Antarctica Day 2020

Two online sessions with scientists from around the world were held, covering the topic “Building Bridges between Science and Governance & Science in Antarctica - First hand experiences"

Regardless of whether or not you decided to participate in a competition, you are encouraged to share your own experiences (photos, videos) with us using the hashtags below on social media (Facebook, Twitter or Instagram): #AntarcticaDay2020 #PolarArt #PolarPhotoContestDay

© Friederike Säring

SESSION 1:

• 07:00 am - 07:10 am GMT: Welcome

  Friederike Säring (University of Rostock/APECS)

• 07:10 am - 07:30 am GMT: How to recognise novel, emerging issues in Antarctic Affairs

  Presenter: Dr. Julia Jabour (UTAS/IMAS)

  Julia has been researching, writing and lecturing on polar governance for more than 25 years. She has visited Antarctica six times, and been an observer on the Australian delegation at Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings on a number of occasions. She has taught in seven countries and hosted the annual Polar Law Symposium in Hobart in 2014 and 2019. She is currently Visiting Professor at Kobe University Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies, is editing The Yearbook of Polar Law Vol. 12 (Brill 2020) and co-editing The Resilience of the Antarctic Treaty System: Future Challenges and Legal Adaptability with Professor Akiho Shibata and Professor Luis Valentín Ferrada (Brill 2021). In her presentation today, she shares some of her insights into how she recognised novel, emerging issues in Antarctic affairs.

• 07:30 am - 07:50 am GMT: Communicating Polar Research

  Presenter: Dr. Huw Griffiths (UKRI BAS)

  Huw Griffiths is a biogeographer with an interest in the Polar Regions. As a member of SCAR, he fulfils many functions in the organisation. He has been working for the British Antarctic Survey since June 2000 and has participated in several expeditions to Antarctica investigating benthic biodiversity and biogeography. His studies focus on large-scale biogeographic and ecological patterns in space and time, using selected groups of animals to investigate trends in the distribution in the Polar Regions. With his passion for science communication and making science more accessible to the public, policymakers and government, he will talk about Polar Science Communication.

• 07:50 am - 08:10 am GMT: The Antarctic Environments Portal - Antarctic Science at the fingertips of policy makers

  Presenter: Dr. Neil Gilbert (AEP Editor) & Dr. Susie Grant (SCAR)

  The Antarctic Environments Portal (www.environment.aq) provides ready access to high-level summary information on Antarctic issues, based on the best available scientific knowledge. In January 2020, the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) took over operation of the Antarctic Environments Portal. The Portal includes summaries of the current state of knowledge on issues of relevance to Antarctic managers and policy makers, and on environmental pressures likely to cause change into the future. These so-called Information Summaries are based on the best available science. They are intended to be concise, technically accurate, politically neutral and accessible to a broad audience. Today the Portal Editor Dr. Neil Gilbert, will give an overview of the work of the portal and explain how you can get involved.

• 08:10 am - 08:30 am GMT: How many means of transportation can one use in Antarctica?

  Presenter: Dr. Mathieu Casado (AWI)

  Mathieu Casado is a Researcher in Paleoclimate and Polar Meteorology at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany. In his career, he focuses mostly on water isotopes as a tracer of various processes in the hydrological cycle working, amongst others, with ice cores. With his background in Physics, he introduces a new point of view on the water isotope geochemistry field and opens new perspectives in the representation of the processes affecting isotopes. He will talk to us about how many means of transportation there are for a researcher in Antarctica and why we use these different means of transportation.

• 08:30 am - 08:45 am GMT: Final Q&A and closing of the Webinar

Antarctica Day 2020 - Webinar, session 1 from APECS Webinars on Vimeo.

