The Arctic

Imagine a big, quiet place covered in a blanket of soft, white snow. My ice glitters and shines like a thousand tiny stars. At night, beautiful green and purple lights dance across my sky, like ribbons waving hello. It is very chilly here, but also very beautiful. I am the Arctic, the very top of the world.

My first friends were fluffy white polar bears who love to play and splashy seals who pop their heads out of the water to say hi. A very, very long time ago, brave people came to live with me. They are the Inuit people. They learned how to build cozy homes from snow to stay warm. They used sleds to slide across my icy ground and became my very best friends. They know all my secrets and how to live happily in my cold, bright land.

Then, new visitors came on big ships. They were explorers on a great adventure. A brave man named Robert Peary wanted to reach my tippy-top, the North Pole. On a special day, April 6th, 1909, he finally did. He traveled with sleds and strong dogs, exploring my wide, icy world. It was a very exciting journey for everyone who came to see me.

Today, new friends come to visit me. They are scientists who want to learn how to keep our world healthy and strong. I am a very special place that helps the whole Earth stay cool. When you help take care of me, you help take care of our big, beautiful planet for all the animals and for you, too. I am here to remind everyone to be kind to our world.