Arizona 2 Alaska
A motorbike expedition to the arctic circle
All Expeditions


THe expedition
From April to June 2023, Polarquest team will be setting off on a multi-country expedition across half a continent! The team will be travelling from Arizona to Alaska, heading north into the Arctic Circle and Denali National Park. This incredible journey will be done primarily by motorbike, as well as ferry and seaplane.
We’ll be revealing each leg of the trip as it progresses, but look forward to locations visited by familiar historical faces and citizen science projects on our key issues!
Meet the Adventurers
At the wheel will be Mike Struik. Mike is an aeronautical engineer working at CERN and longtime Polarquest adventurer. He acted as technical coordinator for the Polarquest 2018 and 2021 expeditions and is an enthusiastic adventure photographer and arctic reporter.
At his side will be Paola Catapano, Polarquest Project Leader. In addition to her Polarquest expeditions, Paola is a science communicator at CERN, science journalist, arctic and antarctic reporter, and much more.

Arizona to Alaska: The full expedition
News & Media Coverage
Reporting Live on Il Kilimangiaro Estate
Paola Catapano reports live from the Alaska SeaLife Center (Seward) on Il Kilimangiaro Estate TV (Rai Tre).
Tracking Marine Debris in Alaska
Polarquest’s Paola Catapano shares her experience using citizen science technology to track marine debris in the remote Chilkat inlet of Alaska.
Citizen Science in Action in California
On the road from Arizona2Alaska, the Polarquest team meet with Friends of the Dunes to learn about invasive species on the California coast.