TRUE SOUTH

When Christian Hagenlocher was young, his family moved from place to place, following his father’s career as a Navy pilot. Christian, now a Middle School science teacher at SCDS, found a source of consistent companionship in the great outdoors.

Sparking curiosity with the Antarctic wilderness

“My passion for birds grew out of that endless time I spent exploring, questioning, and observing the outside,” Christian says. “I also like finding things — that joy of discovery and solving a puzzle.”

When Christian discovered penguins, he also found Antarctica, the only continent with no permanent human habitation. “It’s kind of the last wilderness on earth,” he says. This winter, Christian fulfilled a long-held dream of visiting the continent — and he’s using it to shape a brand-new elective for SCDS students.

A grant and an opportunity

In May 2022, auction donors raised their paddles for a Summer Inquiry Grant at SCDS. These grants allow employees to explore interesting topics, with one primary stipulation: That they share what they learn with the SCDS community. Christian promptly applied for funds to visit Antarctica.

With the grant’s support, Christian booked passage on a ship called the MV Island Sky. He, his friend Matt, and their fellow passengers were invited to help the other people on the boat — experts in fields that included history, ornithology, and geology — with their research. In December, the ship left Ushuaia, Argentina, for a multi-day journey that promised to yield insights into some of Christian’s personal and professional interests, including birds and climate change, and provide interesting material for SCDS classes.

“When I’m learning something, I’m also thinking, ‘How can I share this with my students?’” Christian says. “With my new Polar Science elective class, I’m going to help students experience what it’s like to be in the Antarctic and Arctic.”