I'll be honest: I have no idea how it's even December already, so today's post celebrating Antarctica is a little less polished and a little more... random. We'll start with a couple fun facts leftover from Polar research, and ... Read More  

Hold on, you're saying to yourself, I think I've read this post before... You're not wrong! There are TWO World Migratory Bird Days every year, because - surprise! - migration is a round trip. At least, that's how we ... Read More  

Science Literacy Week is almost over – almost, but not quite! There’s still time to get some free science-y goodness in your life, so hop on over to the Science Literacy Week website to learn about last-minute events happening ... Read More  

It's Arctic Sea Ice Day, which means the internet is about to be covered in polar bears. Don't get me wrong - polar bears are awesome, and I would dearly love to snuggle me a bear cub, because they ... Read More  

Hi all! This post was scheduled to publish while I was away on a well-earned holiday. I returned to discover that the tech gods were also on holiday that week. Oh well, better late than never. It’s International Day ... Read More  

I am so glad that World Oceans Day is finally here! I’ve been holding on to some truly AMAZING ocean info – info we cut from Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth due to concerns it was ... Read More  

Today is World Migratory Bird Day, making it the perfect day to talk about terns - the champion migrators of the biological world. Adult terns weigh about 100 g, and every year, they make round-trip journeys of up to ... Read More  

First things first! I'm doing a free Polar presentation with Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants today at 12:30 Eastern. Head over to their YouTube channel to watch. You can also catch the recording on demand. And remember ... Read More  

Polar is about animal adaptations - the behaviours, body parts, and body functions that help animals survive in extreme habitats. Each spread pairs two animal species - one in the Arctic and one in Antarctica - that are using ... Read More  

Two more sleeps until Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth lands in bookstores! I am so proud of this book and I can’t wait to share it with all of you. Which brings me to today’s topic: ... Read More  

Despite what Coca Cola commercials would have you believe, polar bears and penguins have never met. Polar bears are apex predators of the Arctic, while penguins are only found in Antarctica.* That doesn't mean penguins are safe from predation... ...because ... Read More  

Four more sleeps until Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth lands in a bookstore near you! During preliminary research for the book, when I was trying to figure out which adaptations I would cover and which animal ... Read More  

Predator-prey relationships are a natural part of nature - unfortunate for the prey, but necessary at the scale of ecosystems. As a scientist who studied carnivores, I sometimes forget that I was also a kid who sobbed whenever a ... Read More  

Polar is a book about the adaptations that help penguins (and other animals!) survive in Antarctic habitats. That meant I had to focus on showing the adaptation at work in the wild... which meant that I couldn't talk about ... Read More  

I learned about a LOT of amazing animals while researching Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth, but arctic foxes will always have a special place in my heart. One reason is that I spent 6 years studying ... Read More  

Nine more sleeps until it’s pub day for Polar!  Kermit GIF from Kermit GIFs Today is World Book and Copyright Day, so I’ve been reflecting on how much time and work goes into writing just one children’s book. Time ... Read More  

Despite the giant window in my office, the room was unbearably dark. Aging eyes feeling the strain, I replaced the light fixture with a brighter one. That helped, sort of. But on cloudy days, it was still a dim ... Read More  

Despite changing climate and savage conditions, animals in the polar regions can still thrive. Author L. E. Carmichael’s 23rd children’s science book takes a fascinating look at how they manage it—and how young environmentalists can help. Read More