The More Minds, the Merrier

SEARCH has been hosting regular meetings of Arctic minds for nearly two years. Through bi-weekly reading groups led by SEARCH executive director Athena Copenhaver, practitioners and community members from across the Arctic research world gather to discuss innovative, provocative, and novel Arctic literature. From papers on integrating Indigenous Knowledge with scientific forecasting to keep community members safe in the high Canadian Arctic and studies of Arctic knowledge co-production to chapters of the upcoming Fifth National Climate Assessment, few stones are left unturned. And conversations rarely stay on topic in all the best ways. Sparked from that week’s reading or an insightful comment by a participant, reading groups often evolve into examinations of ethical Arctic research strategies, details of observations from Arctic community members, and even discourse on the very meaning of “knowledge” itself. A fervent breeding ground for syntheses and relationship building, SEARCH reading groups will continue to bring folks together around the topic of examining and adapting the changing Arctic environment.