Discover Arctic Climate Change Impacts Through Virtual Reality
Dive into 'Qikiqtaruk: Arctic at Risk' and witness first hand the dramatic transformations occurring in the Arctic due to climate change.
About the Project
‘Qikiqtaruk: Arctic at Risk' is an immersive virtual reality (VR) experience that brings the pressing issue of climate change in the Arctic to the forefront.
Developed by a team of scientists and storytellers, this project leverages cutting-edge VR technology to showcase the rapid environmental changes happening on Qikiqtaruk - Herschel Island in the Canadian Arctic.
The project is under development, but has already won multiple awards and been showcased at the World Economic Forum in Davos 2024.
Qikiqtaruk and
Climate change
Qikiqtaruk is the only island along the Arctic coast of the Yukon in the far Northwestern corner of Canada. This place has sustained the Inuvialuit living off the land and sea for countless generations and is of great cultural importance to the Inuvialuit People of the Western Canadian Arctic.
Over the centuries, Qikiqtaruk (also known as Herschel Island) has also been a hub for explorers, whalers, and in 1987 was designated as a territorial park, a reserve established as a result of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement.
The island is managed to conserve wildlife, support habitats and provide for traditional Indigenous use. The Inuvialuit People, Yukon Parks and researchers work together to study and manage this island for the future.
Amidst the backdrop of rapid Arctic warming and sea ice loss, the team's research on Qikiqtaruk has unveiled critical insights into the rates of tundra vegetation change, shifts in biodiversity and permafrost thaw. On Qikiqtaruk and across the Arctic, these changes are altering carbon cycling, wildlife dynamics and ultimately feeding back to influence the global climate
“Qikiqtaruk is one of those places where the Reality of climate change kicks in because you're witnessing it for yourself.”
- Richard Gordon, August 2022
Experience the Change
‘Qikiqtaruk: Arctic at Risk' is an immersive virtual reality (VR) experience that transports you to an island at the very heart of Arctic climate change.
You can currently experience the story interactively online. You don’t need anything more than a modern web browser, just click the button below to open the link.
If you have a VR headset, you can navigate to the same link in the VR browser and open the story as a WebXR VR experience in 3D.
The Team
Join us in spreading the word about the Arctic's climate crisis. Explore the VR experience, learn about Arctic climate change impacts, follow our journey on social media, and become an advocate for climate action.
A global change ecologist at the University of British Columbia, Isla has dedicated her career to studying the impacts of climate change on Arctic ecosystems. Her work focuses on tundra ecosystems in Arctic regions and involves collaborations with Indigenous communities and scientists around the Arctic. She is focused not only on how we study, but also how we communicate climate change impacts to broad audiences.
Jeff is a geographer and visual storyteller with a keen interest in the relationships between plants, animals, people and landscapes. His background in documentary photography and expertise in polar ecological research at the University of Cambridge’s Scott Polar Research Institute enables him to creatively capture and reveal diverse ecological changes occurring across the Arctic.
An immersive storytelling pioneer, Martin’s expertise brings the project to life in new formats. His work for National Geographic and beyond has focused on connecting people to science and telling stories about endangered ecosystems through innovative storytelling techniques.
Richard Gordon, a Senior Park Ranger in the Yukon and member of the Inuvialuit community, brings an essential perspective to the project'. With extensive experience in the Arctic's changing landscapes, his insights bridge traditional knowledge, scientific research and conservation. Richard shares the cultural narratives of the Arctic, improving understanding of Arctic climate change impacts.
Kelly Kamo McHugh, the Aurora Research Institute's new outreach coordinator, plays a crucial role in connecting Arctic research with communities in the Northwest Territories to make science accessible. She conducts in school outreach and leads community events, including sharing the 'Qikiqtaruk: Arctic at Risk' VR project in schools across the NWT, and at GeoWeek and at Science Night events in Inuvik
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This project was made possible thanks to a grant from the National Geographic Society
Main Organizations
Team Shrub are ecologists working to understand how global change alters tundra ecosystems and beyond. We work at focal research sites in Northern Canada and conduct data syntheses at tundra biome and global scales. We are based at the University of British Columbia in the Faculty of Forestry, with members at the University of Edinburgh, other international research institutions and in the Canadian North.
IVAR Studios is a small but powerful team of immersive storytelling professionals led by brothers Martin and Fredrik Edström. We are passionate about telling unforgettable stories in new formats and with new technology - mostly about important science, natural and cultural heritage and issues that affect our planet.
Get Involved
Join us in spreading the word about the Arctic's climate crisis. Explore the VR experience, follow our journey on social media, and become an advocate for Arctic conservation. Together, we can make a difference.
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