About Arctic Stories
This site came about as a result of the friendship between three people - Peter Lourie, Paul and Jody Shepson. Their passionate concern about climate change and love for the natural environment, and a grant from the National Science Foundation to Paul, created the opportunity to capture, in the form of "Video Storytelling," the voices of the Arctic, and the scientists who study it.
Peter started taking photos for his nonfiction children's books and gradually got interested in multimedia projects. Working with an atmospheric chemist like Dr. Shepson, while in the Arctic, presented many wonderful opportunities to capture a special people in a magic environment.
Here we present a range of videos about the Arctic environment, how it is changing, how it is being studied, what the impacts might be, and most importantly, what life in this beautiful part of the planet is all about.
Dr. Paul Shepson Jody Shepson Peter Lourie
Click on photo for larger view
Jody writes:
My role in this project has been small but crucial. It took me a
few years to arrange it, but I finally introduced my great friend,
Pete, to my great friend, Shep, who later became my husband. I'd been
wanting them to meet for some time. Although it might not seem that
an author in Vermont and a chemistry professor in Indiana have much
in common, they do share many of the same qualities. These are both
men whose faces light up like Christmas trees when they talk about
their "work," and see everything they do as an exciting adventure.
When the three of us finally sat down together to talk, the
conversation was spirited and enthusiastic. It became obvious that
there needed to be some marriage of professions. The idea was born
that Pete should join Shep in Barrow and write a book about their
adventures. This website was the next step in that progression, as
an expanded, ever-evolving way to share their combined passions for
what they do, and for the Arctic.
