Antarctica comes alive for students
ANTARCTICA is the world’s most hostile environment but also the most fascinating. It holds the keys to understanding Earth’s past climate and is crucial in understanding its future.
It’s the driest, windiest and coldest continent on Earth. It holds 70 per cent of the world’s freshwater and yet is classed as a desert.
As a leading gateway city to Antarctica, Hobart boasts the highest number of Antarctic and Southern Ocean researchers of any city on earth.
For several years, the Bookend Trust has partnered with IMAS, CSIRO and the Australian Antarctic Division to bring students closer to this icy world.
Winners of the Kingborough Council’s Antarctic Experience and the Bookend Trust’s Australia-wide research competition last month joined more than 70 students for site visits and lectures.
This included a video conference with staff at Casey Station and on the RV Investigator, a peek into the National Fish Library and ride in a Hagglunds snow vehicle. The prizewinning students then got much closer to Antarctica on a flight over the continent in a Boeing 747.
Jalena Manuel from St Joseph’s School in Northam, WA, described the experience: “Mountains, Glaciers, icebergs, reflections of the sun and water to produce a sparkling effect of the water, that glistened. It was truly beautiful and I know I want to be an Antarctic biologist when I leave school.”
It’s important to give students opportunities to make connections to career pathways that aren’t easy to see from the confines of a classroom.
As Jamie Richards from Bunbury Senior High School puts it: “My experience has allowed me to discover more about the world that surrounds us, in particular, the world of Antarctica. I’ve also learnt more about myself during my time away from home. I’ve been exposed to the future of science, and the importance of Antarctic research on a global scale. The friendships that were created from this trip are lifelong, and the impact the trip has had on our lives will continue well into the future.”
The Bookend Trust and partner organisations are offering another four-day program this November when, for the first time, the flight will depart from Hobart Airport. Students and teachers can find out more at expeditionclass.com.