Watermelon Snow: Science, Art, and a Lone Polar Bear

by Lynne Quarmby

Concern about the climate crisis is widespread as humans struggle to navigate life in uncertain times. From the vantage of a schooner full of artists on an adventure in the high Arctic, biologist Lynne Quarmby explains the science that convinced her of an urgent need to act on climate change and recounts how this knowledge - and the fear and panic it elicited - plunged her into unsustainable action, ending in arrests, lawsuits, and a failed electoral campaign on behalf of the Green Party of Canada. Watermelon Snow weaves memoir, microbiology, and artistic antics together with descriptions of a sublime Arctic landscape. At the top of the warming world, Quarmby struggles with burnout and grief while an aerial artist twirls high in the ship's rigging, bearded seals sing mournfully, polar bears prowl, and glaciers crumble into the sea. In a compelling narrative, sorrow and fear are balanced by beauty and wonder. The author's journey back from a life out of balance includes excursions into evolutionary history where her discoveries reveal the heart of human existence. The climate realities are as dark as the Arctic winter, yet this is a book of lightness and generosity. Quarmby's voice, intimate and original, illuminates the science while offering a reminder that much about the human experience is beyond reason. Inspiring and deeply personal, Watermelon Snow is the story of one scientist's rediscovery of what it means to live a good life at a time of increasing desperation about the future.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature

184 pages, Hardcover

Published October 22, 2020

About the author

Lynne Quarmby grew up spending lots of time in nature, near the Cowichan River on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. She currently lives, works, and plays on the occupied lands of the Coast Salish people. Lynne is a scientist and an activist. In 2015, she shared the Sterling Prize for Controversy with Poet Stephen Collis. After a BSc in Marine Biology and an MSc in Oceanography from the University of B.C., Quarmby completed her PhD in genetics and biochemistry at the University of Connecticut. Two years of postdoctoral studies at the University of Texas in Dallas lead to faculty position at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. She returned to Canada in 2000, and is now a professor of cell biology in the Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C. Together with her trainees, Quarmby has published over fifty research papers—featuring cilia and snow algae—in scientific journals.

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always struggle to rate non-fiction but this felt like a very important book to read. It was a bit too science-focused to keep me totally engaged in the science chapters, but I thoroughly enjoyed the expedition chapters. At its heart, this is a book about the existentialism of the climate crisis, and how it is unavoidable. Naturally it is a very uncomfortable read in that sense, but Quarmby puts to paper a lot of my thoughts on the matter including the slow process of grieving a world that is "too late" to fix. 3.9

[William Liggett · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the author of a different book with the same title, Watermelon Snow—this one a memoir, mine a climate fiction (Cli-Fi) novel—I was curious to learn what role the pink snow algae played in this nonfiction account. The author was on a quest to collect and document the algae in the high arctic, having found and studied it previously in the field and in her university laboratory in British Columbia where she is a microbiologist.

This memoir, written in first person, moves from subject to subject, ranging from microbes to climate activism and the role of women in science, returning to the author’s experience as one of two scientists among a group of 28 artists from all over the world, traveling for 15 days on a schooner around the Svalbard archipelago located half way between Norway and the North Pole.

I was captivated by the highly personal account of the author’s life journey that was somehow made more meaningful by her encounter with the raw beauty of the arctic landscape and wildlife. She weaves the theme of human-caused global warming through her narrative. Once made aware of the problem, she could not shake the sense of personal and collective responsibility for doing everything in her power to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including run for political office and participate in a non-violent protest leading to her arrest. As a scientist-advocate, I believe she has a rare appreciation for the intersection of science, the arts, and human relationships.

I became so enamored with her story I was sorry when the book came to an end.

[Mariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Lynne Quarmby is a gifted storyteller and also, a very gifted science communicator – her vibrant, precise imagery when describing scientific concepts (masterfully) executes the dual purpose of animating the science so it is interesting and familiarizing the science so it is accessible. Her voice as a writer has such a sincere warmth to it that this book felt like a grounding discussion with a caring, knowledgeable friend as much as it felt like a call to action. I found myself reflecting on my role, how I can better organize, how I can better act. At the same time, as I read this book, I felt I was just as welcome to weep and commiserate over feelings of grief and helplessness — and that not only were my sensitivity & feelings not unimportant and not selfish and not cumbersome, they were deeply human, important tools and motivations I could harness. Similarly to how we often dismiss our feelings as luxuries in a literal climate that demands action, I also appreciated Quarmby's discussions on the role of art (and how it can re-frame and emplot how we view realities) in a world that is also (quite often literally) on fire. This book was like hymn, almanac, diary.

