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This project started in October 2015 with a crazy idea : prepare and submit a funding application for an international, multidisciplinary and non-traditional scientific outreach project… within the next 48 hours. Well, it worked out. A group of highly motivated young researchers from Canada and Europe united to combine arts and science and produce a series of outreach comic strips about permafrost (frozen ground). The aim of the project is to present and explain scientific research conducted across the circumpolar Arctic, placing emphasis on field work and the rapidly changing northern environment. The target audience is kids, youth, parents and teachers, with the general goal of making permafrost science more fun and accessible to the public. Because guess what : permafrost represents an area of more than twenty million km2 in the Northern Hemisphere, a huge area. As the climate warms, permafrost thaws and becomes unstable for houses, roads and airports. This rapid thawing of previously frozen ground also disrupts plant and animal habitats, impacts water quality and the ecology of lakes, and releases carbon into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases, making climate change even stronger. Hence permafrost and its response to climate change concerns us all. The project received initial support from the International Permafrost Association (IPA) as a targeted ‘Action Group’, and since then several other sponsors have joined the project. Here we are, now, two years after this first idea. What you are about to read is the result of an iterative process of exchanging ideas between artists and scientists. We first made an application call and received 49 applications from artists in 16 countries. Through a formal review process, we then selected two artists to work on this project: Noémie Ross from Canada, and Heta Nääs from Finland. With input from scientists, Noémie and Heta created fantastic cartoons that explain some of the changes happening to the environment in permafrost areas, how they affect people and wildlife, and what scientists are doing to better understand these changes to help people find innovative ways to adapt. We wish everyone plenty of fun reading this booklet and we would like to thank all those who supported this project., Dette projekt startede med en vild idé i oktober 2015 : Skriv en ansøgning om finansiering af et internationalt, tværfagligt og utraditionelt videnskabeligt outreach-projekt... inden for de næste 48 timer. Og det virkede. En gruppe stærkt motiverede unge forskere fra Canada og Europa gik sammen for at kombinere kunst og videnskab og lave en række tegneserier om permafrost (frossen jord). Formålet med projektet er at præsentere og forklare videnskabelig forskning, udført på tværs af det arktiske område, med vægt på feltarbejde og det arktiske miljø i hurtig forandring. Målgruppen er børn, unge, forældre og lærere, og det overordnede mål er at gøre videnskab om permafrost sjovere og mere tilgængelig for offentligheden. For tænk engang : permafrost repræsenterer et område på mere end tyve millioner km2 på den nordlige halvkugle, et enormt område. Eftersom klimaet bliver varmere, tør permafrosten og bliver et ustabilt underlag for huse, veje og lufthavne. Denne hurtige optøning af den tidligere frosne jord, ændrer også planters og dyrs habitater, påvirker vandkvaliteten og søernes økologi samt frigiver kulstof til atmosfæren som drivhusgasser, hvilket gør klimaforandringerne endnu stærkere. Derfor vedrører permafrost og dens reaktion på klimaforandringer os alle. Projektet modtog fra starten støtte