we focus on some topics concerning tourism in polar regions - how many people visit those areas every year, and how is tourist traffic service organised in both Polish research stations - Polish Antarctic Station "Arctowski" and Polish Polar Station Hornsund.

Presenter: Dagmara Bożek-Andryszczak