Filming glacier fieldwork with Norwegian explorer Lars Monsen

Jemma Wadham from the iC3 Polar Research Hub has teamed up with Norwegian outdoor legend Lars Monsen to bring the magic of glaciers to a national television audience.

Over the course of five days, accompanied by a film crew from Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, Lars and Jemma hiked through Seiland national park and explored how the local glacier, Seilandjøkelen, affects wildlife in lakes, streams and fjords.

Jemma explained that:

“Glaciers are often remote, but the effects of their meltwaters stretch far beyond their borders, sustaining and shaping life, controlling the level of our seas and even our climate. Everything around glaciers must live in tune with the seasonal rhythm of their meltwater.”

“Finding new ways to take people to these often inhospitable places and to capture their beauty and importance is vital as they come under increasing threat in a warming Arctic climate.” 

Seiland national park is located on a remote island in Norway’s far north that can only be reached by boat.

Lars Monsen is a household name in Norway thanks to multiple books and television programmes in which he has chronicled his love for nature and outdoor adventures, including a long-distance hike all the way across northern Canada.

Jemma Wadham is the director of iC3 and the author of Ice Rivers, a popular science book about glaciers.

The Seiland expedition will be broadcast to a national audience in 2026 as part of an ongoing series in which Lars Monsen hikes across many of Norway’s 48 national parks. The first six episodes of the series have already been produced and can be watched online (English subtitles available).

“I hope that viewers will get a feeling that they have travelled in some way to a unique and stunningly beautiful island crowned by glacial ice, whilst gaining an understanding that these wildernesses are also fragile and sensitive to change,” Jemma said.

Credit for all photos: iC3 Polar Research Hub