I was deeply touched by her generous treatment of grief and burnout (especially her description of her presentation and Jesus from the Basque) and I found myself crying as I turned the last few pages of the book. I felt comforted, discomforted, helpless, hopeful. Above all, reverent. Above all, humbled. Above all, connected. I gave myself room to feel all of it. Now, I hope to keep this book close to my desk as I prepare to present a seminar on it (hi 872 homies!!!) and close to my heart as I commit to "embracing the responsibility of being human at this singular moment in the history of Earth."

[John Glover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lynne Quarmby is a cell biologist at Simon Fraser University who studies algae. Her latest scientific interest is in algae that bloom in snow and accumulate a red pigment turning snow the colour of watermelon... hence the title of the book. By altering the ability of the snow to reflect sunlight, these blooms probably increase the rate at which the snow melts. This interest dovetails with Quarmby's life as a climate change activist who has been arrested a couple of times for protesting the shipment of US coal through facilities in Vancouver and the Transmountain Pipeline and was unsuccessfully sued by Kinder Morgan in a move meant to scare protesters away. The book interdigitates vignettes of her scientific interests and climate change activism with the story of a schooner expedition into Arctic Circle with a diverse group of artists. By avoiding bombast and overly detailed scientific meanderings she has created a narrative that is deeply personal and moving. Rather than depicting herself as a comic book style hero, she honestly delves into the exhaustion and depression— the hallmarks of burn out. And yet there is great "heart" in this journey. A beautiful few lines if I may, "How much of a difference will we make? Perhaps more than we might imagine, yet less than we'd wish. Hope and despair are ephemeral. What matters is we have found a way to live well, however desperate the reality of our times." I read this book in one sitting— about 4 hours I can't quite put my finger on why it was such a page-turner for me. I read a lot of fiction for fun and as a distraction. Maybe I have been hankering for something meaningful and worthwhile on the bookshelf. Watermelon Snow definitely fits the bill.

[Martha Cyert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lynne Quarmby is a great storyteller with a unique life journey. She is a Canadian whose grandfather died prospecting in the Yukon. She is a Professor of Cell Biology who loves algae. She is a passionate pro-climate anti-fossil fuels activist who was arrested while protesting the Kinder Morgan trans pipeline project near her home in Vancouver. She is a politician who ran (unsuccessfully) for office representing the green party. So what is Lynne doing on a schooner trip in the Arctic Circle for artists to experience climate change up close and personal? Read the book to find out. Lynne reflects on her fascinating experiences, teaches a bit of science (both climate science and cell biology) in a very non-scientist friendly way and gives the reader a glimpse of what this amazing trip to the Arctic was like. This book is unlike any other I've ever read. It is very personal, always entertaining and inspiring in a sincere quiet way that may change the way you look at things. Part travelogue and memoir, but oh so relevant. Its like sitting next to Lynne at a dinner party and having her spin an incredible yarn about her life adventures and what she has learned from it all. Overall the book has some very profound moments, yet manages never to be heavy, didactic or preachy. Rather you want to see what will unfold next in Lynne's life and her arctic expedition and by the end she feels like your new best friend. So in addition to everything else, Lynne Quarmby is an author.

[Tanya Dahms · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Watermelon Snow, Lynne Quarmby’s pen seeps both Art and Science. Lynne distills precision biology into digestible and vibrant images, while poetically describing her artic experience and its soft spectral beauty. This biography is deeply intimate and personal, interspersing Lynne’s personal path to understanding and fighting climate change with the high artic schooner voyage she shared with a group of artists. While the subject of her scientific pursuit in the arctic remained elusive, the slowed time and subtle surroundings draw her into personal rediscovery. Few walk through the world with their hearts so open, hopeful, and willing to bear the scars of human impact on our world. Her voice rings clearly as Lynne bears witness to the most important moment in our shared history.

