MEDIA, Pa. — Second-year finance student DJ Woodward combined his lifelong love for polar bears with his interest in data storytelling to create a quilt that sheds light on the effects of climate change in the Arctic during World Polar Bear Week.
World Polar Bear Week, started by Polar Bears International, was selected to be at the beginning of November to coincide with the annual gathering of polar bears near Churchill, Canada, as they wait for sea ice to form on the Hudson Bay so they can return to hunting seals.
Over the summer, Woodward, along with his grandmother, collaborated to create the data visualization quilt that depicts the shrinking ice volume in the Arctic. The quilt, titled “Solo,” shows a polar bear standing alone on a small patch of sea ice.
“I have always loved polar bears, and they have been a big part of my personality and life since I was in elementary school,” Woodward said. “About two years ago, I made my first quilt with my grandmother, which was a map of Scandinavia, and I knew after that my next project would have to do with polar bears or the Arctic or climate change in some capacity.
“My grandmother guided me through the process, helped me figure out what the next steps were, helped pick out fabrics, we bounced ideas off of each other, but I was ultimately the one responsible for doing the physical work of putting the quilt together.”
The project was completed under the mentorship of Laura Guertin, distinguished professor of Earth sciences. The mentorship guided Woodward through both the creative process and the integration of environmental data to bring the piece to life.
“I took a geography class with Dr. Guertin last spring, and she would talk to our class about how she makes data visualization quilts. One day after class, I came up to her and told her about the Scandinavian quilt I had done, which, to my surprise, she said she saw at a quilt show I displayed it at,” he said.
“She told me about how there was an independent study available to me where I could make a data visualization quilt of my own, so that May, she sent me the information and guidelines, and we got to work.”
Woodward’s quilt is currently on display in the Penn State Brandywine library. Visitors can view “Solo” in person and scan a QR code to view Woodward’s StoryMap about the status of Arctic polar bear populations and his process for creating the quilt.
“I loved spending time with my grandmother and learning more about her hobby, but I also loved using a part of my brain that I don't normally use. I am a finance major, so I am very numbers-oriented and analytical,” he said. “There aren't many chances in my life to be ‘artsy,’ so having a hobby and project that tap into the creative side of my brain was a great way to de-stress after a long day.”