As a college student about 25 years ago, Heather Goldstone, science correspondent for WCAI, local NPR for the Cape, Coast and Islands and a service of WGBH, walked for the first time on a glacier, awed by its grandeur and seeming permanence.

In September, she will set foot on a glacier again, this time as part of WGBH’s LearningTour to Iceland.

Since her first glacial tour more than two decades ago, Goldstone has earned a PhD in ocean science from M.I.T. and become a science journalist—and glaciers have evolved to become one of the world’s most dramatic measures of environmental change.

“When I walked on a glacier in college, it was cool,” she said. “But today, I feel like glaciers have almost a persona. They are such huge players in climate change.”

On the trip to Iceland this fall, which will accommodate about 36 travelers, Goldstone and the tour guides will help travelers dig into the science and environment of Iceland. Goldstone also plans to offer a broader vision of what environmental protection entails.

“My view of the environment in my reporting is that it shouldn't be this separate other thing that's only for people who call themselves environmentalists,” she says. “This trip will be an opportunity to mindfully learn about and appreciate how environment weaves its way into all parts of our lives and how our lives impact the environment.”

While the net impact of climate change on humanity is overwhelmingly negative, Goldstone adds, some species and communities see some benefits from it. Iceland, for example, is being transformed by climate change—losing glaciers and gaining agriculture.

“Iceland is farther ahead in addressing climate change: the country runs off 98 percent renewable energy,” she says. However, she adds, “It’s because of its amazing geology, so it's not actually a model for the rest of the world."

The tour will include a visit to a sustainable greenhouse, meals featuring its produce, cooking classes in traditional Icelandic food and scenic hikes.

“It’s a great opportunity to connect the dots between environment, culture and policy,” says Goldstone.

While it’s an immersive tour, Goldstone notes, “We’re not going to be doing anything that requires an especially high level of physical fitness. What it really requires is being game.”

Learn more about the tour to Iceland, which will run September 10-18, 2019, here.