🐧 Support our Inspiring Explorers™ appeal and give today! 🐧

Ross Sea Heritage Restoration Project

Ross Sea Heritage Restoration Project

The largest heritage project ever undertaken in the polar regions.

In 2002, HRH Princess Anne launched the Trust’s Ross Sea Heritage Restoration Project (RSHRP) in Antarctica, a multi-year, multi-site international heritage conservation project to secure the five historic explorer bases of Scott, Shackleton, Borchgrevink and Hillary, and conserve the thousands of artefacts associated with the sites. At around the same time the international community began to recognise the importance of these sites. The Getty Foundation made significant funding available for the project and the World Monuments Fund listed all four sites on their 2008 list of the 100 Most Endangered Sites on Earth. They are also protected under the Antarctic Treaty System.

Since 2006 the Trust has engaged over 80 international heritage and conservation specialists in Antarctica, working in our custom-built facilities in the most challenging heritage conservation environment on Earth.

Conservation Plans for each of the Explorer Bases, developed as part of the Ross Sea Heritage Restoration Project, can be purchased by emailing info@nzaht.org

Read the latest conservation news:

Antarctic Heritage Trust

Protecting and Repatriating Artefacts at Scott’s ‘Terra Nova’ hut

, , , ,
A key project, in addition to maintenance and monitoring work at Scott’s Terra Nova hut at Cape Evans work was to reduce the dust levels from the scoria in the stables and western annex.
Antarctic Heritage Trust

Preventing Blubber Ooze at Scott’s ‘Discovery’ Hut

, , , ,
At Scott’s Discovery hut at Hut Point, a stack of seal blubber within the hut has been oozing oil onto the adjacent floorboards during the warm summer months.
Antarctic Heritage Trust

Conserving Shackleton’s Venesta Cases

, , , ,
The largest and most challenging task this 2021/22 season was at Shackleton’s Nimrod hut at Cape Royds.

You can conserve these incredible places

Each year our expert team of conservators travel to Antarctica to maintain and conserve these huts and the 20,000 artefacts left inside. This ongoing work ensures that the legacy of Antarctic exploration continues for generations to come. But we cannot do this work without help from people like you.

By making a gift to the Trust you can help conserve the legacy of Antarctic exploration. If you’re passionate about this work, consider becoming an Antarctic Explorer Member or leaving a gift in your Will.