Svalbard
Visiting this place in the High Arctic had been a dream of mine for a long time. Collecting seeds, measuring plant traits across its remote landscapes, and visiting the Global Seed Vault together with amazing colleagues was an unforgettable scientific and personal adventure.
Fieldwork there was also quite an experience. We had to be accompanied at all times by a guide with a rifle keeping an eye out for polar bears, while our heads were mostly down, searching for any seeds we could find.
Walking across glaciers and finding fossils of broad-leaved plants in such an Arctic landscape felt as bizarre as a dream after a very, very heavy meal.
In the end, I left Svalbard with a great seed collection, incredible memories, and a bittersweet feeling about not seeing a polar bear… partly relieved that we didn't, but also secretly wishing we had.
