Days of Ice

MARSDEN FUND NEWS | 2020

In October, Marsden Fund Te Pūtea Rangahau a Marsden joined with the Antarctic Science Platform, Royal Society Te Apārangi, GNS Science, Christchurch City Libraries, Victoria University of Wellington, HITLabNZ (Human Interface Technology) at the University of Canterbury and the International Antarctic Centre to co-host four events. These were part of the annual ‘Days of Ice’ festival in Ōtautahi Christchurch, celebrating the city’s unique connections with Antarctica.

The first event was a Kōrero On Ice panel discussion, which featured seven people with unique Antarctic experiences from the frozen continent. It was held at Tūranga Christchurch city library and was facilitated by Dr Cilla Wehi, conservation biologist and Rutherford Discovery Fellow at Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research.

Panellists were writer Toni Wi (Ngāti Maniapoto), Antarctic Science Platform director Associate Professor Nancy Bertler, field engineer Darcy Mandeno, host of TV series Science on Ice Sonny Ngātai, award-winning filmmaker Anthony Powell and director of HITLabNZ Professor Rob Lindeman. They recounted tales of sleeping through 24-hour sunlight, surviving penguin ‘attacks’, staying hydrated in the driest place on Earth and experiencing serene, untouched wilderness. Within this, they gave first-hand accounts of the effects of global warming and shared their hopes for the continent’s future.

Much of the festival targeted a younger audience, including the Explore Antarctica Family Day at the Arts Centre Market Square. Dr Georgia Grant and Dr Katelyn Johnson from GNS Science put together an exhibit showcasing Antarctic sediment and ice cores by layering ice, sand, water and insects. They used this to illustrate how researchers detect past and future warming by examining the cores. Children and students were invited to participate in the ‘Antarctica through Fresh Eyes’ Tauira Film Competition. Winning entries were shown at a celebratory event hosted by filmmaker Anthony Powell, and Miranda Satterthwaite and Todd Schmidt from the International Antarctic Centre. Winning videos explored Antarctica before it was covered in ice, the effects of climate change through the eyes of a penguin, the importance of climate action for the continent’s future, and the implications of melting ice on Pacific nations.

Marsden Fund Te Pūtea Rangahau a Marsden also supported the Immersive Antarctica VR experience, which allowed attendees to be transported to Antarctica through virtual reality headsets to explore 360-degree images and video.

HE PITOPITO KŌRERO | 2020