Education

The Ivan Papanin joins the BELARE team to prepare the building of the Belgian Antarctic Station

8 January 2007

The BELARE 2006-2007 expedition, led by Alain Hubert from the International Polar Foundation, is preparing the construction of the Belgian Antarctic Station scheduled for November 2007. Read the military reports of the transport phase on the the Ice-Class cargo ship "Ivan Papanin" and about the exciting adventure in Antarctica.

Polarstern CAML expedition: Antarctic Biodiversity

5 January 2007

As a prelude to the International Polar Year, from the end of November 2006 to February 2007, this expedition Polarstern - CAML leads an international team of biologists to the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. The main destination of "Polarstern" is a zone of now open water freed to navigation by the recent collapse of the Larsen A & B ice-shelves. The expedition is a main contribution to the Census of Antarctic Marine Life.
The International Polar Foundation, send its scientific liaison officer Gauthier Chapelle who writes regular to the public about the adventure and research undertaken during this CAML-expedition.

A scientific and human adventure

To mark the International Polar Year (in March 2007), the Pass is presenting an exhibition on the Antarctic from 22nd December 2006, in partnership with the International Polar Foundation.
This exhibition will show you the scientific and human, technical, technological and economic challenges involved in this continent.

Welcome at the ULB on Ice!

22 December 2006

Frank Pattyn and Denis Samyn, both scientists from the Laboratoire de Glaciologie from the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) take part in an expedition 'Antarctica New Zealand' to the Dry Valleys and surroundings of McMurdo.
Visit their weblog, ULB on Ice, for joining this adventure!

Belgian Youth Steering Committee’s website (BYSC) now online!

6 December 2006

The Belgian Youth Steering Committee (BYSC), as part of the International Youth Steering Committee (YSC) is proud to announce the launching of its website. The BYSC site will serve for (1) bringing the YSC and IPY closer to the Belgian public and to the Belgian youth in particular, (2) representing Belgium in the international polar community and presenting the Belgian (youth) involvement in polar research.

The website is also a way for establishing a strong network between young Belgian polar researchers, as well as between these researchers and other interested youth, in order to offer them opportunities for future communication and collaboration.

You can find information about:
- projects and activities
- the participating Belgian youth scientists presented with their CV
- a youth contest to run during IPY
- photo gallery showing the exciting world of the polar regions
- links and resources

Various news items will update you with latest information.

Complementary resources
- Belgium’s contribution to The International Polar Year (IPY 2007/2008)
- The International Polar Year (IPY 2007/08)
- International Polar Year Youth Steering Committee-YSC

Art meets Science in the polar North 2007

A short pole expedition will be organised during the summer of 2007 around the topic: ART AND SCIENCE IN A POLE LANDSCAPE. The objective is to let science students spend some time together with artists, each with their own angle of perception on the overwhelming space and isolation of the polar landscape. This will lead undoubtedly to a CONFRONTATION AND DIALOGUE between science and art.
The expedition will take place around 79° North on Svalbard, close by the settlement point of Ny-Alesund on the west coast of Spitsberg. The period (around 25 July - 09 augusts) falls during the short arctic summer.
For more information you can visit the personal website of Louis Beyens, polar scientist to the backbone and professor at the University of Antwerp.

Scientific Facts on Arctic Climate Change

The International Polar Foundation, through its SciencePoles website, has collaborated with GreenFacts to a summary of the landmark ACIA report commissioned by the Arctic Council and the International Arctic Science Committee.
Our climate is already changing, particularly in the Arctic where permafrost is melting, glaciers are receding, and sea ice is disappearing. Changes in the Arctic will not only affect local people and ecosystems but also the rest of the world, because the Arctic plays a special role in global climate. How has the climate changed in the Arctic so far, and what future changes are expected?
More…

‘Het Laatste Continent’ : internet site about Antarctica with Belgian roots

Het Laatste Continent is an informative site concerning Antarctica. It displays all kinds of attractions for the broad public, young and old. One can read about actualities, history, biology, geography and so much more. Comic strips and reports about expeditions bring you to the world of polar entertainment! It is the only Dutch site in its type.et bijvoorbeeld de klifvogels, sterk verschilt van die op Antarctica.

Noord- en Zuidpool in het Museum voor Natuurwetenschappen

De Polen zijn niet alleen tegenvoeters van elkaar, ze zijn ook erg verschillend. Het Museum voor Natuurwetenschappen brengt u naar deze afgelegen oorden zodat u het zelf kunt ervaren.
De zaal die gewijd is aan de Polen is bijzonder spectaculair. Zij werd officieel geopend ter gelegenheid van de 100e verjaardag van de bewogen reis van de Belgica, de eerste Belgische Antarctica-expeditie. Het schitterende decor dompelt u meteen onder in de helwitte omgeving van deze onmetelijke, vijandige vlakte, dankzij een adembenemende trompe-l'œil. Het effect wordt nog versterkt door het geluid van zingende walvissen, de kreten van de zeehonden op het pakijs en het gepiep van de jongen van de keizerspinguïn in de blizzard.
Is de Antarctische IJszee het rijk van de albatros en de walvissen, dan zijn de zeldzame ijsvrije kusten het terrein van de pinguïns. Zo neemt elk in het grote ecologische geheel zijn eigen plekje in. Terwijl het ronddrijvend pakijs het domein is van de krabbeneter, een groot liefhebber van krill, worden de vaste ijsbanken ingenomen door de Weddellzeehond.
Aan de Arctische zijde verloopt de ontdekkingstocht geleidelijk, van het uiterste noorden van Europa naar de koudste gebieden in het hartje van Groenland. We zien hier dat de noordelijke fauna, met bijvoorbeeld de klifvogels, sterk verschilt van die op Antarctica.

