ANTARCTICA CALLING…
The children of year six at Olveston CEVC Primary School started their new topic with a WOW on 7th January with a phone call from Antarctica!
The class, whose new topic is entitled ‘Crazy Climates’ were fortunate enough to speak to Richard Warren – station manager at the Halley VI research station in Antarctica – about life in a frozen environment. Having prepared individual questions in the morning, every member of the class had the opportunity to ask something about Antarctica and Richard provided in-depth answers in a call that lasted 40 minutes.
Some of the questions and answers included the following:
Q: What has been Halley’s most impressive discovery?
A: Halley’s research led to the discovery of hole in the O-Zone layer. We’ve learned so much about human impact on climate change.
Q: What’s the lowest temperature you’ve experienced there?
A: The lowest I’ve experienced is -50 degrees Celsius but with wind chill, it can feel as low as -80 degrees. Even in the summer months, it rarely gets above 0 degrees; the warmest temperature recorded here has been 2 degrees.
Q: Which animals have you seen in Antarctica?
A: There’s a nearby colony of penguins who we see all the time – they’re the most common creatures here. Otherwise, the conditions are too harsh for most animals and plants.
Q: Do you miss England?
A: Sometimes – in the winter months there is 24 hour darkness and that can be really tough. This year I’m only here for summer (October to February). I love the work and the people here though.
And even, “Can you get takeaways delivered?”
The answer? “I wish! But we do eat normal food – last night we had lasagne.”
Halley VI is an internationally important research station for global earth, atmospheric and space weather observation in a climate sensitive zone; it sits on the 130-metre thick, floating Brunt Ice Shelf on the Weddell Sea. The website includes a 360 degree tour of the station, which stimulated discussion from the pupils and is well worth a look!
It was a phenomenal opportunity for the children of year six to speak to someone who lives in such a different environment. Being able to ask questions has enthused them no end and they are looking forward to learning more about their topic this term. For more information about Halley, visit the British Antarctic Survey website at www.bas.ac.uk/polar-operations/sites-and-facilities/facility/halley/