Equipped with a climate change mad lib and storytelling finger puppets, Climate Science Alliance partner and Affiliated Artist Cynthia Matzke (Spiral Pacific) brought our Climate Kids activities to the Arctic for Inuit Tribal communities in Greenland and Canada. Climate Science Alliance staff helped tailor activities to the local Inuit stories of Sedna, or the Mother of the Sea. The kids learn about ocean ecosystems, climate science, and build underwater robots they test pilot in the shallow waters offshore. “The best part is what we learn from them,” Matzke beamed. “ I learned about different kinds of icebergs, what algae you could eat raw and which was best in soup, and even some new dance moves!”
Cynthia is part of a team of female polar explorers called Sedna, who has been doing this outreach and dive trip for 3 years. Cynthia is a scientist that creates STEAM based curricula and teaches for the UCSD Sally Ride Science Junior Academy, taking experiences from her research expeditions from the field into the classroom. While in the Arctic, the team engages in fun cultural exchange programs with youth from these remote communities. She shares her work in bioacoustics and love of soundscapes with the kids, as well as what it’s like to dive and film underwater.
Team Sedna brings up extra gear to take a few lucky students drysuit snorkeling. Two of the youngest team members are from Inuit communities and Cynthia described a highlight of her trip as taking them ice diving. “These are dynamic and highly competent young women - taking them ice diving in their local waters for the first time was an an honor. Their excitement was palpable.”
The Alliance is excited to collaborate with Cynthia to bring Climate Kids program to global communities.
To help support this program, donate to Matzke’s GoFundMe page here.
More information on the documentary project can be found at www.spiralpacific.org