fra ”International Permafrost Association” (IPA) som en målrettet ‘Action Group’, og siden da er flere andre sponsorer kommet med i projektet. Her er vi nu to år efter denne første ide. Det, du nu skal til at læse, er resultatet af en udveksling af ideer mellem kunstnere og forskere. Vi opfordrede kunstnere til at deltage og modtog 49 ansøgninger fra kunstnere i 16 lande. Ud af alle ansøgerne valgte vi to kunstnere til projektet : Noémie Ross fra Canada og Heta Nääs fra Finland. Med input fra forskere, skabte Noémie og Heta fantastiske tegneserier, der forklarer nogle af de ændringer, der sker i miljøet i permafrostområder, hvordan de påvirker mennesker og dyreliv, og hvad forskere gør for bedre at forstå disse ændringer for at hjælpe folk med at finde innovative måder at tilpasse sig på. Vi ønsker alle masser af sjov med dette hæfte, og vi vil gerne takke alle dem, der støttede projektet., Suliniut una oktobari 2015-imi isumassarsiamit ingasattumit aallartippoq : nunat tamalaat akornanni, suliat assigiinngitsut tunngavigalugit nalinginnaanngitsumillu ilisimatusarnermi ujartuilluni suliniummut aningaasaliiffigineqarnissamut qinnuteqaasiorit nassiullugulu… akunnerit 48-t tulliuttut iluani. Tassa, iluatsippoq. Inuusuttualuit ilisimatusartut piumassusilerujussuit Canadameersut Europameersullu suleqatigiillutik eqqumiitsuliorneq ilisimatusarnerlu ataatsimoorlutik ataqatigiissippaat titartakkanillu arlalinnik nunamut qeriuaannartumut tunngasunik suliaqarlutik. Suliniummi anguniarneqarpoq Issittumi ilisimatuussutsikkut ilisimatusarnerup ingerlanneqartup saqqummiunnissaa nassuiaannissaalu, tassani pingaartinneqarpoq asimi suliaqarneq avatangiisillu allanngoriartupiloornerat. Atuartorineqarusuttut tassaapput meeqqat, inuusuit, angajoqqaat ilinniartitsisullu, nuna qeriuaannartoq pillugu ilisimatusarnerup nuannersumik tamanullu paasiuminartunngortinnissaa anguniarlugu. Tassami imaakkami : nuna qeriuaannartoq nunarsuup avannarpasissortaani 20 mio. km2-isut annertutigivoq, nunarujussuaq. Silallu kissakkiartornerani, nuna qeriuaannartoq aakkiartulerpoq illut, aqquserngit mittarfiillu qajannarsipput. Siornatigut nunap qerisimasup aakkiartupiloornerata kinguneranik naasut uumasullu uumaffii akornusersorneqartarput, erngup pitsaassusia tatsinilu uumassusillit sunnerneqartarput aamma silaannarmut CO2 gassit silaannarmik kissakkiartortitsisartut aniatinneqartarput, silap pissusiata allanngoriartorneranut annertusaataasumik. Taamaattumik nuna qeriuaannartoq aamma silap pissusiata allanngoriartorneranut qanoq qisuariarnersoq tamatta ilisimasariaqarparput. Suliniutip aallartisarnerani International Permafrost Association tapersiisuuvoq, kingornalu aningaasaliisut allat aamma ilanngupput. Tassunga killippugut, maannakkut, isumassarsisoqareerneranit ukiut marluk qaangiuttut. Maanna atuarnialikkat tassaavoq eqqumiitsuliortut ilisimatuullu isumassarsiaminnik paarlaasseqatigiittarnerisa kingunerat. Aallaqqaammut qinnuteqaqqusigatta eqqumiitsuliortunit qinnuteqaatit 49-t nunanit 16-init tigusimavavut. Nalilersuilluariarluta eqqumiitsuliortut marluk suliniummi uani sulisussatut qinerpavut : Noémie Ross Canada-meersoq, aamma Heta Nääs Finland-imeersoq Ilisimatuunit immersorneqarlutik Noémie aamma Heta alutornarluinnartunik titartaapput, taakkulu nunani qeriuaannartuni avatangiisit qisuariarnerisa ilaannik nassuiaapput, qanoq taakku inunnut uumasunullu sunniuteqarnersut, qanorlu ilisimatuut allannguutit taakku paasilluarniarlugit iliuuseqarnersut, taama inuit nutaaliaasumik naleqqussarnissaannut ikiorniarlugit. Tamassi kissaappassi mappersagannguaq atuarussiuk nuannisarumaartusi, suliniummullu tapersersuisut tamaasa qutsavigaagut.

