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Antarctic conservation blog

This blog describes what it's like to spend time in Antarctica conserving artefacts from the explorer's hut left behind by Captain Robert Falcon Scott in 1911 when he journeyed to the South Pole.

It is being written by members of the 2010 winter conservation team, Nicola, Mindy, Georgina and Jane. Previous entries were written by the summer and winter conservation teams from 2006 onwards, who have now left Scott Base.

Our little corner of the world

Mindy, Thursday 18 March 2010

Temperature: -20.8°C
Wind Speed: 4 knots
Temp with wind chill: approximately -25°C

Our AHT conservation lab at Scott Base is nestled in a corner of the Hillary Field Centre (HFC). The HFC is the newest building at Scott Base, and the only 2-storey structure on site. Built during the 2004-05 season, it was officially opened by the late Sir Edmund Hillary (Patron and long term supporter of the Trust).

The Hillary Field Centre © AHT / M Bell

At any given time it can be full of cargo, vehicles, field equipment and supplies, and food for the base and field events. There’s also room for offices, training rooms, a gym, and field prep areas.

Tents set up for their winter check and maintenance © AHT / M Bell

In the winter we move into the HFC science prep area, used by scientists during the summer to organise their field equipment and supplies. One of our first jobs of the season was to move our equipment from our outside container labs into this area in the HFC. Many hands make light work (thanks to Scott Base staff for their assistance), and we were soon set up and running. With careful consideration we organised work benches, computer stations, storage spaces, tables for artefacts, and areas for fume hoods and a microscope.

Nicola and Jane at work in our lab space © AHT / M Bell

After a month working in the lab, we are quite happy with our cosy little lab space. Well, maybe we could do with a few more posters…

Posted in Antarctica, Scott Base

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Culinary traditions in Antarctica

Jane, Monday 15 March 2010

Temperature: -25⁰C
Wind speed: 10 Knots
Temp with wind chill: -35⁰C

Wintering over in Antarctica is a challenge for everyone, with the lack of light and minimal contact with the outside world. The chef, in particular, has a very difficult job but manages to keep us all happy.

Bobbie, our chef, making sausage rolls © AHT / J Hamill

Our last delivery of fresh food was a few weeks ago and with no more until late August we are making the most of the fresh fruit and vegetables, before moving on to frozen veg. It is a challenge today for our chef, Bobbie, to keep the menu exciting with limited supplies, as it was for Clissold, the cook on Captain Scott’s Terra Nova expedition back in 1910-1913.

We tend to eat a lot here. We like to think that it’s because we use so much energy when out in the cold or because we work such long hours as part of our winter work programme, but really it’s because it all tastes so good.

Clissold making bread and sausage rolls, winter 1911, with Frys cocoa powder in the background © Scott Polar Research Institute

Some things in Antarctic cooking haven’t changed since Clissold was cook. When Bobbie visited our conservation lab and saw the tins of food we are conserving, we discovered that, like Clissold, she too uses powdered egg. We were shocked and asked her not to tell us when she does.

Tins of powdered egg and Frys cocoa powder during conservation in our lab © AHT / N Dunn

Even the long-standing tradition of sausage rolls continues, only now our vegan chef makes amazing vegetarian ones just for me!

Posted in Antarctica, Conservation, Scott, Scott Base, Social life

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Thar she blows!

George, Thursday 11 March 2010

Temperature: -14°C
Wind Speed: 20 knots
Temp with wind chill: -34°C

When we arrived in Antarctica and approached Scott Base for the first time, I was surprised to notice 3 large wind turbines above the base on Crater Hill. I’d never seen them in any photos of the area and had read that the electricity for the base came from diesel generators, which it had, until last December. Now the generators are silent and the base is run entirely on wind power, with the surplus electricity going to McMurdo Station ( the American Antarctic base located 3km away).

Building the windfarm © Antarctica New Zealand / Hayden Harrison

The wind turbines themselves are specially designed for low temperature operation, and so they do not have gearboxes with oil that can ice up. Erecting them was an engineering feat in itself and the foundations had to be made in New Zealand and transported here by ship due to the difficulty of setting concrete in extreme low temperatures.

Fitting the nose cap © Antarctica New Zealand / Hayden Harrison

Scott Base has always prided itself on being as green on the inside as it is on the outside, and this is a very significant step towards sustainability. It’s a great feeling to realise that every time you switch on a light or log on to a computer, the juice is provided by the wind whistling around outside!

Posted in Antarctica

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Winter Antarctic field training

Nicola, Monday 8 March 2010

Temperature: -7.5 °C
Wind Speed: 15 knots
Temp with wind chill: -22 °C

We’ve just returned from our Antarctic Field Training, a little cold around the edges, but more confident in our surroundings and aware of the hazards of the Antarctic environment. We are now proficient at dressing in the layers of specialist clothing to avoid frost bite and hypothermia, putting up polar tents and using hand held GPS to navigate across the ice.

Mindy and Jane in the kitchen preparing dinner © AHT / N Dunn

Tom, the Base Manager, took us to spend a night camping out on the ice to put our new skills into practice. We had beautiful weather and blue skies but the cold and the thick clothing makes everything just a little bit more difficult. For dinner we boiled water to reconstitute packets of dried curry. Sounds easy, but we learnt that it takes a huge amount of snow and fuel to get a small amount of water. We then ate the steaming packets quickly as they rapidly chilled and froze, as did our beakers of tea.

As I climbed into my comfortable, down sleeping bag, keeping my hat and gloves on and hugging my water bottle to stop it freezing, I couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to sleep in a Norwegian reindeer fur bag like the ones I treated at the Reserve Collection (see 15th January).

We all enjoyed taking a break together away from base, and getting out into the Antarctic landscape. It definitely gave us a better appreciation of Scott and Shackleton and all the early explorer’s experiences on their long sledging journeys.

Posted in Antarctica

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A walk up the Hill

Mindy, Friday 5 March 2010

Temperature: -10.0°C
Wind Speed: 2 knots
Temp with wind chill: approximately -12°C

In the wee hours of February 21st the sun set for the first time this winter season. The days will keep getting progressively shorter until we are surrounded by the 24-hour Antarctic night skies.

So, while we still have some light and temperatures are reasonable, our little Antarctic Heritage Trust group made its way up to the top of nearby Observation Hill (about a twenty minute walk from Scott Base). Not only is it good to become familiar with local recreational routes before travel is complicated by the dark and cold, but we also had a chance to see the cross at the top of Observation Hill and carry out some conservation work on the memorial cross.

The view from the top is completely worth the 250m climb up the hill (even after carrying a ladder). Looking out over the Ross Ice Shelf, you can gaze straight south – exactly as the men of the British Antarctic Expedition (1910-1913) did while waiting for Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s return from the South Pole. With the tragic fate of the Polar Party confirmed, a tall wooden cross was erected in their memory at the top of the hill in 1913.

Any opportunity to see the famous Observation Hill Memorial Cross is an inspiring experience, and hopefully we will have a chance to visit more of the local landmarks before the winter fully descends.