SESSION 2:

• 07:00 pm - 07:10 pm GMT: Welcome

  Katharina Heinrich (University Centre of the Westfjords/APECS)

• 07:10 pm - 07:30 pm GMT: Sharing the South - Storytelling and Art in Antarctic Outreach

  Presenter: Marlo Garnsworthy (IceBirdStudio)

  Marlo Garnsworthy is an Australian-American author, illustrator, editor, and science communicator. She is the veteran Outreach Officer of two Antarctic research cruises so far, and her polar passions range from glaciology to Antarctic ecology and everything in between. She works with polar scientists in many outreach capacities and is eagerly seeking her next expedition. Today she will talk about the role of storytelling and art in the Antarctic South. Find out more at www.IcebirdStudio.com

• 07:30 pm - 07:50 pm GMT: The domestic Antarctic Law as a tool to guarantee international obligation fulfillment. Comparative Law Studies

  Presenter: Dr. Luis Valentín Ferrada (University of Chile)

  Dr. Luis Valentín Ferrada teaches International Law in the Law Faculty of the University of Chile. Furthermore, he is a researcher at the Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, a member of the Standing Committee on Humanities and Social Sciences of SCAR, amongst other things. He is interested in the evolution of the Antarctic Treaty System as an international regime and in the role of the international and domestic law as instruments to protect the Antarctic environment. He is also interested in Antarctic history and geopolitics, and in general in International Public Law. His presentation today will focus on the domestic Antarctic Law and how it can guarantee international obligation fulfilment.

• 07:50 pm - 08:10 pm GMT: How to Gain Relevant Polar Field Experience as an Early Career Field or Non-Field Scientist

  Presenter: Dr. Seth Campbell (University of Maine)

  Dr. Seth Campbell is an Assistant Professor at the University of Maine and also the Director of Academics & Research for the Juneau Icefield Research Program, the longest operating polar research and training program for undergraduate students in North America. Over the past decade, he has conducted glaciology, geology, near-surface geophysics, water, and natural resources research using a range of field and numerical methods. In total, he has more than 15 years of experience working in remote regions including Antarctica, Alaska, Canada, Greenland, South America and took part in over 50 expeditions. Today he will tell us about how to gain relevant polar field experience as an Early Career Field and Non-Field Scientist.

• 08:10 pm - 08:30 pm GMT: With the Bark Europa to the White Continent

  Presenter: Jasper Nijland (Nature photo- and videographer)

  Jasper Nijland is a creative Photo- and videographer from the Netherlands who has made travelling his lifestyle for the last ten years. With his love for the Arctic and Antarctic and his ample travel experience in extreme climates he always dreamed about visiting the white continent. His photos and videos show a different perspective on Antarctica and his work helps spread awareness for this isolated continent. Jasper will now tell us about how he finally made his dream come true in 2019, as part of a selected group of adventurers on board of the Bark Europa.

• 08:30 pm - 08:50 pm GMT: Expedition guiding in Antarctica: Operations, Education and Legacy

  Presenter: Claire Wallace (Polar Expedition Guide/Polar Law Specialist)

  Claire has been working as a polar expedition guide for 4 years throughout the Arctic and Antarctic. She has guided extensively in the Arctic regions of Iceland, Canada, Greenland, Svalbard and northern Europe, as well as in the Caribbean. Cumulatively, she has spent over 500 days guiding in the Polar Regions. Specializing in polar geopolitics and legal matters, Claire holds a master’s degree in polar law. Her research has led her to live in Iceland, China and Greenland for extended periods of time. These placements provided her with a comprehensive circumpolar overview of both the Arctic and the Antarctic regions, their future challenges and potential geopolitical conflicts. Claire also works as a sea kayak guide in the Antarctic and enjoys the quiet experience that paddling affords. Today Claire will talk about her experiences as an expedition guide in Antarctica and give us more insight in operations, education and the legacy of the profession.

• 08:50 pm - 09:00 pm GMT: Final Q&A and closing of the Webinar

Antarctica Day 2020 - Webinar, session 2 from APECS Webinars on Vimeo.

