I have always been interested in the early polar explorers like Richard Byrd, Roald Amundsen, Ernest Shackleton, Robert Scott, Edmund Hillary, Carsten Borchgrevink and many more. The movie "Shackleton" is one of my very favorites and there are several biographies that are also great. I had never thought of what became of the various buildings, huts, sheds, landing sites and kennels. I guess I just figured they were gone forever but I found out differently when I came across The Antarctic Heritage Trust. This organization is based out of New Zealand and its mission is to preserve, restore and maintain everything left by the early explorers. Apparently Antarctica is one of the driest places on the planet and combined with the temperature the sites were pretty well preserved. All text and photos courtesy of the Trust. They also have some great videos available on YouTube. If you would like to make a donation or join the Trust, click here.
Five expedition parties built bases in the Ross Sea Region of Antarctica. The bases still stand in Antarctica today, crammed full of equipment, supplies and personal items. They are cared for, on behalf of the international community, by the Antarctic Heritage Trust.
The Trust, based in New Zealand, is engaged in a long-term cold conservation project to protect the explorers' legacy; the bases and the artefacts they left behind, for current and future generations. A project of this scale has never before been attempted in the polar regions".
"From 1987 to 2001 annual basic maintenance was carried out but in 2001 the Trust, together with an international group of conservation/heritage experts, recognised an international conservation effort was needed to ensure these sites survived for future generations.
In 2002, HRH Princess Anne, launched the Trust’s Ross Sea Heritage Restoration Project (RSHRP) in Antarctica, an international. long-term cold climate project to secure the bases 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. That view was reinforced when The Getty Foundation made significant funding available for the project and the World Monuments Fund listed all four sites on their 2008 list of 100 Most Endangered Sites on Earth. They are also protected under the Antarctic Treaty System.
In 2012 the Antarctic Heritage Trust took on management responsibility for the original Trans-Antarctic Expedition building that remains at New Zealand's scientific research facility, Scott Base".
Welcome to the Antarctic Heritage Trust
"The heroic era of Antarctic exploration (1895 – 1917) gave us great explorers including Sir Ernest Shackleton and Captain Robert Falcon Scott. In the 1950’s Sir Edmund Hillary made his mark on the great, white, continent.Five expedition parties built bases in the Ross Sea Region of Antarctica. The bases still stand in Antarctica today, crammed full of equipment, supplies and personal items. They are cared for, on behalf of the international community, by the Antarctic Heritage Trust.
The Trust, based in New Zealand, is engaged in a long-term cold conservation project to protect the explorers' legacy; the bases and the artefacts they left behind, for current and future generations. A project of this scale has never before been attempted in the polar regions".
History of the Project
"The four 'heroic-era' expedition bases have stood in the Ross Sea Region of Antarctica for over a century and although Antarctica covers only an estimated 9% of the Earth's land surface, it contains more than 80% of the world's fresh water locked in its ice. It is also the driest place on the planet. While that contradiction had helped to slow the rate of decay of the bases, the bases were deteriorating".
"From 1987 to 2001 annual basic maintenance was carried out but in 2001 the Trust, together with an international group of conservation/heritage experts, recognised an international conservation effort was needed to ensure these sites survived for future generations.
In 2002, HRH Princess Anne, launched the Trust’s Ross Sea Heritage Restoration Project (RSHRP) in Antarctica, an international. long-term cold climate project to secure the bases 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. That view was reinforced when The Getty Foundation made significant funding available for the project and the World Monuments Fund listed all four sites on their 2008 list of 100 Most Endangered Sites on Earth. They are also protected under the Antarctic Treaty System.
In 2012 the Antarctic Heritage Trust took on management responsibility for the original Trans-Antarctic Expedition building that remains at New Zealand's scientific research facility, Scott Base".
