Anniversary lecture and teachers departure
On 24th October, the Fuchs Foundation will celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Sir Vivian Fuchs’s successful leadership of the Commonwealth Trans Antarctic Expedition. at the Royal Geographical Society, and also say ‘bon voyage’ to four teachers who set off later this month for a unique expedition to the Antarctic. Organized to mark the 50th anniversary of the Trans Antarctic expedition, the four teachers were chosen through a competitive selection process and are to undertake scientific research in the Antarctic with the entire trip to be filmed by digital channel, Teachers TV.
At the launch event on 24th October, members of the RGS, friends and supporters will gather together to hear Peter Fuchs describe the planning of his father’s expedition followed by Professor Lloyd Peck talking about the legacy the expedition left to Antarctic science.
The group of four teachers will leave on 3rd November from Heathrow for their long journey South, flying via Chile to the Patriot Hills and then onto their base camp at the Ellsworth Mountains, Antarctica. They will travel with a film crew from Teachers TV who is producing two documentaries and a series of resource programmes on their experiences for broadcast in the new year.
The teachers will carry out scientific projects on human physiology, glaciology, lichens, tardigrades and research the carbon footprint of the expedition. During the trip, the teachers will be in touch with their students via satellite phone and produce their own video diaries. The science projects will be translated into teaching resources which will be peer reviewed by the Scott Polar Research Institute before being published on the Fuchs Foundation website www.fuchsfoundation.org.
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For more information about the Fuchs Foundation, please contact Ann Fuchs on 01455 202370. Email: ann@fuchsfoundation.org. To find out more about Teachers TV, please contact Isobel Bradshaw 020 7400 4480/ibradshaw@hanovercomms.com.
EDITORS NOTES
Peter Fuchs, son of Sir Vivian Fuchs, pursued a career in the minerals industry until his retirement. Following his father’s death in 1999, he decided to find out what was so compelling about the Antarctic and took a Post Graduate Diploma in Antarctic studies at Canterbury University. He spent two weeks camping on the Ross Ice Shelf. Since 2005 he has been Chairman of the Trustees of the Fuchs Foundation.
Professor Lloyd Peck works for the British Antarctic Survey. The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is a component of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, it has, for almost 60 years, undertaken the majority of Britain's scientific research on and around the Antarctic continent. It now shares that continent with scientists from over thirty countries. Sir Vivian Fuchs was their first Director. Lloyd Peck leads investigations into ice berg movement and its affects on animal life in the ocean and lectures widely and is in Brazil as part of the International Polar Year 2007/8 The Fuchs Foundation Antarctic Expedition 2007 celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the successfully completed Commonwealth Trans Antarctic Expedition, lead by Sir Vivian Fuchs. This expedition is the first of a series of scientific expeditions to be sent by the Foundation to the Polar Regions; the second is to the Arctic in 2009.
The Expedition Members are:
Philip Avery is KS3 coordinator for geography at Oxted School, Oxted.
Project: Temperature Torture
To cope with extreme cold should you be fat or fit? Lunching on lard or Weetabix?
Clothed in cotton or Gore Tex?
To cope with extreme cold should you be fat or fit? Lunching on lard or Weetabix?
Clothed in cotton or Gore Tex?
Phil will be trying to understand how humans survive temperatures as low as -90c (plus wind chill of course!). The team will be lending their bodies to the study and while surviving in Antarctica will have their faces and hands regularly plunged into iced water to see if it really does cause the heart rate to slow. The ice will not be the only thing that is blue!
Ruth Hollinger is a geography teacher at Tapton School, Sheffield.
Project: Take only photographs, leave only footprints, and tread lightly on the earth.
An ecological footprint is the measure of consumption of resources. It is calculated in terms of the total area of land required per person to meet their food, energy, raw material, water and wastewater disposal needs. The larger the footprint, the larger the impact. What impact will the Fuchs Foundation Teachers Expedition make?
An ecological footprint is the measure of consumption of resources. It is calculated in terms of the total area of land required per person to meet their food, energy, raw material, water and wastewater disposal needs. The larger the footprint, the larger the impact. What impact will the Fuchs Foundation Teachers Expedition make?
Project: Funky Fieldwork – A Virtual Fieldtrip to Union Glacier
In addition glaciological work will be undertaken on the Union Glacier measuring its characteristics and global warming. All results will be set up in a virtual fieldtrip.
In addition glaciological work will be undertaken on the Union Glacier measuring its characteristics and global warming. All results will be set up in a virtual fieldtrip.
Amy Rogers is a science teacher at Higham Lane School, Nuneaton.
Project: Naked in Antarctica (and loving it)
Lichens are one of the only living organisms that have adapted to survive the extreme conditions of the Antarctic continent. They are also extremely sensitive to environmental pollution and potentially can be used as bio-indicators for atmospheric changes resulting from human activity. The aim is to collect lichens and investigate their ecology in areas of Antarctica where they have not previously been studied.
Lichens are one of the only living organisms that have adapted to survive the extreme conditions of the Antarctic continent. They are also extremely sensitive to environmental pollution and potentially can be used as bio-indicators for atmospheric changes resulting from human activity. The aim is to collect lichens and investigate their ecology in areas of Antarctica where they have not previously been studied.
Ian Richardson is Head of Biology, Freman College, Buntingford, Hertfordshire.
Project: There’s No Way to Degrade a Tardigrade!
Ian’s project aims to study the remarkable microfauna of the Ellsworth Mountains.
The qualities needed to survive the extraordinary environmental conditions of the inner reaches of the Antarctic continent are shown by a unique collection of microscopic organisms. Among them are the strange and cuddly tardigrades (or ‘Water Bears’). These creatures can enter a remarkable state of suspended animation called cryptobiosis, in which they can endure the most punishing temperatures with apparent ease. There are at least three species unique to the Ellsworth Mountains and we know little about them. Who knows what else we might find?
Ian’s project aims to study the remarkable microfauna of the Ellsworth Mountains.
The qualities needed to survive the extraordinary environmental conditions of the inner reaches of the Antarctic continent are shown by a unique collection of microscopic organisms. Among them are the strange and cuddly tardigrades (or ‘Water Bears’). These creatures can enter a remarkable state of suspended animation called cryptobiosis, in which they can endure the most punishing temperatures with apparent ease. There are at least three species unique to the Ellsworth Mountains and we know little about them. Who knows what else we might find?
Websites
www.fuchsfoundation.org
www.sirvivianfuchs.com
www.hollinger.edublogs.org
www.teacheronice.com
www.antarctic-teacher.co.uk
http.//rogers.edublogs.org
www.sirvivianfuchs.com
www.hollinger.edublogs.org
www.teacheronice.com
www.antarctic-teacher.co.uk
http.//rogers.edublogs.org
Page last modified: 27th Apr 2009 - 11:26:20