At 63'N. Lat. ready to board the twin otter, in Rankin Inlet, N.W.T., enroute to Wager Bay, N.W.T. to research the polar bears' summer in the High Arctic.

Hello friends. Let's get on the plane and explore. Wherever you are, near the mountains, the desert, the grassland, a rocky shore, or a sandy beach, you can explore the land, the water, and the sky.

If you have read my Biography and FAQ pages, you know I love to snoop. Maybe you do too. But we need to be ready for any weather we might encounter, and we must have our tools ready.

In the picture, you can see me in my orange exposure suit, required for exploration at the Arctic Circle in the summer. Husdon Bay was still covered with ice floes. Explorers dress for the weather, saying, "There is no such thing as bad weather. There is only bad equipment." Make sure you are prepared.

Here is my list of tools:

• A library card
• A small notebook
• Pencils
• Magnifying glass or loupe
• Bug repellent
• Small/medium/large plastic bags
• Binoculars, if possible to share
• A camera, if possible
• A bag or backpack
• And most important, your curiosity··..

Now it is time to explore:

1. Sketch of it. Write down all the questions that pop into your mind.
2. Next…If it is collectible, put it in your bag to draw inside later. Never take living things or harm them. Take only what has been left behind by nature…leaves, shed snake skin, bones, shells, pine cones, and only if it is allowed.
3. Snoop until you have all that interests you and take your things inside to sort and observe again.
4. Inside, spread out you collections, notes, and questions.
5. Observe each object carefully, under magnification, if possible.
6. Draw each object s you see it with you eyes and then as you see it magnified.
7. Choose your very favorite as your writing topic and choose your favorite question about it………..that will be your best topic.
8. Now it is time to pull out that library card and begin to read all you can about your topic.
9. After books, how about using the internet for the most current information, being sure to follow all the rules your teachers and parents have made for internet use.
10. When you have all the information you need…………JUST WRITE!

At 7' N. Lat., snorkeling with a Mastigias sp., jellyfish, in the Rock Islands of The Republic of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia.

To help you begin, try this……….Be the object…..Write from the object’s point of view or pretend you are a reporter writing an article for a newspaper about the object.

Take a good look at your drawings……….What do they tell you about your object? Write about living inside that object from a fictional point of view.

Or, you can do what I do and write the truth of that object and its world free verse poetry or prose.

And when you have finished this piece, walk out the door and explore this magnificent planet, Earth, again. Look at you now! You are an explorer, and adventurer, investigating this wonderful world………Hooray for you!

Bon voyage on your great travels in your yard, in the park, or on the moon.

Carolyn Lesser