A historic collection of artifacts once the property of General David L. Brainard will be sold on September 21, 2007, in the rooms of London auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb. Brainard was the only survivor of the sledge party that achieved a "farthest north" record during the Lady Franklin Bay Arctic Expedition of 1881-84 (popularly known as the Greely Expedition). He was also the expedition's last survivor, passing away in 1946. Among the medals in the collection is Brainard's Explorers Medal for the "farthest north" record, and a special Explorers Club medal commemorating the fifth anniversary of Robert Peary's North Pole discovery. Also included are the General's Purple Heart, awarded in 1933 for wounds received during a battle with Sioux Indians in 1877, and his ac...

France Pinczon du Sel and Eric Brossier write: Three years ago, Vagabond left Brittany and sailed to Spitsbergen. There she has spent three winters, frozen in ice for about nine months at a time. This year also, summer will be short — sailing in the fjords in August, then supplying and maintaining the boat in September. Early October will already start the fourth wintering, still in Inglefield Bay, on the east coast of the island. This is where, with our three dogs, we are welcoming scientists, about twenty so far since 2004. They come to understand and forecast climate change in the Arctic, particularly the future of the pack ice, within the European project Damocles. Sport ...

Warm. This is the first word that comes to mind when attending the International Conference on Permafrost held in Salekhard in June 2007. Warmed by the legendary Russian hospitality, warmed through heated discussions among leading permafrost researchers and warmed by the burning topic of the day: the worryingly warm state of permafrost. During five days, over 200 permafrost researchers and engineers from all over the world met to discuss the most recent developments in permafrost science and engineering in topics as varied as slope stability, coastal erosion, methane and carbon fluxes from permafrost soils or thermokarst development. ...

Conference Announcement and Call for Papers 2007 Polar Archive Symposium 19-20 November 2007 London, UK Abstract Submission Deadline: Wednesday, 1 August 2007 Publication "Archive" Proposal Deadline: Monday, 10 September 2007 For further information, please go to: http://www.open.ac.uk/socialsciences/about-the-faculty/events.php or contact: Kathryn Yusoff Open University E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it -------------------- The symposium "POLAR: Fieldwork and Archive Fever" will be held on 19-20 November 200...

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS (Closing date for applications (as well as for abstract submission): 17 August 2007). Utsikten Meetings, Nyn

WORLD'S FIRST COIN WITH PLASMA EFFECT! The Royal Canadian Mint has released a $20 silver IPY coin. This coin pays tribute to the visionary scientists who established an international collaboration to study the earth's polar regions 125 years ago, an initiative inspired by the arrival of the first English explorer in the Arctic three centuries prior. To underscore this timely theme, this special-edition coin is being issued with a plasma effect from the cutting edge of minting. Only 7,000 coins have been treated with this remarkable technique to create the blue hues and capture the frigid essence of the Arctic as represented on this coin. For more details and to order the coin please see the ...

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS (JULY, 2007) The Canadian Aboriginal Science and Technology Society (CASTS), is preparing to hold its 8th national conference October 3 - 5, 2007. The Treaty Seven First Nations Education Association (TSFNEA), with the support of the University of Calgary, is proud to host the CASTS Conference 2007. The conference will be held at The Coast Plaza Hotel and Conference Centre in Calgary, Alberta. The CASTS Conference 2007 is the only national Aboriginal Science and Technology conference in Canada. The forums of discussion will cover the following areas: . Health . Environment . Education . Science & Technology . ...

When it was established in December 1861, the Navy Medal of Honor was only intended for enlisted men of the Navy and Marine Corps; officers would have to wait a further 54 years before being made eligible. The original provisions of the medal (the first decoration authorized by Congress to be worn on the uniform) contained a scant few words which opened the window of opportunity for it to be awarded for lifesaving at sea: '. . . which shall be bestowed upon such petty officers, seamen, landsmen and marines as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action and other seamanlike qualities . . .'[emphasis added] Over a decade passed before Congress created the Gold and Silver Lifesaving Medals on June 20, 1874. As of 1880, along wit...

At the end of August, an unusual expedition under Russian leadership will leave for the Arctic Ocean. One of the participants is J

WP10 HERMES to the NORDIC MARGINS, POLARSTERN EXPEDITION PS ARK XXII/1a ( Coldwater coral reefs off Norway (72