Excavating the Arctic

Jenny Kingsley, my friend and arctic travel companion, has recently been publihed in artica magazine.  In part, her beautifully written story grapples with some of the questions that have troubled me over the years in my role as a wilderness and wildlife guide.

Many of my clients, like Jenny’s, travel from far points on the globe to experience the wildness of far off places.  I have spent a lot of time speculating about whether these activities end up threatening the very things people have come to experience.  I keep wondering if the profound experiences we facilitate for our guests (face to face encounters with grizzly bears,  standing in ancient rainforest groves) have a lasting impact on our guests. My hope is that these experiences change people’s behaviour – making them more willing to take actions that reduce their ecological footprint.

Unfortunately, I am often skeptical that these results are acheived and I won’t take time to ponder it further today. But lucky for you – Jenny did.  So, follow the links, transport yourself to the high arctic and explore what Jenny found out with her feet rooted in the fertile soil of experience.