This project started in October 2015 with a crazy idea : prepare and submit a funding application for an international, multidisciplinary and non-traditional scientific outreach project… within the next 48 hours. Well, it worked out. A group of highly motivated young researchers from Canada and Europe united to combine arts and science and produce a series of outreach comic strips about permafrost (frozen ground). The aim of the project is to present and explain scientific research conducted across the circumpolar Arctic, placing emphasis on field work and the rapidly changing northern environment. The target audience is kids, youth, parents and teachers, with the general goal of making permafrost science more fun and accessible to the public. Because guess what : permafrost represents an area of more than twenty million km2 in the Northern Hemisphere, a huge area. As the climate warms, permafrost thaws and becomes unstable for houses, roads and airports. This rapid thawing of previously frozen ground also disrupts plant and animal habitats, impacts water quality and the ecology of lakes, and releases carbon into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases, making climate change even stronger. Hence permafrost and its response to climate change concerns us all. The project received initial support from the International Permafrost Association (IPA) as a targeted ‘Action Group’, and since then several other sponsors have joined the project. Here we are, now, two years after this first idea. What you are about to read is the result of an iterative process of exchanging ideas between artists and scientists. We first made an application call and received 49 applications from artists in 16 countries. Through a formal review process, we then selected two artists to work on this project: Noémie Ross from Canada, and Heta Nääs from Finland. With input from scientists, Noémie and Heta created fantastic cartoons that explain some of the changes happening to the environment in permafrost areas, how they affect people and wildlife, and what scientists are doing to better understand these changes to help people find innovative ways to adapt. We wish everyone plenty of fun reading this booklet and we would like to thank all those who supported this project., Dette projekt startede med en vild idé i oktober 2015 : Skriv en ansøgning om finansiering af et internationalt, tværfagligt og utraditionelt videnskabeligt outreach-projekt... inden for de næste 48 timer. Og det virkede. En gruppe stærkt motiverede unge forskere fra Canada og Europa gik sammen for at kombinere kunst og videnskab og lave en række tegneserier om permafrost (frossen jord). Formålet med projektet er at præsentere og forklare videnskabelig forskning, udført på tværs af det arktiske område, med vægt på feltarbejde og det arktiske miljø i hurtig forandring. Målgruppen er børn, unge, forældre og lærere, og det overordnede mål er at gøre videnskab om permafrost sjovere og mere tilgængelig for offentligheden. For tænk engang : permafrost repræsenterer et område på mere end tyve millioner km2 på den nordlige halvkugle, et enormt område. Eftersom klimaet bliver varmere, tør permafrosten og bliver et ustabilt underlag for huse, veje og lufthavne. Denne hurtige optøning af den tidligere frosne jord, ændrer også planters og dyrs habitater, påvirker vandkvaliteten og søernes økologi samt frigiver kulstof til atmosfæren som drivhusgasser, hvilket gør klimaforandringerne endnu stærkere. Derfor vedrører permafrost og dens reaktion på klimaforandringer os alle. Projektet modtog fra starten støtte fra ”International Permafrost Association” (IPA) som en målrettet ‘Action Group’, og siden da er flere andre sponsorer kommet med i projektet. Her er vi nu to år efter denne første ide. Det, du nu skal til at læse, er resultatet af en udveksling af ideer mellem kunstnere og forskere. Vi opfordrede kunstnere til at deltage og modtog 49 ansøgninger fra kunstnere i 16 lande. Ud af alle ansøgerne valgte vi to kunstnere til projektet : Noémie Ross fra Canada og Heta Nääs fra Finland. Med input fra forskere, skabte Noémie og Heta fantastiske tegneserier, der forklarer nogle af de ændringer, der sker i miljøet i permafrostområder, hvordan de påvirker mennesker og dyreliv, og hvad forskere gør for bedre at forstå disse ændringer for at hjælpe folk med at finde innovative måder at tilpasse sig på. Vi ønsker alle masser af sjov med dette hæfte, og vi vil gerne takke alle dem, der støttede projektet.

