Back to Antarctica 2022 Season Blog

Port Lockroy team members Kit Adams and Lucy Dorman, along with Conservation Carpenter Tank Adams, are finally travelling to Port Lockroy as we approach almost two years away from Antarctica. They will carry out essential assessments and repairs to our sites as well as lay a power cable to connect Bransfield House to the solar array installed on the Nissen Hut. The team will also install a new weather station funded by our Big Give campaign and get to work on the penguin survey. While Penguin Post Office isn't reopening in its usual capacity for now, Kit and Lucy will be handling any post that arrives at Port Lockroy. Follow their journey below.

Back to Antarctica 2022 Season Blog

Port Lockroy team members Kit Adams and Lucy Dorman, along with Conservation Carpenter Tank Adams, are finally travelling to Port Lockroy as we approach almost two years away from Antarctica. They will carry out essential assessments and repairs to our sites as well as lay a power cable to connect Bransfield House to the solar array installed on the Nissen Hut. The team will also install a new weather station funded by our Big Give campaign and get to work on the penguin survey. While Penguin Post Office isn't reopening in its usual capacity for now, Kit and Lucy will be handling any post that arrives at Port Lockroy. Follow their journey below.

New season of Antarctica in Sight: Live! launches

13/11/2022

Are you fascinated by Antarctica? Are you curious about its amazing history and hidden heritage?

Join us for a new season of Antarctica In Sight: Live!, our online talks bringing together scientists, adventurers, artists and historians to explore the past, present and future of Antarctica, and what we need to do to protect this extraordinary place.

Our first event will look at the amazing rediscovery of Shackleton’s Endurance and explore how the wreck might be protected in future, while our December talk will delve into the art of Antarctic culinary survival, with guests sharing their favourite Antarctic recipes and stories from the archives.

All talks are streamed live online and are fully interactive. Join us to pose your questions to the panel and hear first-hand from experts who have made Antarctica their life’s work.

The first two events are booking now:

Enduring Discoveries: finding and conserving Shackleton’s Endurance

Monday 21st November, 6-7pm, online

This year saw one of the most significant missions in the history of Antarctic heritage conservation. The wreck of Shackelton’s Endurance was found more than 100 years after sinking into the Weddell Sea. Lying at a depth of almost 10,000 feet, the ship is reported to be in excellent condition and has been designated as a protected historic site and monument under the Antarctic Treaty System. On the anniversary of the sinking of Shackleton’s Endurance, we will be discussing the amazing story of its rediscovery and what this means for its future conservation. We’ll be joined by very special guests John Shears, expedition leader with Endurance22, and Hefin Meara, maritime archaeologist with Historic England. Together they will uncover this amazing discovery process, the impossible conditions faced and the complex challenges of deciding how to protect the ship in future. 

BOOK NOW

The Great Antarctic Menu: cooking, dining and surviving in the extremes

Tuesday 13th December, 6-7pm, online

With the festive season on the horizon, we explore the story of food in Antarctica: from surviving on dwindling supplies to conjuring up a festive feast from a tin. We’ll talk about the many food-related artefacts that can be found across the sites we preserve, explore creative menus from the archive, and discover what happened when food supplies ran low. And with three vegetarian team members heading to Port Lockroy for the first time, we discuss what it it takes to go meat-free in Antarctica and what we can all do to reduce our culinary footprint. We’ll be joined by Carole Devine and Wendy Trussler to discuss their travelogue, The Antarctic Book of Cooking and Cleaning and Henrietta Hammant, archaeologist and anthropologist at the University of Reading who will uncover stories of food from the archives.

BOOK NOW

We hope to see you there!

Find out more about the Antarctica In Sight talk series

 

Lawrence Becko, Creative Producer

Many historic expeditions and explorers, including the men of Operation Tabarin (a top secret mission to Antarctica during World War II) have followed this same route to Antarctica. Whilst I set sail on a modern ship, the 14 men of Operation Tabarin left Stanley on 2 small ships, one of which was not ice strengthened. Not only did they have the dangers of a polar expedition in front of them, but also the potential threat of enemy forces during WWII.

This film captures the 134ft HMS William Scorseby at sea in Feb 1944 (Reproduced courtesy of BAS Archives, Ref AD6/16/1944/1.1).

We, like our polar ancestors, are now heading South through the furious 50°'s and eventually to the screaming 60°’s, where the winds batter the Southern Ocean, with terrifying intensity. I cannot begin to imagine what it would have been on The Scorseby, with the men of Operation Tabarin in such weather. I am hoping to experience some of the beauty and wonder of Antarctica's wildlife on my journey there. With perhaps a small bit of Antarctic adventure thrown in. Although perhaps I should be careful what I wish for!

Follow the team's progress on social media using #BacktoAntarctica

Read the team's blog from the beginning

Read Sally's next blog