As a tropical biologist, Iceland was never on my list of global destinations. No landscape could be more different from our subtropical ecosystems of Florida. Imagine my surprise (and delight) to visit this “land of fire and ice” for a board of directors meeting of the Explorers Club. The president of Iceland hosted our international group to officially christen his new Icelandic club chapter. Here I met volcanologists, climbers who had scaled Everest, sailors of Viking ships, and scientists who investigate the hardy mosses and lichens dominating this barren country. These intrepid explorers of glaciers and lava shared stories about their extreme environments, including the success of developing Iceland’s clean, low-cost geothermal power. Despite our different backgrounds, we shared a common mission –to scientifically explore our natural areas to facilitate sustainability in the future.
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