Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

CANADA #265: Ends of the Earth: From Polar Bears to Penguins A travelling exhibit from Science North, Sudbury, Ontario  

Outline
Ends of the Earth is a 600 square metre travelling exhibit that will take visitors on an adventure to both poles, looking at the natural history, physical science, human adaptation and exploration, and the current research that is helping us better understand these remarkable territories. These themes will be communicated through interactive exhibits and multi-media theatre presentations. The exhibit will be created and produced by Science North, a science centre located in Sudbury, Ontario. Science North opened in 1984 and has become recognized around the world for its outstanding style of science communication. The audience for Ends of the Earth is science centres and museums across North America and possibly abroad. The exhibit will open in March, 2007 at Science North for a 6 month run and then will tour for 5 years. We anticipate that 1.6 million people will see Ends of the Earth during its 5-year tour. The timing of Ends of the Earth coincides with several important polar milestones. First and foremost, International Polar Year, March 2007 to March 2008. In addition, 2009 is the centennial of Robert Peary’s highly contentious conquest of the North Pole and 2011 is the 100th anniversary of the Amundsen-Scott battle for the South Pole. These milestones provide excellent context for science centres to host a content-rich, timely exhibit like Ends of the Earth. The objectives of this exhibit project are to: • Produce a large travelling exhibit that will involve visitors with the uniqueness of the earth’s polar regions, the current science being undertaken there, and how these regions are indicators of climate change on our planet. • Feature current science in the exhibit, especially Canadian science initiatives being staged during IPY, to put visitors in contact with real science and real scientists. • Provide opportunities for other smaller exhibits or programs to be developed as spin-offs from the larger exhibit. An opportunity for a spin-off or outreach exhibit has already been explored by Science North and the Polar Bear Habitat in Cochrane, Ontario. The Habitat is a public attraction with 3 live polar bears. Some of the visitor experiences in Ends of the Earth will be duplicated as feature exhibits in the Habitat’s indoor exhibit space. In turn, a camera at the Habitat will deliver live feeds to the polar bears into the exhibit while it is mounted at Science North. Examples of exhibit experiences in Ends of the Earth include: Touch the ice! The first experience visitors will encounter is a real chunk of ice kept cold by refrigerated coils. It is large and eye-catching and representative of the exhibit they are about to enter. Polar bear observation station Visitors watch video segments of polar bear behaviour and are cued by an on-screen biologist to notice specific behaviours. What’s happening to the ice? Visitors view computer animations of sea ice movement, comparing past and current data to seasonal and projected change. Walk like a penguin! Visitors put on a penguin suit to get the feel of a penguin’s size and proportions. They mimic the nesting behaviour of penguins by balancing an egg on their feet and walking to the penguin huddle. Compare and contrast the poles Visitors play the North or South computer quiz with questions based on climatology and physical geography. Two multi-media theatres will be featured in the exhibit – The Explorer’s Tent and the Ice Cave Theatre. The Explorer’s Tent will tell the stories of both historic and current polar explorers. The Ice Cave Theatre is a story told through the eyes of a polar bear and an emperor penguin, two polar species that are linked by their mutual dependence on ice. Science North has developed a complete concept plan for this exhibit. The plan can be viewed at sciencenorth.ca/nursall/eote

