Bjornoya (Bear Island), Svalbard

Two days ago we left the birch forest of northern Norway. Today, we walk on the tundra of Bear Island. This isolated island in the Barents Sea is the southernmost island of the Svalbard Archipelago. There can be no doubt that we are in the Arctic now! The vegetation forms a mat scarcely rising above the ground surface, but get down on your hands and knees and you find the most beautiful miniature garden of tiny tundra plants. The tundra is rich in species of saxifrage. Three of them are shown here: the tufted saxifrage (upper left), purple saxifrage (lower left) and snow saxifrage (right). We also saw delicate Svalbard poppies and prostrate mats of polar willow. We marvel that these seemingly delicate plants can endure the rigors of the severe arctic climate, but endure and flourish they do.