The Team is Built, Expedition Dates Set

Today I got word from John Woods, the logistics lead, that we have a solid diverse team and dates set for our April expedition; the Utqiaġvik Buoy Exercise 2020 for The International Arctic Buoy Program (IABP) 

What a Team!

• Ignatius Rigor-Coordinator of the International Arctic Buoy Program; University of Washington, PI for the project
• John Woods-US Navy Reserves; Works for Office of Naval Research-Global as civilian, but this effort will be in his Reservist Capacity (will be in uniform for some events), Logistics Lead
• Cy Keener-University of Maryland, Developing Small Buoys/Electronics Packages; Working with USNA and Sea Cadets - check out his website as it has really cool video of the IABP 
• Dan Dickerson-STEM Consulting, facilitating Sea Cadets Project; also works at East Carolina University in STEM Education 
• Commander Jan Rice-US Naval Academy Lead for Ocean Engineering Project.  Will have two instructors and three students deploying buoy projects on Ice. 
• Rick Quest-Sea Cadets Lead.  Sea Cadets are engaged in STEM curriculum during February and March 2020. Two of the Sea Cadets and three mentors will join team to deploy their sensor on the ice.  
• Sheryl Sotelo-Educator from Alaska who is partnered with International Arctic Buoy Program (IABP) for STEM Outreach activities.  
• Sarah Johnson-Wild Rose Education, Carbondale, Colorado.  Sarah is our PolarTREC Teacher and will be joining the team in Spring and Summer for buoy deployments. (that's me!)

There is a real strong STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education focus within this team. It will be really neat to work together and learn from each other.

The Utqiaġvik Buoy Exercise 2020 April Schedule
If you look at this schedule (below) closely you'll be overwhelmed by the acronym alphabet soup; yet I bet you can figure out most of it by deduction. 
The basics are that we're meeting in Anchorage, Alaska on April 2th and completing the exercise on April 10th. I hope to stay in Anchorage longer to visit friends and celebrate Easter there this year. And, with this new finalized schedule, I'll now be able to also be home to celebrate grandma's 100th birthday in Missouri.

This is becoming real and I'm getting rather excited. Putting faces to names and learning a bit about the members of the team give this project the relational piece; more than maps and data.  
I'm so curious about so much. I've been finding books to learn more about the Arctic at our public library. I'm excited to read Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez and the Naturalist Guide to the Arctic by E. C. Pielou (a female biologist) in the coming month. 

Next thing to do: secure insulated work overalls (carhartt style), insulated leather work mittens, and familiarize myself on a few resources: 

• Polar Educators International
• MetEd

Sounds like there WILL also be a summer expedition I will be joining. Stay tuned.
- Sarah

---