In the Wild: Annika Krueger with the German Arctic Office, Alfred Wegener Institute
My name is Annika Krueger, and I am a second year EPM student. I graduated from Macalester College in 2022 with a BA in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Climate Science and Policy and Minors in Geology and Spanish. Career wise, I am interested in fostering communication between science and policy since policy development stems from scientific knowledge and the collaboration between the two is vital for creating effective policies. I have always been fascinated with the polar regions and am hoping to focus my career on science/policy work related to climate change in the Arctic and Antarctic since they are highly vulnerable and sensitive regions.
In the forest of the Telegrafenberg in Potsdam, Germany, I completed my practicum this summer with the German Arctic Office, which is a part of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research. The office releases publications geared towards policymakers and other interested stakeholders on relevant matters of the Arctic. I created a fact sheet on ‘Environmental protection in the polar regions’ to summarize the main pollutants, international treaties, governance systems and challenges in protecting the environment. I interviewed experts on specific topics for the fact sheet and was able to gain insight into the different careers that exist within the polar field. I also designed the graphics for the fact sheet so I learned the basics of Adobe InDesign and Adobe Illustrator and used my previous ArcGIS experience to make maps. I had the opportunity to help with a second fact, “Pollutants in the Arctic” with another intern, where I learned about the intricacies of the effects of pollutants on humans and ecosystems in the Arctic and the global atmospheric transport of pollutants.
I really enjoyed being able to combine learning about such fascinating topics with figuring out how to express them creatively and clearly in the form of a fact sheet. The polar regions are incredibly vulnerable to climate change and the spread of pollutants, so it is important to educate people on the consequences and work on developing effective policy measures.
Deliverables:
Fact Sheet: Environmental Protection in the Polar Regions (English)