Background Articles

“It’s out of the ordinary but nothing that’s unprecedented,” according to Arctic Valley Ski Area general manager John Robinson-Wilson.

Snowy owls are migrating to Maine this winter due to an abundance of food in their Arctic breeding grounds. Observers are advised on ethical viewing practices to avoid disturbing these birds.

The 2024 Arctic Report Card highlights the unusual shift of the Arctic tundra from a carbon sink to a carbon source and reports significant declines in large migratory caribou herds, attributed to climate change impacts like increased winter precipitation and warmer summers.

A new conservation initiative allows the Nuiqsut community and its Native corporation to oversee 1 million acres around Teshekpuk Lake to protect caribou habitat from oil drilling impacts.

Orcas have begun to inhabit Arctic waters due to melting sea ice, posing threats to local whale species and potentially affecting Indigenous communities reliant on these ecosystems.

Despite the inability to conduct a population count this year due to weather conditions, recent data indicates slightly improved survival rates for cows and calves in the Western Arctic Caribou Herd, offering a glimmer of hope amid ongoing concerns about the herd's decline.