Short Wave

Doing Science at the Edge of the Earth

18 snips
Oct 8, 2025
Alejandra Borunda, an NPR climate correspondent, shares her adventurous journey reporting from Greenland’s northernmost Island, Kaffeeklubben. She dives into the expedition's goal of identifying the farthest northern plant species and recounts the challenges faced, including logistical setbacks and thawing permafrost. The team celebrates the discovery of an Arctic poppy and a mysterious moss at 88.665030° north. Alejandra also touches on the impact of climate change in the region and the value of curiosity-driven exploration in science.
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ADVICE

Use Ground Surveys To Fill Knowledge Gaps

  • Do perform boots-on-the-ground surveys to fill gaps that satellites and remote tech cannot resolve.
  • Create precise, repeatable records now so future scientists can track ecological change over decades.
ANECDOTE

Assembling The Arctic Expedition

  • The team assembled in northern Iceland and prepared for a difficult Arctic journey with lost gear and a tiny plane ride.
  • Alejandra Borunda joined ecologists Brian Buma and Jeff Kirby and Greenlandic archaeologist Aka Simonson to document the northernmost land.
ANECDOTE

A Grueling Final March

  • The journey north involved hopping along Greenland's coast and landing on the planet's northernmost airstrip before an exhausting final trek.
  • What should have been a day hike became three days of slogging through unexpected boggy ground and wide melt rivers.
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