(Very) Deep South: Dispatch #3 on the New York Times LENS blog

My third dispatch about approaching the Antarctic Circle and taking a 'polar plunge' is live on the New York Times LENS blog here: http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/27/dispatch-from-antarctica-anticipation/

Stay tuned for more soon!

Dispatch #2 from Antarctica on the New York Times LENS blog

First landing in Antarctica: Cuverville Island


My Second dispatch from Antarctica is live on the New York Times LENS blog here: http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/dispatch-from-antarctica-cuverville-island/

Stay turned for more to come, including an update on finding the 5,500-year-old moss on Elephant Island.

OLTW featured on the New York Times LENS blog today

View from my cabin near the Lamer Chanel

Dear readers,

I am honored to announce that the New York Times photography blog, LENS, is currently featuring some of my writing from Antarctica, as well as an overview of photographs from the Oldest Living Things project.

You can visit it here: http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/21/spanning-seas-species-and-centuries/

Stay tuned for more updates from the bottom of the world.

Next stop: Antarctica

Hello from Antarctic waters.

I’m currently on the National Geographic Explorer crossing the Drake Passage, thanks to the kindness of Lindblad Expeditions, who have invited me along as a researcher on this expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula and some of the outlying islands.

I’m looking for the 5,500-year-old Antarctic Moss that was discovered in 1987 by researchers from Umea University in Sweden. It’s going to be extremely difficult to find it. There are other moss banks on the peninsula itself, and South Georgia, so I’ll be on the lookout wherever we land.

It’s hard to believe that just last week I was in Orlando, photographing the now-deceased Senator tree, whose 3,500-year life was cut short by a fire. My story and some photographs were published on Brainpickings.com.