Puzzel je warm..experimenteer je koud (International Polar Year 2007/8)

The International Polar Foundation has started a new educational project "Puzzel je warm...experimenter je koud" (warm up with puzzle... cool down with experiments) where it shows the importance of polar research in the complex climate problem. By means of an interactive tool (3D-jigsaw puzzle and experimental modules) it addresses young people on Flemish public events, mainly during the International Polar Year 2007/08.

Complementary resources:
- Ppt presentation explaining the full project

Class@poles (school year 2005/6)

Class@Poles is an educational contest within the Belgian network of polar research BE-POLES. This competition, organized by the Renard Centre of Marine Geology ran over the school year 2005-2006. It paved the way to polar research, ‘accessible’ to school classes with an entrepreneurial spirit. Classes from the second level of secondary education were invited to (1) formulate a question dealing with a topic from a wide spectrum of polar research, and (2) design a project and expedition(s) to seek the answer.
More...

PolePosition (school year 2005/6)

Pole-Position was a competition aimed at Belgian secondary students during the 2005-2006 academic year. A team of maximum 20 students had to tackle the following tasks:

• Producing an interactive timeline presenting the history of polar exploration and comparing a historical expedition with a present-day one;
• Describing an existing polar research project and proposing a project for an ideal Antarctic station;
• Preparing a report on an existing Antarctic research project.

This contest is now closed, prizes have been awarded and final results are available on the official pole-position website.
This contest was an initiative of the Federal minister of Science Policy, Mr. Marc Verwilghen, in cooperation with the Federal Science Policy, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, The International Polar Foundation and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences.

Complementary resources:
1. A dedicated website (in French and Dutch) is available on: www.poleposition1.be gives you an overview of the submitted projects and the winners.
2. List of Belgian scientists who participated in the contest (in French and Dutch)

Info for teachers at the Walloon congress for sciences teachers

[23 Aug. 2006]
During the annual Congrès Pluraliste des Sciences BE-POLES presented an info stand on polar science in Belgium. The focus was put on the polar work performed at the Center for Protein Engineering at the Université de Liège (ULg) by the group of Dr Annick Wilmotte. Teachers were shown how to envisage the microscopic, pigment, and genetic diversity of polar cyanobacteria.

Complementary sources:
- Info for teachers
- BE-POLES’ demonstration of cyanobacteria + picture gallery

Secondary schools invited at Printemps-des-Sciences

[13-19 March 2006]
Printemps-des-Sciences offers the opportunity to everyone to discover today's science. Through a range of experiments and activities, the objective is to make the scientific world more appealing and accessible to young generations. 4 partners from the BE-POLES cluster presented polar science to secondary school students in the Walloon region and in Brussels.
This free initiative was made possible thanks to a close collaboration between universities and schools of the "Communauté Française" and partner organisations like the IPF.
- 16 March - Mons (UMH) - Service de Physique des Particules Elémentaires - Astronomy and neutrinos : Antarctic expedition
- 14-16 March - Louvain-la-Neuve (UCL) - Institut d'Astronomie et de Géophysique G. Lemaître - Greenhouse effect and Climate Change
- 16 March - Bruxelles (ULB) - DSTE-Glaciologie - Glaciology
- 17 March - Liège (ULg) - Polar Regions: sentinels of Climate Change

Info for teachers at the Flemish congress for sciences teachers

[November 2005]
BE-POLES participated in the Flemish congress for sciences teachers at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).During a 2 hours session, BE-POLES informed secondary school teachers about Belgian research and activities at the North Pole and the South Pole trough 3 different presentations:
1. Louis Beyens : "Wetenschap en avontuur op de toendra: de UA - scholieren/studenten expeditie in Spitsbergen".
2. Jean-Pierre Henriet: Class@poles: "Stel een vraag, ontwerp een expeditie" !
3. Frank Dehairs : "Specifieke fysico-chemische en biologische processen bepalen het unieke karakter van de Antarctische Oceaan en zijn centrale rol als klimaatsmodulator"

Complementary resources:
- Info for teachers

Info for teachers at the Walloon congress for sciences teachers

[August 2005]
This year's congrès pluraliste des sciences, took place in Louvain La Neuve (UCL). Sandra Vanhove (IPF), together with professor Jean-Pierre Henriet, presented two competitions for the next school-year in the framework of BE-POLES: Pole-Position and Class@poles.

Do you know the pole regions?

[August 2005]
This is a short quiz to test your knowledge on the pole regions. This quiz has been put together by the International Polar Foundation.

Complementary resources:
- French version
- Dutch version
- English version