Let’s explore some of the latest climate trends in polar bear country and in the North Woods. On Thursday, September 26 at 6:30 p.m., Sven Sungaard, meteorologist for Minnesota Public Radio, will be in person in the library lower level or virtual on the library Facebook and YouTube. Sven Sundgaard has led groups to the Arctic and Subarctic from Svalbard to Hudson Bay and conducted lectures at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre on climate conditions affecting polar bears.
Minnesota and Wisconsin’s climate is heavily influenced by what happens to our north. The arctic is warming two to four times faster than the rest of the planet and for that very reason Minnesota and Wisconsin are some of the fastest warming states in the lower 48. Sven Sundgaard has led groups to the Arctic and Subarctic from Svalbard to Hudson Bay and conducted lectures at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre on climate conditions affecting polar bears. He’s also observed about 60 of the largest predator on land in different ice conditions in different years. The polar bear in the Arctic, like the moose in Minnesota offers insights into the changing climate on iconic species.
Sven Sundgaard has been a meteorologist for more than two decades, most of which has been spent broadcasting in the Twin Cities. He’s currently a meteorologist for Minnesota Public Radio, and digital news and information platform, Bring me the News.com. He also provides weather and climate content for other organizations, and is a science advisor to the Minneapolis Foundation. He’s also a licensed realtor in Minnesota to top it off.