This project started in October 2015 with a crazy idea : prepare and submit a funding application for an international, multidisciplinary and non-traditional scientific outreach project… within the next 48 hours. Well, it worked out. A group of highly motivated young researchers from Canada and Europe united to combine arts and science and produce a series of outreach comic strips about permafrost (frozen ground). The aim of the project is to present and explain scientific research conducted across the circumpolar Arctic, placing emphasis on field work and the rapidly changing northern environment. The target audience is kids, youth, parents and teachers, with the general goal of making permafrost science more fun and accessible to the public. Because guess what : permafrost represents an area of more than twenty million km2 in the Northern Hemisphere, a huge area. As the climate warms, permafrost thaws and becomes unstable for houses, roads and airports. This rapid thawing of previously frozen ground also disrupts plant and animal habitats, impacts water quality and the ecology of lakes, and releases carbon into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases, making climate change even stronger. Hence permafrost and its response to climate change concerns us all. The project received initial support from the International Permafrost Association (IPA) as a targeted ‘Action Group’, and since then several other sponsors have joined the project. Here we are, now, two years after this first idea. What you are about to read is the result of an iterative process of exchanging ideas between artists and scientists. We first made an application call and received 49 applications from artists in 16 countries. Through a formal review process, we then selected two artists to work on this project: Noémie Ross from Canada, and Heta Nääs from Finland. With input from scientists, Noémie and Heta created fantastic cartoons that explain some of the changes happening to the environment in permafrost areas, how they affect people and wildlife, and what scientists are doing to better understand these changes to help people find innovative ways to adapt. We wish everyone plenty of fun reading this booklet and we would like to thank all those who supported this project.

This project started in October 2015 with a crazy idea : prepare and submit a funding application for an international, multidisciplinary and non-traditional scientific outreach project… within the next 48 hours. Well, it worked out. A group of highly motivated young researchers from Canada and Europe united to combine arts and science and produce a series of outreach comic strips about permafrost (frozen ground). The aim of the project is to present and explain scientific research conducted across the circumpolar Arctic, placing emphasis on field work and the rapidly changing northern environment. The target audience is kids, youth, parents and teachers, with the general goal of making permafrost science more fun and accessible to the public. Because guess what : permafrost represents an area of more than twenty million km2 in the Northern Hemisphere, a huge area. As the climate warms, permafrost thaws and becomes unstable for houses, roads and airports. This rapid thawing of previously frozen ground also disrupts plant and animal habitats, impacts water quality and the ecology of lakes, and releases carbon into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases, making climate change even stronger. Hence permafrost and its response to climate change concerns us all. The project received initial support from the International Permafrost Association (IPA) as a targeted ‘Action Group’, and since then several other sponsors have joined the project. Here we are, now, two years after this first idea. What you are about to read is the result of an iterative process of exchanging ideas between artists and scientists. We first made an application call and received 49 applications from artists in 16 countries. Through a formal review process, we then selected two artists to work on this project: Noémie Ross from Canada, and Heta Nääs from Finland. With input from scientists, Noémie and Heta created fantastic cartoons that explain some of the changes happening to the environment in permafrost areas, how they affect people and wildlife, and what scientists are doing to better understand these changes to help people find innovative ways to adapt. We wish everyone plenty of fun reading this booklet and we would like to thank all those who supported this project., Ce projet est né en octobre 2015 avec une idée de fou : préparer et soumettre une demande de financement pour un projet de vulgarisation scientifique international, multidisciplinaire et non traditionnel… le tout en 48 heures. On dirait bien que ça a fonctionné. Un groupe de jeunes chercheurs motivés du Canada et d’Europe ont joint leurs efforts afin de réunir arts et science dans un projet de bandes dessinées sur le pergélisol (sol gelé). L’objectif de ce projet est de présenter et d’expliquer la recherche scientifique réalisée à travers l’Arctique, en mettant l’emphase sur le travail de terrain et sur l’environnement nordique en mutation. Le public-cible inclut les enfants, jeunes et moins jeunes, les parents et les enseignants, avec comme but de rendre la science du pergélisol amusante et accessible au grand public. Ce qu’il faut savoir, c’est que le pergélisol occupe une superficie de plus de vingt millions de kilomètres carrés dans l’hémisphère nord. Avec le réchauffement climatique, le pergélisol dégèle et devient plus instable sous les bâtiments, les routes et les pistes d’aéroports. Le dégel rapide d’un sol autrefois gelé perturbe également les écosystèmes, notamment la qualité de l’eau dans les milieux aquatiques, et relâche du carbone vers l’atmosphère sous forme de gaz à effet de serre, amplifiant le réchauffement. Bref, la dynamique du pergélisol face aux changements climatiques nous concerne tous. Ce projet a reçu un premier soutien financier de l’International Permafrost Association (IPA) en 2015, et depuis, plusieurs autres partenaires se sont joints à nous. C’est grâce à eux que nous présentons aujourd’hui cette version française. Nous y voilà, donc, trois ans après cette première idée. Ce que vous vous apprê-tez à lire est le résultat de nombreux échanges entre artistes et scientifiques. Nous avons d’abord lancé un appel d’offres et reçu 49 dossiers d’artistes pro-venant de 16 pays. Au terme d’une évaluation rigoureuse, nous avons choisi deux artistes pour travailler sur ce projet : Noémie Ross du Canada et Heta Nääs de Finlande. Avec l’apport des scientifiques, Noémie et Heta ont créé de fabuleuses illustrations expliquant les changements en cours dans les régions affectées par le pergélisol, comment ces mutations affectent les populations et les espèces, et ce que font les scientifiques pour mieux comprendre ces changements et aider les populations à s’y adapter. Nous souhaitons à tous beaucoup de plaisir à lire ce livret et nous en profitons pour remercier chaleureusement tous nos partenaires., Dieses Projekt startete im Oktober 2015 mit einer verrückten Idee : Schreiben und Einreichen eines Antrags auf Förderung einer internationalen, multidisziplinären und nicht-traditionell wissenschaftlichen Projektinitiative… innerhalb von 48 Stunden. Und es hat geklappt ! Eine Gruppe hoch motivierter, junger Forscher aus Kanada und Europa hat sich gebildet um Kunst und Wissenschaft zu kombinieren und eine Reihe von Comics über Permafrost (gefrorene Böden) zu produzieren. Unser Ziel ist es, zu zeigen, wie wissenschaftliches Arbeiten im hohen Norden funktioniert, mit dem Schwerpunkt auf Geländearbeit und den schnellen Umweltveränderungen in der Arktis. Die Zielgruppe sind Kinder, Jugendliche, Eltern und Lehrer, mit dem allgemeinen Ziel, Permafrost zugänglicher und mit Spaß zu vermitteln. Denn ratet mal: Permafrost ist ein Gebiet von mehr als 20 Millionen km2 auf der Nordhalbkugel – ein riesiges Gebiet. Durch die Klimaerwärmung taut der Permafrost und wird zu instabil, um Häuser, Straßen und Flughäfen zu tragen. Durch das Auftauen von gefrorenem Boden werden außerdem Pflanzen- und Tierhabitate zerstört, die Wasserqualität und Ökologie von Seen beeinflusst und auf Grund der Freisetzung von Kohlenstoff als Treibhausgas in die Atmosphäre wird der Klimawandel sogar verstärkt. Daher betrifft Permafrost und seine Reaktion auf den Klimawandel uns alle. Die Internationale Permafrost Gemeinschaft (IPA) hat das Projekt als „Action Group“ von Beginn an unterstützt und seitdem sind noch viele weitere Sponsoren dazugekommen. Und hier sind wir nun: Zwei Jahre nach der ersten Idee. Ihr seid kurz davor das zu lesen, was das Ergebnis eines ständigen Austauschs zwischen Künstlern und Wissenschaftlern ist. Zunächst hatten wir eine Ausschreibungsrunde und erhielten 49 Bewerbungen von Künstlern aus 16 Ländern. Durch ein Bewertungsverfahren wählten wir zwei Künstlerinnen aus, um an diesem Projekt zu arbeiten: Noémie Ross aus Kanada und Heta Nääs aus Finnland. Mit den Beiträgen von Wissenschaftlern erstellten Noémie und Heta fantastische Cartoons, die ein paar der Veränderungen erklären, die in Permafrost-Gebieten passieren. Zum Beispiel: wie wird die Welt der Menschen und Tiere beeinflusst und was machen Forscher, um diese Prozesse besser zu verstehen, sodass sie den Einheimischen helfen können, innovative Wege zur Anpassung zu finden.

Notwithstanding the gradual intensification of contacts across the different parts of the circumpolar North, research on gender in the Arctic is still a fragmented field – not the least because of language barriers. The four cases presented here, all from the Far North of Russia, are intended to complement research on gender in North America and the Nordic countries. We also hope they will encourage wider use of feminist approaches in geography and social sciences. After a first overview of how gender emerged as a topic of study in the circumpolar North, the introduction will focus on gender-specific forms of mobility and immobility. Next, gender will be discussed in relation to identity and intersectionality under colonial and post-colonial conditions. Thereafter, Feminist Political Ecology and other theoretical directions are portrayed as theoretical approaches to studying gendered economies. Such contextualization of the study of gender in the Arctic prepares the ground for short summaries of the four papers in this special issue, to be concluded by a brief statement about future directions of research. Particularly the concept of intersectionality is favored as a useful basis for examining gender, indigeneity, and economic differences.

This project started in October 2015 with a crazy idea : prepare and submit a funding application for an international, multidisciplinary and non-traditional scientific outreach project… within the next 48 hours. Well, it worked out. A group of highly motivated young researchers from Canada and Europe united to combine arts and science and produce a series of outreach comic strips about permafrost (frozen ground). The aim of the project is to present and explain scientific research conducted across the circumpolar Arctic, placing emphasis on field work and the rapidly changing northern environment. The target audience is kids, youth, parents and teachers, with the general goal of making permafrost science more fun and accessible to the public. Because guess what : permafrost represents an area of more than twenty million km2 in the Northern Hemisphere, a huge area. As the climate warms, permafrost thaws and becomes unstable for houses, roads and airports. This rapid thawing of previously frozen ground also disrupts plant and animal habitats, impacts water quality and the ecology of lakes, and releases carbon into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases, making climate change even stronger. Hence permafrost and its response to climate change concerns us all. The project received initial support from the International Permafrost Association (IPA) as a targeted ‘Action Group’, and since then several other sponsors have joined the project. Here we are, now, two years after this first idea. What you are about to read is the result of an iterative process of exchanging ideas between artists and scientists. We first made an application call and received 49 applications from artists in 16 countries. Through a formal review process, we then selected two artists to work on this project: Noémie Ross from Canada, and Heta Nääs from Finland. With input from scientists, Noémie and Heta created fantastic cartoons that explain some of the changes happening to the environment in permafrost areas, how they affect people and wildlife, and what scientists are doing to better understand these changes to help people find innovative ways to adapt. We wish everyone plenty of fun reading this booklet and we would like to thank all those who supported this project., Ce projet est né en octobre 2015 avec une idée de fou : préparer et soumettre une demande de financement pour un projet de vulgarisation scientifique international, multidisciplinaire et non traditionnel… le tout en 48 heures. On dirait bien que ça a fonctionné. Un groupe de jeunes chercheurs motivés du Canada et d’Europe ont joint leurs efforts afin de réunir arts et science dans un projet de bandes dessinées sur le pergélisol (sol gelé). L’objectif de ce projet est de présenter et d’expliquer la recherche scientifique réalisée à travers l’Arctique, en mettant l’emphase sur le travail de terrain et sur l’environnement nordique en mutation. Le