Mountain science program for girls hosts expedition to raise funds

April 18, 2016

A Girls on Ice expedition team on Mt. Baker in Washington learn about the mountain's geology and volcanism. Photo courtesy of Girls on Ice.

Girls on Ice is growing up — at least for an expedition to raise funds. The tuition-free field science and mountaineering program for teenage girls is looking for nine adventurous women to join its first fundraising expedition, called Women on Ice.

Women 18 and older are invited to spend four nights during July 21-26 on Washington's spectacular Mount Baker, which is known for its extensive glaciers and majestic views. The first night will be spent on a beautiful farm in Washington as people get to know each other. Each woman on the expedition will be providing the chance for a girl to participate in the 2017 Girls on Ice expedition.

Girls on Ice enables high school girls — especially those girls who would never have an opportunity to do so otherwise — to explore the mountains through science, art and philosophy while developing leadership and wilderness skills. The all-female team creates a supportive environment where participants can challenge themselves physically and intellectually.

Like Girls on Ice, the women on the Mount Baker expedition will explore, observe, conduct science experiments and sketch the active volcano's natural history. They will set up base camp among glaciers and alpine meadows. The mountain, with sweeping views of the Cascade Range and the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, is also a Girls on Ice destination.

This Girls on Ice expedition on Mt. Baker enjoys sweeping views of the Cascade Range. Photo courtesy of Girls on Ice.

Three experts in glaciology, geology and botany will lead the Women on Ice team, including Girls on Ice founder and National Geographic’s 2013 Emerging Explorer Erin Pettit. The other leaders are Kari Stiles, a botanist and environmental planner for the Puget Sound Partnership in Washington, and Aurora Roth, a University of Alaska Fairbanks graduate student in glaciology and geophysics.

Pettit, a renowned glaciologist at UAF, started Girls on Ice in 1999 while a graduate student at the University of Washington. The program is now hosted through UAF and has changed the lives of nearly 200 girls.

“Over the 16 years of Girls on Ice, I have seen the powerful effect the expedition has had on young women from all backgrounds,” said Pettit. “I now want to share the excitement and inspiration of exploring a new landscape of people, places and ideas with women too.”

No technical climbing skills are necessary, but participants should be able to carry a 30- to 40-pound backpack for five miles. All levels of interest and expertise in science, art and the natural world are welcome. A minimum donation of $4,000 is requested, of which $3,250 is tax deductible.

Visit www.womenonice.org for more information about the trip and costs. If you would like to sign up for the trip or have specific questions, please email women@girlsonice.org.

About Girls on Ice
Girls on Ice is a unique, free, wilderness science education program for high school girls. Each year two teams of nine teenage girls and three instructors spend 12 days exploring and learning about mountain glaciers and the alpine landscape through scientific field studies with professional glaciologists, ecologists, artists and mountaineers. One team explores Mount Baker while the other team sleeps under the midnight sun exploring an Alaska glacier. The program is hosted through UAF’s College of Natural Science and Mathematics andThe program is hosted through UAF’s College of Natural Science and Mathematics and in partnership with the North Cascades Institute.

About the instructors:

Erin Pettit
Erin Pettit, Ph.D., is the founder of Girls on Ice and an assistant professor of geophysics and glaciology at UAF. She specializes in glacier dynamics and their role in the climate system and frequently travels to Antarctica to conduct scientific studies. She is originally from Seattle and completed her graduate studies at the University of Washington. She is a fellow of Wings Worldquest and winner of their 2007 Earth Award. She is also a National Geographic Emerging Explorer.

Kari Stiles
Kari Stiles, Ph.D., is a scientist and environmental planner at the Puget Sound Partnership, the state agency leading the recovery of Puget Sound, Washington. Kari holds a doctorate in botany and a master's degree in landscape architecture from UW. She has more than 20 years of experience teaching biology and ecological design and planning to diverse audiences.

Aurora Roth
Aurora Roth is graduate student in geophysics and glaciology at the UAF. She uses computer models to explore the future changes of glaciers in Alaska and the consequences of these changes on river runoff and sea-level rise. She was born and raised in Alaska. The landscapes of her home have been a continuous source of inspiration that have shaped her as a scientist and as an artist.

ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Erin Pettit at erin@girlsonice.org
ONLINE: www.womenonice.org