NATURAE OBSERVATIO

SPITSBERGEN - Science Expeditions

€225.00

This monograph provides in-depth knowledge that can be used in various ways, inviting readers to explore it from different perspectives. It serves as a rare resource for specialised scientific readers while also offering a new overview of this Arctic world for those with a general interest in the subject – a world that very few have had the chance to visit. Suppose you prefer to use this volume as an archive to uncover new insights and rediscover forgotten knowledge. In that case, it provides a portfolio of extensive texts, illustrations, charts and unique foldouts designed to stimulate fresh thoughts. Each chapter includes newly written texts and illustrations, which can be easily searched through a comprehensive subject index.

Thus, this is both a book and a portfolio that spans vast geographical areas and different topics. Many participants have contributed to the content, each possessing specialised and extensive knowledge in their respective fields. To be part of this publication, you must have visited Spitsbergen and actively engaged in fieldwork related to the topics you write about. This ensures a combination of practical observations and theoretical concepts, embodying a true and classic scientific spirit.

The work has its roots in 1758, on a cold summer day along the rugged west coast of Spitsbergen, where the Arctic Ocean meets a lowland flanked by mountains, a group of sailors, hunters, and a naturalist from the whaling ship de Visser disembarked to gather eggs and down. In this group, 28-year-old Anton Rolandsson Martin participated in carrying out scientific observations in the Arctic landscape at sea and on land. He was one of the so-called Linnaeus Apostles, who, on behalf of the naturalist Carl Linnaeus and various scientific associations, documented natural and cultural history around the world.

In modern times, between 2016 and 2020, The IK Foundation and other organisations conducted six expeditions along the route described by Anton Rolandsson Martin in his Spitsbergen Journal. This project, called THE BRIDGE BUILDER EXPEDITIONS, focuses on bridging natural sciences across various subjects and entities, connecting the past, present, and future. It centred on the location where Rolandsson Martin landed in July 1758, along the western coast of Prince Charles Foreland, now Prins Karls Forland. For 12 months, an autonomous field station – the first of its kind – was established as FIELD STATION | NATURAE OBSERVATIO | MARTIN’S EYE, resulting in 2,074,053 observations over the landscape visited by Rolandsson Martin 260 years ago!

This publication features 250 hand-bound copies showcasing the latest scientific insights. It is beautifully designed with in-depth details, including text sections, maps, diagrams, pictures, artworks, timelines, and large fold-outs. More than a book, it is a mastery portfolio that inspires appreciation for a delicate, wild part of our Planet Earth.

Please find further information about the content and the writers below. This publication is probably the most comprehensive scientific work on this subject.