Date

New Website Available
Arctic: A Friend Acting Strangely
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

The website is available at:
http://forces.si.edu/arctic

For further information, please contact:
Siobhan Starrs
National Museum of Natural History
E-mail: starrss [at] si.edu


Arctic: A Friend Acting Strangely, a new website from the Smithsonian
National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), puts a human face on warming
in the Arctic by exploring changes that have been observed and
documented by scientists and polar residents alike.

The website is a nexus for information about the Arctic and includes
compelling photography, scientific research findings, polar resident and
community stories, a documentary video, and two interactive activities
on climate and caribou in the Arctic. The Eyewitness to Change section
features stories of Arctic researchers, residents, and communities, and
will be updated throughout the upcoming International Polar Year (IPY)
2007-2008. The Education section includes a set of standards-based
science activities developed by NMNH for teachers, informal educators,
and families.

The website incorporates rich content from the NMNH exhibition of the
same name that was on display through November 2006. The curators for
the exhibition and website content are Igor Krupnik and William
Fitzhugh, both of the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center. The exhibition
was made possible by grants from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) Arctic Research Office and the National Science
Foundation (NSF) Office of Polar Programs (OPP). Additional support and
funding for the exhibit were provided by the Department of Energy and
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The website is
funded by NSF OPP.

Some of the exhibition's graphic and multimedia components are now
available for prospective display at other venues during IPY 2007-2008
and beyond, including customized packages for smaller venues.

For more information about the website and potential local exhibit
options, please contact:
Siobhan Starrs
National Museum of Natural History
E-mail: starrss [at] si.edu

Arctic: A Friend Acting Strangely is available at:
http://forces.si.edu/arctic