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
The Ends of the Earth exhibit project will involve the public with the IPY themes of • The current state of the polar environment • Change in the polar regions, and • The polar regions as vantage points The content of the exhibits will be based on current science, developed by Science North in conjunction with an advisory group of polar scientists. Visitors to Ends of the Earth will be engaged with science content that flows from these 3 themes. Involvement with this science will pique curiosity, increase awareness, and prompt visitors to learn more. The context that IPY provides for this exhibit in 2007 and beyond will serve to strengthen the public’s interest and knowledge of the polar regions. There is also opportunity within Ends of the Earth to conduct pre-visit and post-visit surveying of visitors’ knowledge of the polar regions.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
The Science North project team has started to develop working relationships with scientists involved with polar research, both in Canada and around the globe. Dr. Lloyd Davis, a zoologist and penguin researcher at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, will be a science advisor and will provide connection to other polar scientists and research projects originating in New Zealand. David Lickley, Science North’s large format film director, will be in Norway in August, 2005 and has meetings set up with polar scientists at the Norwegian Polar Institute. There is potential for this exhibit to travel internationally. Science North has already done some venue research in this regard and has previously established working relationships with science centres in Europe and Scandinavia. Ends of the Earth was introduced to conference attendees at the European Collaborative for Science, Industry and Technology Exhibitions (ECSITE) last Fall, 2004.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
There is no field work involved with this project - Ends of the Earth will open at Science North in March, 2007. The exhibit will run for 6 months, closing Labour Day, 2007 and then will begin its North American tour of science centres and museums. Even at this conceptual planning stage, we have strong expressions of interest with specific timeframes attached to them. Typically, travelling exhibits are hosted by a science centre for a 3 month period. The Denver Museum of Nature and Science, The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago, The Maryland Science Centre, and the Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta are some of the centres that have tentatively booked a 3 month rental period in 2007, 2008, and 2009. The exhibit will travel for 5 years, to the end of 2012.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: n/a
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
N/A

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
Ends of the Earth will be launched for International Polar Year in March, 2007. The exhibit has a planned 5-year tour. At the end of 2012 the exhibit could be updated and reside permanently at a science centre or museum, or it could be dismantled with its constituent parts being distributed to interested venues. A legacy of this project also exists in the educational materials developed, in the network established through both scientific input and collaboration with other IPY projects, and in the data collected from visitors.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
Jennifer Pink, Senior Scientist and Project Leader, and Alan Nursall, Science Director at Science North, presented the Ends of the Earth exhibit project to a group of scientists and committee members in February, 2005. Attendees included David Hik, Claire Eamers, Karen Edwards from the Canadian IPY Secretariat, Barry Goodison, Environment Canada, and Andy Derocher, University of Alberta. This group was very supportive of this project as one that would meet the education / outreach, and communication objectives of IPY. Science North has maintained contact with this group and is planning to attend the meeting on Canadian Outreach and Communication plans for IPY scheduled for September, 2005 in Edmonton.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?


Ends of the Earth is a new project. Science North currently has two travelling exhibits on tour – Discovering Chimpanzees: the remarkable world of Jane Goodall, and The Climate Change Show. We are currently developing two new travelling exhibits, Ends of the Earth being the larger of the two.

How will the project be organised and managed?
Science North will develop, create, and implement this exhibit. There is currently a project team in place who will lead the development of the science content for this exhibit. Science North staff will manage the fabrication of the exhibit, its installation, and its tour.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Ends of the Earth is an Education / Outreach and Communication project. The target audience for Ends of the Earth shares many of the IPY Education / Outreach constituencies. General public – We’ve estimated that 1.6 million people will see the Ends of the Earth exhibit during its 5 year tour. Scientific/research community – Ends of the Earth will feature the work of both Canadian and International polar scientists. The exhibit can provide scientists with an interesting approach for communicating the results of some of their research. Pre-university education community – Education programs and teacher guides, aimed at both elementary and secondary level students will be developed as part of this exhibit. School children are a large audience for science centres and museums. Arctic communities – We would like to produce parts of this exhibit to specifically travel to Arctic communities.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?

How is it proposed to fund the project?
The total cost to develop, create and produce Ends of the Earth is $1.9 million. Science North staff have prepared a business plan for this project and are now working to secure the necessary funds. We have submitted funding proposals to two government agencies, the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation and FedNor, for investment into this project. The balance of the funds will need to come from sponsors and foundations. A brief outline of the funding sources is as follows: NOHFC $850,000 FedNor 450,000 Museum Assistance Program 200,000 Sponsors / Foundations 400,000

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
None

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Jennifer Pink
Senior Scientist, Projects
Science North
100 Ramsey Lake Rd.
P3E 5S9
Canada

Tel: 705 522-3701, ext. 205
Mobile: no
Fax: 705 522-4954
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation