Arctic Edge Expedition Documents Northernmost Plant on Greenland’s Cafe Klubin Island

A four-person team travels from Iceland to Inuit Kerkat, also known as Cafe Klubin Island, at the northern tip of Greenland to document the northernmost plant life. The journey, slowed by thawing permafrost and expanding meltwater, culminates in the discovery that the northernmost plant on Earth is an unnamed moss, not the expected poppy or moss. Along the way, the team highlights gaps in ground-level ecological data, the resilience of life in a warming Arctic, and the enduring value of exploration. The episode blends field science with storytelling, offering a vivid snapshot of life at the Arctic edge and what it signals for the future of Arctic ecosystems.

Introduction: The Edge of the Earth

The Shortwave team sets out on a rare expedition to Inuit Kerkat, or Cafe Klubin Island, the northernmost landmass on Earth, to document what plants currently survive at the edge of the Arctic. This blank spot on the map represents more than a cataloging exercise; it is a baseline for tracking how climate change reshapes Arctic ecosystems over decades.

Expedition Team and Journey

A hardy four-person crew—led by ecologist Brian Bouma, joined by geophotographer Jeff Kirby, Greenlandic archaeologist Aka Simonsen, and journalist Alejandra Borunda—flies from Iceland and traverses sea ice to reach the island. The trek is physically demanding due to unexpectedly warm weather that thaws permafrost, turning planned firm ground into boggy terrain and widening rivers that must be crossed. The crew documents not only plants but the landscape itself, capturing high-detail records for future comparison.

"We still have really fundamental gaps in Understanding how things work, satellite images and fancy tech doesn't solve all the problems that boots on the ground can." - Jeff Kirby

Findings: The Northernmost Flora

On arrival, the team discovers the gravel island hosts life in surprising abundance, including arctic poppies and an unnamed moss. They perform longitudinal sweeps to catalog life and even test their limits with a post-landing swim in the Arctic Ocean. In a twist of observation, the unnamed moss emerges as the northernmost plant, narrowly outpacing the first poppy sighting and challenging preconceptions about what constitutes the edge flora.

As they near their final measurements, GPS confirms their position at approximately 88.6650 degrees north, underscoring how far life can extend in a warming Arctic. The day’s celebrations—natural and scientific—underline the human impulse to explore, even when the results defy expectations.

"It's great to have a few blank spots on the map still in many ways." - Brian Bouma

Climate Change and Arctic Change

The expedition notes that the Arctic is among the fastest-warming regions on the planet, with warming temperatures enabling more plant life to endure the Arctic summer. The team emphasizes that this is a baseline observation: with repeated visits in 20, 50, or 100 years, scientists can chart how warming alters species distribution and the carbon cycle in permafrost regions.

Climate change is not just accelerating growth but reshaping the very fabric of the Arctic landscape, including how permafrost thaws and what streams and rivers appear. The field notes and on-site measurements become a living archive that future researchers can compare against, revealing the trajectory of Arctic ecological responses to warming.

"Climate change is making it easier for plants to survive, especially in the summer season." - Brian Bouma

Reflections: The Value of Exploration and Science

Beyond the scientific outcomes, the crew discusses the human drive to explore, to stand at the edge and wonder what lies beyond. The experience blends wonder with rigorous documentation, illustrating how exploration can inspire deeper questions about climate resilience in extreme environments.

"Just basic curiosity, I think. What's over the next hill up until there's no more hills?" - Alejandra Borunda