APECS China - Series of popular science activities in middle schools and kindergartens

During Antarctica Day2020, the vice president of APECS-China, Dr. Lei Geng went to the affiliated kindergarten of the University of Science and Technology of China and gave a presentation for a group of 30 kids in the age of 5 and 6 years. Dr. Geng started the presentation by introducing the institutions of China, and the Arctic and Antarctica with a world map, where the Arctic and Antarctic were colored in white. The kids quickly identified the two cold regions in the map and Dr. Geng told them the places are cold and full of snow.
Dr. Geng then showed them the Chinese icebreaker, and how it breaks sea ice and approaches to the coast of Antarctica. Along with the route of the icebreaker to the Antarctic coast, the kids saw pictures of icebergs, penguins as well as seals. Kids were excited to see such pictures and asked a lot of questions. Some of them started to do penguin walk in the room. When moved to the Arctic, Dr. Geng showed them the difference to Antarctica, as one is basically an ocean and the other one is a continent. Kids loved to see pictures and videos of polar bears playing (baby bear and mama bear), swimming and hunting, as well as beautiful Arctic fox which is pure white. They asked questions such like why it is so cold in Antarctica and the Arctic, what do penguins and polar bears eat, and how icebreaker breaks sea ice, etc.
The presentation ended with a demonstration of different levels of cold by showing water, ice, dry ice and liquid nitrogen. Kids got so excited when they saw liquid nitrogen flowing on the floor and turning to gas, and they got even more excited when they saw how liquid nitrogen was boiled when an apple was placed in it. One kid did ask how the animals in the polar regions would do if snow and ice melt. Dr. Geng then told them to start protecting earth by reducing the uses of car, heater, light and other forms of energy from coal and petroleum. It is for the future of all of us. This year, APECS China organized several popular science activities in many cities of China, such as Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing, Hefei. Except Dr Geng, Dr Minghu Ding has given three speeches in middle schools, Dr Haikun Wen has given more than 10 lectures in primary school. These activities has attract many attentions.

UKPN Antarctica Day Quiz

UKPN organized an exciting online Antarctica Day Quiz during Antarctica Day 2020 which has been celebrated since 2010 to commemorate the signing of the Antarctic Treaty on 1st December 1959.

Event webpage: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/antarctica-day-quiz-tickets-130384378185?fbclid=IwAR0FMmry2diyy4ssO-lXmRgO9YaTtJyN5kNpSRrzK-4pT2_13bm4yw-ipV0

Creativity Contest "Cold Regions - Cool Facts" by APECS Germany and the German Society of Polar Research (DGP)

APECS Germany and the German Society of Polar Research (DGP) organized a “Cold Regions-Cool Fact” Contest to December 1, Antarctica Day!

Link to the contest: https://apecsgermany.wixsite.com/apecsde/single-post/cold-regions-cool-facts-contest-deadline-extended-to-1-december-2020

Antarctica Day in Brazil

APECS Brazil celebrated Antarctica Day with two activities; 1) an Instagram live stream with the team of Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station (Brazilian station in Antarctica). During the live video, the public could virtually visit the Brazilian research station and ask questions to the station team. And 2) we invited the public to post a photo or video on social media using #DiadaAntartica, and tagging the social networks of @apecs_brasil.

Raising the True South Flag

Join a community of hundreds of "Antarcticans" across the globe who are raising the True South Antarctica Flag to signal their commitment and care for the 7th continent. National Antarctic Programs, nonprofits, businesses, and individuals are participating in locations across Antarctica and the world. You can participate by flying the flag on your flag pole, your website, or your social media page. Join in the conversation by tagging @truesouthflag on your Facebook or Instagram posts

Website link: https://www.truesouthflag.com/

Studies developed by Antarctic Colombian Researchers

APECS Colombia betterAPECS Colombia organized a talk for the 2020 Antarctic Day. They invited teacher and high school students to know more about APECS and some research developed by Polar Colombian researchers. Language: Spanish.

Listed alphabetically:

• Azamat Tolipov
• Claudia Maturana
• Deniz Vural
• Elizabeth Perera
• Friederike Säring
• Gabriela Roldan
• Katharina Heinrich
• Marlen Kolbe
• Nicole Stark
• Priyanka Vinayak Gaikwad

Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions or comments. We are happy to help!