nPostednon February 7, 2014
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Hownwould you like to be chosen Miss Iceworm?
Hownwould you like to be chosen Miss Iceworm?n
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nUm….
nUm….
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nTrustnme, it’s a thing! In Cordova, Alaska, the first full weekend ofnFebruary is the Iceworm Festival, and one of the events is thencrowning of Miss Iceworm. Other events include everything from annarts and crafts show and photography competition to a cook off and annice cream feed. There are competitions in oyster shucking, ping pong,ndodgeball, and cribbage; there is a parade, a variety show and anfireworks spectacular!
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nCordovanbills itself as Alaska’s “hidden treasure.” It is a small city onnthe ocean (the bit of ocean called the Prince William Sound), nearnthe mouth of the Copper River. It’s a fishing town, but of course itnwants to attract tourists, too. In May, when millions of migratingnshorebirds stop near Cordova to rest and feed, Cordova hosts anShorebird Festival; in the winter, the town fights off the winternblues by hosting the Iceworm Festival!
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Somenof the events at the festival seem particularly Alaskan. Instead of an“Polar Bear Plunge,” in which the challenge is to “just” jumpninto the icy ocean waters, Cordova locals have a Survival Suit Race.nLocals race to the docks, hurry to don their survival gear, and thenndive in and continue racing to a life raft. The Blessing of the Fleet, the purchasing of Shaving Permitsnfrom the Keystone Cops, and the Iceworm Tail Hunt are events thatnmake me wonder: what goes on in Cordova this weekend?
Somenof the events at the festival seem particularly Alaskan. Instead of an“Polar Bear Plunge,” in which the challenge is to “just” jumpninto the icy ocean waters, Cordova locals have a Survival Suit Race.nLocals race to the docks, hurry to don their survival gear, and thenndive in and continue racing to a life raft. The Blessing of the Fleet, the purchasing of Shaving Permitsnfrom the Keystone Cops, and the Iceworm Tail Hunt are events thatnmake me wonder: what goes on in Cordova this weekend?n
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nAndnjust what are ice worms?
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Therenare a few species of annelid (segmented) worms that spend theirnentire lives in glacial ice. These ice worms were discovered innAlaska in the late 1800s, but they have since been found in glaciersnin British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon as well. Interestinglynenough, no ice worms have been found elsewhere in the world, evennthough there are other glacial regions!
Therenare a few species of annelid (segmented) worms that spend theirnentire lives in glacial ice. These ice worms were discovered innAlaska in the late 1800s, but they have since been found in glaciersnin British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon as well. Interestinglynenough, no ice worms have been found elsewhere in the world, evennthough there are other glacial regions!n
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nYounhave probably guessed that ice worms have very special adaptationsnthat allow them to live in such a cold environment. Of course, thisnmeans that they can’t live in a warmer place. At 5 degrees Celsiusn(41 degrees Fahrenheit), their cell membranes fall apart, and thenworms seem to melt. And, trust me, 5 degrees C (41 degrees F) is NOTnwarm by human standards!
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nIcenworms may tunnel through the ice by secreting some sort ofnanti-freeze chemical, or they may just wriggle through tiny cracks innthe ice. They eat snow algae, coming to the surface of glaciers everynevening. They are what is known as “sun-avoiders,” however, andnretreat underneath the ice before dawn. n
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nEvennthough ice worms are small—several centimeters (about an inch)nlong—they can be numerous. A population count on a Washingtonnglacier indicated more than seven billion worms on that glaciernalone!
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nAlsonon this date:
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“e”Day
“e”Day
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nGrenada’snIndependence Day
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nGrenada’snIndependence Day
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nAuthornCharles Dickens’s birthday
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nAuthornCharles Dickens’s birthday
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nAnniversarynof a river flowing uphill
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nAnniversarynof a river flowing uphill
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nAuthornLaura Ingalls Wilder’s birthday
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nAuthornLaura Ingalls Wilder’s birthday
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nPlannahead:
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nPlannahead:
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nChecknout my Pinterest boards for:
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nAndnhere are my Pinterest boards for:
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