Artists and writers have an important role to play and it is vital that they are fully engaged in these (climate) issues

The Uummannaq Children’s Home

Lemn Sissay in the Uummannaq Children's Home

It’s 11am, the ship travelled through night storms and in morning we arrive at Uummannaq, the home of our guide Ludvig. It’s spring in Uummannaq, in winter it’s dark for two whole months and there’s a high suicide rate. We visit a children’s home and dogs howl outside as the social worker greets us at the door. “If they don’t do what we command ” he says in a rich Danish accent “we kick them”. There’s a silence. “There’s high alcoholism in the Inuit people hence the relatively high numbers of children in care.” He is about six foot tall, a tower of a man. “Welcome” he smiled broadly.
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Meeqqat Angerlarsimaffiat

Marcus Brigstocke inspects then samples the birthday spread laid out at the Meeqqat Angerlarsimaffiat
Marcus Brigstocke inspects then samples the birthday spread laid out at the Meeqqat Angerlarsimaffiat (the Uummannaq children’s home). Photo: Nathan Gallagher

North of the Dog Line

Greenlander guide Ludvig’s home town of Uummannaq. Houses sprinkled across a rocky island. In Jan-feb the sea ice in these parts will be very thick, and you won’t see the sun for 2.5 months. Spring is 10-15 deg below zero. The first thing people talk about if you ask what they miss when if they’re away in Denmark to study or work  is driving a dog sled and sleeping on the sea ice.

Read on and more of Joe’s posts, and his colleagues’ responses, on the Science, Technology and Nature Blog.

QA – the second answer

Olga’s question

Will you comment on this survey? It were interesting. And what’s about the Grigoriy Mikheev. Is it a Russian vessel?

Carol Cotterill’s response

Dear Olga,
Firstly I’m so glad you’re reading the blogs on the Cape Farewell website! So in answer to your questions – yes the Grigory Mikheev is a Russian ship. She used to be a Russian research vessel and has now been converted to accommodate tourists. The crew are Russian, and the staff looking after us onboard are multi-national – Russian, English, Austrian and Belgian.
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Laurie Anderson

Last glimpse of Jakobshavn icebergs

Laurie Anderson - Last glimpse of Jakobshavn icebergs.

Snowfight

Ambushed outside Meeqqat Angerlarsimaffiat (the Uummannaq Children’s Home).

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Snowfight

Emily Venables mid-snowfight at the Uummannaq Children's Home
Emily Venables mid-snowfight at the Uummannaq Children’s Home.

Painting a bigger picture

Marcus Brigstocke on ruined hedges and climate change fatigue.

Martha Wainwright and Jarvis Cocker

Martha Wainwright and Jarvis Cocker

Our Inuit guide Ludvig

Ludvig Hammeken

Our Inuit guide Ludvig in his hometown of Uummannaq, the most northerly settlement we’ll visited during the expedition – home to 1400 people and 3000 howling dogs.

Uummannaq harbour

Boats anchored in Uummannaq - an area affected by climate change
Icebergs and boats moored in Uummannaq harbour.

Navigating icebergs

Travelling past an iceberg that is melting from rising sea temperatures
Arriving in Uummannaq early in the morning, navigating icebergs in a zodiac covered in snow.