Polar Knowledge Canada

06/11/2026

🪿 Migratory birds are back, and it's egg-picking season! 🥚

Heading out on the land? Remember that avian influenza (bird flu) has been detected in some wild birds in Canada. The risk to people is LOW, but here are some easy tips that can help keep you and your family safe while harvesting this bird season:

❌ Don't handle birds that look sick or are found dead
✅ Wear gloves when collecting eggs or handling birds
✅ Only collect clean, uncracked eggs
✅ Wash and disinfect hands and equipment after use
✅ Cook eggs and meat thoroughly before eating

📍 If you see sick or dead birds/wildlife, report it promptly to your local Conservation Office.

Check our resources to learn more about bird flu (avian influenza) and how to stay safe (available in English, French, Inuinnaqtun and Inuktitut):

🔗 Avian influenza - Information for northern communities: https://ow.ly/Fgh250ZayCb
🎥 Avian influenza in Arctic and Northern Canada: https://ow.ly/fInh50ZayCk
📄 Avian influenza handout: https://ow.ly/o5wv50ZayCi

Happy harvesting!

06/09/2026

From Parliament Hill to the Canadian High Arctic Research Station, we're celebrating Pride Season across Canada: https://ow.ly/oEvz50Z9wS8

06/08/2026

Happy World Oceans Day! 🌊🪸🪼🦀🐠 Read more about Dr. Savoie's Arctic Ocean work in Aqhaliat: https://www.canada.ca/en/polar-knowledge/publications/aqhaliat/volume-5.html %20Kelp%20in%20the%20Western%20Arctic

🌊 Happy World Oceans Day!

Oceans play a vital role in sustaining life on Earth. They regulate the climate, support biodiversity, and connect ecosystems across the globe. Studying them is essential, especially in the Arctic, one of the fastest‑changing environments on the planet.

At the Canadian Museum of Nature, our researchers study Arctic Ocean ecosystems, including kelp forest biodiversity. By collecting specimens, they create a lasting scientific record that helps track environmental change and supports conservation efforts.

During this work, Dr. Amanda Savoie collected this striking red algae specimen; now on display in Wild Colour. 💙

📸 Roger Bull & Amanda Savoie
Centre for Ocean Literacy Collaboration

06/05/2026

Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) and National Research Council of Canada (NRC) senior leadership and program specialists from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology - SAIT spent the week in Cambridge Bay meeting with POLAR staff and leadership to discuss the potential for developing new research collaborations centered around CHARS and across the Canadian Arctic. Attendees also met with representatives of the Municipality of Cambridge Bay, the Kitikmeot Inuit Association, Nunavut Arctic College and other key partners in the private and public sector in the Kitikmeot Region to discuss research needs and opportunities for cooperation, training and ongoing collaboration.

Department of National Defence

06/01/2026

June is National Indigenous History Month. It’s a time to honour the rich cultures, traditions, and experiences of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples whose presence has shaped this land since time immemorial.

At Polar Knowledge Canada, we are proud to work alongside Indigenous people as we advance Arctic science priorities. We look forward to a future of collaboration founded in respect and cooperation.

06/01/2026

💻📓💡Education & public engagement are at the heart of the Museum! Our curriculum-linked school workshops make science fun, accessible, and inclusive for students across Canada.

Up until now, we’ve reported reaching 16,180+ students online and onsite. We’re on track for 18,000 by June! We have delivered our virtual workshops to all provinces and territories—23 of which were delivered to Indigenous communities thanks to our friends at North Connected North. Our most booked virtual workshop this year was Exploring Rocks & Minerals 💎 ✧˖°.🌋 Our most booked onsite workshop this year was Discovery-Tank Experience °:•.🐠*.•🪸.

A teacher from Northwest Territories says:
"My students connected with the Northern Indigenous culture and connection to the land and the animals. It was all engaging, easy to follow and interesting. We appreciate that the instructor shared real life things that individuals did and can do to help protect their environments. This makes tangible and empowering connections for the youth. Mahsi cho for the excellent workshop." (Arctic Ecosystems)

Thank you to our amazing supporters: The Centre for Ocean Literacy Collaboration, Jane Atkinson Smith Foundation, Polar Knowledge Canada, and TD Friends of the Environment Foundation for an incredible school year.

