Only 1 day remaining before we head off to Norway for 10 days of Arctic winter snow survival training. This time tomorrow, I’ll be on a plane over Norway heading for Alta in the far north. Alta is located in the Finnmark region of Norway almost 70 degrees north and well within the Arctic Circle (66 degrees north).
Half the excitement of an expedition is in the anticipation and of course the packing. I’ve been going through all my kit trying to figure out what will work best in that environment and if I have an excuse to buy anything new and fancy. It’s just deciding what not to take that’s tricky! I’ve kept up my training since the Half Marathon (sponsorship money is still coming in so thank you everyone!) so I hope I’ll be in good shape for the rigours of sledge pulling.
The only bad thing is that I just can’t believe we are almost at the end of the selection process. I was utterly thrilled to make the final four and I just don’t want the process to end. However, a winner must be chosen and come the end of November we should all know one way or the other. It’s been an amazing experience to date and I’m just going to focus on enjoying Norway for now. I can’t wait!
Look out for blogs from the team – I think either on the ISCE website or with the Daily Telegraph.
Thursday, 27 October 2011
Sunday, 23 October 2011
Scott and Photography
Last week saw the opening of a new Antarctic Photography exhibition at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London. The exhibit is showing images from both Robert Scott’s Terra Nova Expedition and Ernest Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Dr. David Wilson, Trustee to the ISCE and great nephew to Dr. Edward Wilson (best friend to Scott), was interviewed on BBC Breakfast News talking about the Terra Nova images, drawing on his unique connection to the men and the expedition.
Scott was actually the first to really draw upon the use of media and advertising to promote his expedition. Scott approached numerous well known companies and brands, including Colman’s and Shell, asking for funds in return for promoting their products during the expedition. This was the first real example of commercial sponsorship that today is so common place and often essential for expeditions to take place. Similarly, he was the first expedition leader to take a photographer specifically to document the expedition in photography and film. The man he chose was Herbert Ponting, who produced numerous iconic images from the Terra Nova expedition. Many of these will be on display at the Queen’s Gallery.
What many people don’t realise is that Scott also took many of his own photographs from the expedition. His skills as an amateur photographer and in the harsh environmental conditions of the Antarctic were actually quite remarkable. David Wilson has recently released a book showing some of Scott’s pictures for the first time. I have to say, I grabbed a copy and it really is a lovely book.
Photography is an area that I’m interested in. I don’t do as much as I used to unfortunately, but at school I loved black and white photography and producing my own black and white prints in the dark room. I’d love to go to Antarctica and create some of my own images in black and white.
Scott was actually the first to really draw upon the use of media and advertising to promote his expedition. Scott approached numerous well known companies and brands, including Colman’s and Shell, asking for funds in return for promoting their products during the expedition. This was the first real example of commercial sponsorship that today is so common place and often essential for expeditions to take place. Similarly, he was the first expedition leader to take a photographer specifically to document the expedition in photography and film. The man he chose was Herbert Ponting, who produced numerous iconic images from the Terra Nova expedition. Many of these will be on display at the Queen’s Gallery.
What many people don’t realise is that Scott also took many of his own photographs from the expedition. His skills as an amateur photographer and in the harsh environmental conditions of the Antarctic were actually quite remarkable. David Wilson has recently released a book showing some of Scott’s pictures for the first time. I have to say, I grabbed a copy and it really is a lovely book.
Photography is an area that I’m interested in. I don’t do as much as I used to unfortunately, but at school I loved black and white photography and producing my own black and white prints in the dark room. I’d love to go to Antarctica and create some of my own images in black and white.
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Half Marathon
It’s been a while since my last blog but life seems to have been busy busy busy! Last week I was able to give a school talk on the International Scott Centenary Expedition and the legacy of science that Scott left from Antarctica. It’s great describing the science carried out by him and his team and the knowledge that work has provided to later generations living and working in Antarctica. I love talking about the exciting new research coming from the continent, even if it’s not directly in my field of research.
Then of course the weekend was taken up by my Half Marathon! I took part in the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon to try and raise sponsorship for the ISCE and of course to help drive my fitness training for the expedition. The atmosphere in London was really great. The race route takes you past some really great tourist sites: Big Ben and Westminster, the London Eye, the Royal Albert Hall, and of course much of Hyde Park.
I had great support from a number of friends cheering me on through the race. It’s always interesting to see how your body and mind reacts throughout the course of a long race. How you can motivate yourself to keep going, to run faster even, despite the fact that your body is hurting. There was quite a head wind at times and it was really quite muggy at the start, but I must have been doing something right as I completed the course in under 2 hours! Needless to say I was completely chuffed by the outcome. Just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who supported and sponsored me.
Can’t wait for the next challenge. Norway here I come!
Sunday, 2 October 2011
Inspiring Education
Today I’ve been preparing a school talk on Captain Scott, the ISCE and Antarctic Science and it’s got me thinking about the role exploration can play in inspiring young children. From my perspective, I guess I’m a prime candidate. I learnt about Scott’s expedition when I was seven and I became hooked on the outdoors, expeditions and adventure and somewhere along the way that also transpired to a love of Polar Science.
The ISCE are working to promote Scott’s legacy of Polar Science and try and inspire young children to follow their dreams and ambitions, whatever they may be in life. The organisation Education Through Expeditions is a fantastic not-for-profit company that was established by polar explorer Antony Jinman, with a similar ambition. His work enables teachers to actually interact with explorers and polar scientists whilst they are away on expedition. Children can send in their questions to explorers from the classroom and hear first hand what it’s like to be at the poles. I think it’s a fantastic idea! I know I certainly would have got a buzz from being able to interact in that way when I was at school. Again it just amazes me how far technology has come and how incredible our capabilities are today. If only Scott had had a satellite phone!
The ISCE are working to promote Scott’s legacy of Polar Science and try and inspire young children to follow their dreams and ambitions, whatever they may be in life. The organisation Education Through Expeditions is a fantastic not-for-profit company that was established by polar explorer Antony Jinman, with a similar ambition. His work enables teachers to actually interact with explorers and polar scientists whilst they are away on expedition. Children can send in their questions to explorers from the classroom and hear first hand what it’s like to be at the poles. I think it’s a fantastic idea! I know I certainly would have got a buzz from being able to interact in that way when I was at school. Again it just amazes me how far technology has come and how incredible our capabilities are today. If only Scott had had a satellite phone!
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