public-cible inclut les enfants, jeunes et moins jeunes, les parents et les enseignants, avec comme but de rendre la science du pergélisol amusante et accessible au grand public. Ce qu’il faut savoir, c’est que le pergélisol occupe une superficie de plus de vingt millions de kilomètres carrés dans l’hémisphère nord. Avec le réchauffement climatique, le pergélisol dégèle et devient plus instable sous les bâtiments, les routes et les pistes d’aéroports. Le dégel rapide d’un sol autrefois gelé perturbe également les écosystèmes, notamment la qualité de l’eau dans les milieux aquatiques, et relâche du carbone vers l’atmosphère sous forme de gaz à effet de serre, amplifiant le réchauffement. Bref, la dynamique du pergélisol face aux changements climatiques nous concerne tous. Ce projet a reçu un premier soutien financier de l’International Permafrost Association (IPA) en 2015, et depuis, plusieurs autres partenaires se sont joints à nous. C’est grâce à eux que nous présentons aujourd’hui cette version française. Nous y voilà, donc, trois ans après cette première idée. Ce que vous vous apprê-tez à lire est le résultat de nombreux échanges entre artistes et scientifiques. Nous avons d’abord lancé un appel d’offres et reçu 49 dossiers d’artistes pro-venant de 16 pays. Au terme d’une évaluation rigoureuse, nous avons choisi deux artistes pour travailler sur ce projet : Noémie Ross du Canada et Heta Nääs de Finlande. Avec l’apport des scientifiques, Noémie et Heta ont créé de fabuleuses illustrations expliquant les changements en cours dans les régions affectées par le pergélisol, comment ces mutations affectent les populations et les espèces, et ce que font les scientifiques pour mieux comprendre ces changements et aider les populations à s’y adapter. Nous souhaitons à tous beaucoup de plaisir à lire ce livret et nous en profitons pour remercier chaleureusement tous nos partenaires.

This project started in October 2015 with a crazy idea : prepare and submit a funding application for an international, multidisciplinary and non-traditional scientific outreach project… within the next 48 hours. Well, it worked out. A group of highly motivated young researchers from Canada and Europe united to combine arts and science and produce a series of outreach comic strips about permafrost (frozen ground). The aim of the project is to present and explain scientific research conducted across the circumpolar Arctic, placing emphasis on field work and the rapidly changing northern environment. The target audience is kids, youth, parents and teachers, with the general goal of making permafrost science more fun and accessible to the public. Because guess what : permafrost represents an area of more than twenty million km2 in the Northern Hemisphere, a huge area. As the climate warms, permafrost thaws and becomes unstable for houses, roads and airports. This rapid thawing of previously frozen ground also disrupts plant and animal habitats, impacts water quality and the ecology of lakes, and releases carbon into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases, making climate change even stronger. Hence permafrost and its response to climate change concerns us all. The project received initial support from the International Permafrost Association (IPA) as a targeted ‘Action Group’, and since then several other sponsors have joined the project. Here we are, now, two years after this first idea. What you are about to read is the result of an iterative process of exchanging ideas between artists and scientists. We first made an application call and received 49 applications from artists in 16 countries. Through a formal review process, we then selected two artists to work on this project: Noémie Ross from Canada, and Heta Nääs from Finland. With input from scientists, Noémie and Heta created fantastic cartoons that explain some of the changes happening to the environment in permafrost areas, how they affect people and wildlife, and what scientists are doing to better understand these changes to help people find innovative ways to adapt. We wish everyone plenty of fun reading this booklet and we would like to thank all those who supported this project.