Monday 17. May 2010

Field Trip to Vigur with Dr. Daniel Martin, a French specialist in Climate Changes

Outdoors classroom with an incredible view.
Outdoors classroom with an incredible view.
After the lecture, Dr. Martin joined students from the Climate Changes course and the Chemistry and Contamination in the Coastal Zone course, with their instructor Dr. Hrönn Jörundsdóttir, for a field trip to the island Vigur in Ísafjarðardjúp fjord.
In Vigur the Climate Changes students explored the site of a recent withered grass burning and connected that to subjects covered on the course, for example the declining precipitation. Students from Chemistry and Contamination looked at the situation from another perspective, how and if such burnings result in environmental pollution?

In addition to these academic speculations, students and instructors enjoyed the magnificent natural beauty of Vigur and the wonderful hospitality of the island's inhabitants who gave the students an insight into eiderdown collecting and processing. Sailing to and from the island was also very pleasurable in the very capable hands of the boat company Sjóferðir in Ísafjörður who took good care of the group.