Student story: Niels Christian Staugaard Nielsen's summer semester in Nuuk
The following story is written by Niels Christian Staugaard Nielsen, master student in biology at Aarhus University and collaborating with the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, summer 2025.
Arriving in Nuuk on the 4th of August 2025, I spent the following 3 weeks living at the Kobbefjord research station from which I did the fieldwork for my master thesis. During the weekly boat rides back and forth from Nuuk I was once again reminded of the majestic beauty of the Greenlandic landscapes and the transient nature of the weather.
I have been fortunate enough to visit Greenland a few times now and each time it has shaped greatly my cultural and scientific understanding of this Arctic region. As I bachelor student, I focused on the changing flowering-phenology of the arctic Dryas flowers in Southern Greenland and possible consequences for plant-pollinator interactions. This time around, I am working with changes in vegetation structure due to global warming, focusing especially on bryophytes as they constitute an essential yet understudied part of the Arctic flora.
Although it was not my first time visiting Nuuk/Kobbefjord, it was my first time having the sole responsibility for the field work. Luckily, and despite challenging weather, the research station did not only provide the perfect conditions to conduct my field work but also gave me a valuable opportunity to network with international researchers and like-minded colleagues.
All in all, a very successful, educative and pleasant stay. I very much hope to return some time in the future!