—Bruce Batt, Ph.D.

Images of sea ice, glaciers, permafrost, bitter cold, and vast, barren landscapes all come to mind when most of us think of the Arctic. It is indeed bitterly cold and seemingly desolate most of the year. Beyond the Arctic Circle, the sun doesn't rise for months during the northern winter, when fierce winds and cold will freeze bare skin in seconds. But for many who cherish untamed wilderness, spectacular vistas, and the mysteries of life in such daunting extremes, the Arctic has a captivating appeal.

The best way to see the Arctic at a realistic scale is by aircraft. It is simply enormous, and there are no roads. From the air, one is immediately impressed by how vast and barren most of the land looks. The only trees are pressed flat against the ground, and rocky landscapes prevail. Glaciers abound in mountainous areas. But at the right places and times, arctic landscapes come alive with masses of migrating caribou moving between summer and winter habitats. There are magnificent coastlines that are home to spectacular concentrations of nesting sea birds that feed in the productive Arctic Ocean waters. The ocean also provides rich food resources for seals, walruses, polar bears, and whales, especially belugas.

The Arctic is a land of enormous seasonal contrasts. Caribou, musk ox, and polar bears are the iconic wildlife, but a closer look during the short summer, with 24 hours of daylight, exposes areas of spectacular productivity by plants, insects, smaller mammals, and migratory birds. Waterfowl are well represented, as more than 20 species nest in the Far North and produce young that populate North America's flyways. These include the tundra swan, greater and lesser snow geese, Atlantic and Pacific brant, white-fronted geese, emperor geese, cackling geese, and Ross's geese. Five different sea ducks make up the true arctic duck species: the long-tailed duck and Steller's, spectacled, king, and common eiders. And many other species that also breed farther south including mallards, pintails, American wigeon, and green-winged teal also nest in arctic regions.