[Sheila Norgate]

Lynne Quarmby's Watermelon Snow: Science, Art and a Lone Polar Bear, is a beautiful, lyrical confluence of biosphere, biography, and performance art executed high in the rigging of a triple masted tall ship at the top of the world. Quarmby reveals extraordinary personal vulnerability as she mud-wrestles the twin demons of political burnout and climate compassion fatigue and emerges from the shadows into renewed wonder and hope. She knows her science and she writes it with sincerity and integrity, inviting everyone to the table of global action.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I did not understand the 'sciency' parts of this book, it was worth the effort and time. Lynne Quarmby was quite honest about the anguish she has experienced about climate change. She was also up front about her struggles, including a recognition of her own strengths (explaining data) and weaknesses (processing emotions) in talking to others about the issue. Her memoir has integrity because she is an activist who has put herself on the line in standing up for the planet. She also succeeds in conveying the beauty of a vanishing part of our world.

[Jacqueline Worboys · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author joins an Arctic expedition in 2017 to examine the effects of climate change upon our world; change is accelerated in the Polar regions. Her small shipload of scientists and artists examines phemonema and learns from each other. Her specialty: red snow, aka watermelon snow caused by archea which produces methane, changing the Arctic balance of life in a most terrifying way yet to come to us all. Serious writing by a talented professor at Simon Fraser University. Definitely worth a read.

[Heather Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read, especially given the topic. Scientist Quarmby joins a group of artists on a tall ship in the Arctic Ocean, where the effects of climate change are grimly evident. Beauty and loss, microbiology and activism, feminism and environmental grief weave in and out through the compelling story. Quarmby is a strong, articulate narrator. It is easy to imagine this being turned into a movie, with Reece Witherspoon or Renee Zellweger in the lead role, and Jean-Marc Vallee directing.

[Pippa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is essential read for activists facing burnout, artists looking to tell stories about the environment, or anyone dealing with their own grief and fear at our changing climate. It's funny, adventurous, poetic and meditative, and a introspective look at finding strength in the face of it all. Hugely recommend!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is set on a cruise ship in the summer, but it's a book about ice! More specifically, it's about climate change. I've read a LOT of books about climate change, but this one is different from those. It has short vignette-type chapters that alternate between a sort of autobiography of the author and retelling of her voyage in the Arctic Circle. The theme, really, is how do we deal emotionally with the immediacy of climate change. How do we continue in a world where we know the ice is with us for only a limited time? How do we balance the optimism required for activism with the desperation and hopelessness required by the reality of climate change? There are no easy answers here, but I really appreciate a book that asks the right questions.

[Gi V · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really honest book about our powerlessness in the face of the climate and nature emergency. Since we are the cause, shouldn't we also be able to find solutions? Like the author, I have also been depressed and felt burned out by the politics preventing positive action, but unlike the author I haven't become an activist. She's very inspiring.

[Marjory Lang · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am listening to the audiobook of Watermelon Snow, narrated by Pippa Johnstone. The writing is lyrical as Quarmby draws you into to her world of science, activism and climate grief. Her metaphors to elucidate her mini lessons on cell biology are lively and apt.

[Nick D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much liked the expedition and science chapters. The autobiographical stuff was.less to my taste, but still interesting. Explanation of E. coli "navigation" was particularly good!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book hits so close to home (metaphorically and literally). Quarmby’s voice demands to be heard. Very excited for her to visit to our seminar!

[Graeme Waymark · Rating 4 out of 5]

2. August, 2022
I am still reading this SHORT book; it is not a novel but an eloquent, scientific paper laced with anecdotes about the Arts, a Polar Bear, and the genesis of the microbes that could and can be found in every cell involved in life on Earth. It is so informative for a curious person like me, that I am reading it two to three pages at a time. I saw it as a 4star read and still do!

1. July, 2022
I have not finished this yet, but it deserves a rating at least while I dip in and out as more of a reference book and educational for me than a quick read novel. I am enjoying it because of my age, at 77 years, this sort of earth science interests me strongly. Also, I am from BC and so is the author and she talks from a viewpoint of which I am very familiar. Finally, she is a graduate of Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, where I received my post graduate degree. Other than that, it is well written and as much fun to read as a textual book as the title teases: Watermelon Snow ??? and Polar Bears. Yes Martha, this is an adult book and not for kiddies! I will be back when finished. For now I am taking my time and learning.