I have a new job. As an acronym, it is IPYIPOEOCC. International Polar Year, International Programme Office, Education Outreach and Communication Coordinator. I could, just as feasibly, be IPYIPOECOC, which I think I prefer as it expands to IPY International POECOC, which to me sounds a lot like IPY International Peacock. Which actually isn't such a bad description. Once we get the new IPY website up and running, I might make that my blogging nickname.

In a nutshell, IPY is a huge, international, collaborative, collection of simultaneous, interdisciplinary, mainly scientific, research that focusses on polar regions. Oceanography, Space Science, Anthropology, Glaciology, Atmospheric Science, Earth Science, Sociology, Policy Studies, Geology, Linguistics,.. the list goes on. There are something like 50,000 participants from 62 countries and over 220 large, independent, international projects occurring within the IPY umbrella.

There is also a large effort going into compiling and coordinating the resultant data, and a huge number of IPY related programmes dedicated to education and outreach. These include expeditions, exhibitions, films, books, conferences, and the development of new networks.

This website is our attempt to not only show the diversity and magnitude of the International Polar Year, but also the individual stories of participants. Hence the IPY Blogs. These are an opportunity for IPY participants and enthusiasts to explain their part in the jigsaw. We welcome your feedback, ideas, and contributions.