Arctic Eden

In this intimate portrait, Jerry Kobalenko shares a series of journeys he has taken around the High Arctic by foot, skis, kayak, and ship that provide a multifaceted view of this most beautiful and most vulnerable part of the Arctic. Combining natural history, exploration, and personal experiences gathered during 20 years of Arctic travel, the book explores the ice caps and glaciers of Ellesmere Island; introduces us to Axel Heiberg's magical fossil forest of cypress trees; follows the author's journey of more than 400 miles on skis from Devon Island to Alexander Fiord, punctuated by several near-fatal encounters with polar bears; and comments on changes in climate Kobalenko has witnessed throughout the High Arctic. The book also showcases Kobalenko's magnificent photographs of the region, capturing wildlife such as walruses, muskoxen, and Arctic wolves, and stunning geographical features from towering icebergs to virgin snowscapes under a sky of wild lenticular clouds.