05/18/2026

🏛️ This , POLAR is celebrating the power of museums to connect people, cultures and stories. 🗺️

We're proud to support the Polar Knowledge Canada Northern Voices Gallery at the Canadian Museum of Nature (CMN), a dedicated exhibition space where Northern communities can share their own perspectives of the Arctic and relationships with the land. ❄️

The current exhibition - Qikiqtait: Where Inuit Knowledge and Innovation Come Together - was created by the Arctic Eider Society in collaboration with the CMN and showcases the innovation and stewardship of Sanikiluarmiut (the people of Sanikiluaq, a community located in the unique Hudson Bay archipelago of Qikiqtait). 🦆

At POLAR, we're committed to advancing knowledge and collaboration in the North. We recognize the vital role that museums play in fostering dialogue, understanding, and respect across cultures and communities.

The Qikiqtait exhibition will run until September 2027. It is included with general museum admission.

🔗 Visit the CMN website for details and tickets: https://nature.ca/en/visit-us/whats-on/listing/qikiqtait/
📸 Canadian Museum of Nature

05/06/2026

Reminder: This funding call closes on May 13! See below for details.
🥩🫐🪿🌱🪺🎣

📢 Call for funding applications‼️

POLAR is accepting proposals for wildlife health and country food research through a targeted Food Security and Sovereignty Contribution Funding Call. 🥩🫐🪿🌱🪺🎣

Applications will be accepted until 23:59 EDT on May 13, 2026.

Funding will support research projects that increase understanding of the health, availability and sustainability of country foods in northern and Arctic Canada.

Up to $300,000 per project will be made available over three years.

🔗 Learn more here: https://www.canada.ca/en/polar-knowledge/funding/science-and-technology-program/country-foods-and-food-security.html

🔗 Subscribe to our Grants and Contributions newsletter so you never miss an announcement: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=uG5DAct-Uk29lX4iz8hJQnGmeygj5jJKjsLPSkO-MkRUOTFaVlJWRkxZQ1o4NDI0Tlk3MzkwUDVJRCQlQCN0PWcu&route=shorturl

📸 Matthew Gilbert

04/25/2026

Here's a World Veterinary Day fun fact: POLAR has two veterinarians on staff!

Veterinarians play a vital role in Arctic science. Our veterinary scientists study the interconnectedness of wildlife, human, and ecosystem health, helping advance food security in the North. In POLAR’s Science and Technology Framework, this research falls under our "One Health" research pillar.

🐟🩺 Meet Dr. Zoé Stacey, one of POLAR’s veterinarians.

Zoé is an aquatic animal health specialist working to better understand the health of Northern fish populations as they face the pressures of a rapidly changing Arctic. ❄️🌊

Using surveillance sampling across Nunavut and the Yukon, her research is building essential baseline data to track fish health over time. These observations provide important insights into the impacts of climate change, while supporting healthy ecosystems and country food sources that are central to the lives of Northerners. 🎣

Her work contributes to knowledge that can help Northern communities, researchers and decision-makers better understand changes affecting fish populations, supporting informed discussions around wildlife health, harvesting and long‑term stewardship.

On World Veterinary Day, we celebrate Zoé and all veterinarians whose work helps strengthen the health of Arctic systems and communities. ✨

04/22/2026

Today is ! 🌎

❄️ Did you know that the climate is changing faster in the Arctic than anywhere else on the planet? Warming temperatures and longer ice-free seasons are affecting wildlife and ecosystems in Nunavut’s national parks. These changes are also impacting Inuit communities, traditional lifestyles and cultural harvesting practices.

Small changes make a big difference. Let’s consume less and waste less to reduce our impact on the planet and improve our quality of life. When spending time outdoors, always respect the land by following Leave No Trace principles: pack out your garbage, avoid disturbing wildlife, and be considerate of others.

Together, we can protect the land for generations to come. 💚

📷 Nicole McFadden
📌 Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area