The AVS program is proud to announce four separate tours taking place in April 2011. The following information includes a brief summary of each tour, but complete information is available here.

On 14-17 April, Arthur Smith, a lifelong photographer and resident arctic filmmaker since 2004, will be traveling to Ithaca, New York to participate in the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival (FLEFF). An  independent filmmaker, Mr. Smith uses cutting-edge tools to bring the Arctic to audiences worldwide, and has received many awards for his work. Smith will visit three different schools, presenting to groups of students ranging from 1st to 12th grade. The students will view excerpts of his award-winning films and engage in interactive dialogue.

A free screening of Smith's film, "What Do Polar Bears Dream WhenThey're Dying," will be offered on Sunday, 17 April at 2:00 p.m. Held at the Cinemapolis Movie Theater at The Commons in Ithaca, this screening will be the only free downtown screening of a FLEFF film. The public and families are encouraged to attend.

On 17-22 April, Allen Marquette, the Community Education Program Coordinator for the Prince Willi am Sound Science Center, will travel toChallis, a small community in central Idaho, to present several schooland community programs. Marquette will present a series of programstitled "Mammoths, Lions and Bears....Life in Alaska during the LastGreat Ice Age." He will present to four different groups of students ranging from 1st to 8th grade.

On 22-29 April, Michelle Ridgway, from the Alaska Deep Ocean Research Institute, will be visiting St. Paul Island, Alaska. The trip is plannedin conjunction with the annual Bering Sea Days, a weeklong event that focuses students' attention on the marine science and ecological concerns of the Bering Sea. This tour includes a variety of presentations and events. The public is invited to a community presentation at St. Paul School on Friday, 22 April at 7:30 p.m., where Ridgway will take the audience on a virtual cruise of the PribilofCanyon, deep underwater on the floor of the Bering Sea. A complete list of Ridgway's scheduled presentations, is available on the AVS website.

On 28-29 April, Ken Tape, a PhD student studying climate warming and landscape changes in the Arctic, will travel to New Jersey. He will visit several classes at Chatham High School, and meet with faculty and students in the geography department at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Tape will present a seminar open to the university and the  public entitled 'The Changing Arctic Alaskan Landscape.' The seminarwill be held at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, 28 April, in the B120 Lucy StoneHall at Rutgers. The public is encouraged to attend, and a reception will follow.

For further information on any of the April tours, please visit the ARCUS Arctic Speaker website.

Or contact:Julie Griswold
Email: julie@arcus.org
Phone: 907-474-1600