Following a mandatory two-week period of isolation, the Trust’s On-Ice conservation team deployed to Ross Island, Antarctica in early December.
Despite the ramifications of Covid-19, our conservation team have successfully completed the essential monitoring and maintenance programme at the Ross Island historic huts in November and December 2020, thanks to the support of Antarctica New Zealand, in what has been an extremely challenging year for their operations.
AHT discovered that a section of this cable had corroded through after more than 100 years, making the cable unfit for purpose.
The Trust worked very closely with Dulux to research historic paint archives, and examine the multitude of different coloured interior and exterior paint samples from the hut itself.
The COVID-19 global pandemic has impacted the Trust’s Antarctic operations for the upcoming 2020-2021 season.
Antarctic Heritage Trust is excited to have a new creative project being developed using augmented reality (AR).
The Trust was honoured to have New Zealand Prime Minister Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern launch a new book, ‘Hillary’s Antarctica’, at an event in the New Zealand Parliament Grand Hall in late October.
There’s an Antarctic specific occasion which only a few folks ever get to celebrate, and this week AHT’s programme manager Lizzie was one of them – 1000 days on ice!
Over the last ten years with the Trust, Lizzie has spent a winter at New Zealand’s Scott Base, and many summers working at the historic expedition bases of Scott, Shackleton, Borchgrevink and Hillary, as well as work on the Antarctic Peninsula. So that’s 142 weeks, 33 months, 2.7 years, five expedition bases, over 20,000 artefacts, and one magnificent cake made by the fantastic Scott Base chefs.
Lizzie says, “Cheers to the AHT and Scott Base teams over the years – Antarctica is a beautiful and challenging place to work, but the best thing about it is the pride and passion folks here bring to the job.”
Antarctic Heritage Trust Conservation team members Martin Wenzel, Lizzie Meek, Nicola Dunn and Mike Gillies celebrate Lizzie’s 1000 days on the Ice
“Like seeing Antarctica for the first time” is how Lizzie Meek (Programme Manager – Artefacts) described her experience at Stonington Island on the Antarctic Peninsula.
Antarctic Heritage Trust
7 Ron Guthrey Road, Christchurch 8053, New Zealand
Private Bag 4745, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
Antarctic Heritage Trust
7 Ron Guthrey Road, Christchurch 8053, New Zealand
Private Bag 4745, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand