I will spend three months counting penguins in Antarctica

Peter will spend three months in Antarctica working as a wildlife warden at Port Lockroy, home to the world’s southernmost post office.

For those of you who have been following the blog for a while, you can do just that Remember that in 2023, you got a desirable job in UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT), a conservation charity British Heritage Sites in Antarctica.

Every year, UKAHT sends a small team to Port Lucroy To run the world’s southernmost post office and a museum that serves as a time capsule of early polar science.

I have already applied to work at Port Lockroy in 2022. My timing could not have been worse. Following the pandemic, the charity received a Registration number Of the requests – more than 6,000 – and I was not one of the lucky ones. However, six months later, on my way back from a month-long stay in Central America, I noticed something Instagram share Vacancy: Communications Officer at the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust.

I hastily applied, and after a few weeks, I started working at the Trust combining many of my interests: writing articles, editing photographs, and researching the stories of explorers, scientists and conservationists who braved one of the most challenging environments on Earth. After visiting Antarctica in 2022, working for the Trust has proven to be a dream job.

This year, I will be joining the Port Lockroy team in Antarctica for three months during the Australian summer. My job? Wildlife monitoring – which includes counting penguins on the tiny island the size of a football field on the Antarctic Peninsula, 9,000 miles from my home in London.

After three years of applying to work in Port Lucroy, I found myself doing just that. I will be spending Christmas, New Year’s and my birthday in Antarctica. Sometimes life eventually finds a way to deal with itself.

Am I really going to count penguins in Antarctica?

I’ll be heading to Antarctica in December to spend three months living and working in Port Lockroy. I expect to return home in March 2026. My official role while in Port Lucroy will be wildlife monitoring, which – believe it or not – mainly involves counting penguins!

As a wildlife monitor, I will be counting and monitoring the island colony of about 1,000 gentoo penguins, which is part of a long-term study of the colony’s reproductive success and provides insight into the impacts of a warming climate.

Working with the other members of this year’s seven-strong Port Lockroy team, I will also spend the season welcoming visitors to this little speck on the world map. Now a historic site and museum, and home to the world’s remotest post office, the site is complete with a small gift shop where visitors can purchase souvenirs with their purchases directly supporting the important work the Foundation does in heritage preservation in one of the most challenging environments on the planet.

Historical replica Nissen hut It complements the site and serves as shelter for our small team during the Australian summer. The site has no running water, toilets or electricity, and I will be working in sub-zero temperatures and 24-hour daylight.

Finally, a big part of my role will be collecting content. I will be writing weekly reports on the Trust Blog And post regularly on their social media channels. Of course, Atlas & Boots may be a little quieter while I’m gone, so please Subscribe to the UKAHT newsletter To stay up to date with my latest news.

What is Port Lucroy?

Port Lucroy is known as a safe anchorage after being used by whaling fleets in the early 1900s. For this reason, in 1944, it was chosen as the site of Base A – the first continuously occupied British base in Antarctica as part of the secret wartime mission, Tabarin operation.

Over the following years, Port Lockroy witnessed the birth of British Antarctic science while serving as a base for atmospheric research until 1962. After being abandoned for three decades, Port Lockroy was restored in 1996 with support from UKAHT, which then took over full management of the site in 2006. Since then, it has welcomed visitors to the world’s southernmost museum and post office while collecting important data on our resident gentoo colony.

Every year, UKAHT sends a small team to Port Lockroy to operate the world’s southernmost post office and a museum that acts as a time capsule of early polar science. The team also monitors the local gentoo penguin colony and carries out challenging conservation work on some of the most remote historic buildings on Earth.

Who are the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust?

UKAHT protects and conserves sites and artefacts of international importance throughout the Antarctic Peninsula. Their work revolves around six historic bases along the Antarctic Peninsula, with each site telling a unique story of discovery and scientific exploration.

These sites, built between the 1940s and 1970s, are the missing link between the heroic-era structures of Scott and Shackleton and modern scientific stations such as Halley and Rothera, which are operated by British Antarctic Survey.

These iconic structures were left empty for several decades until the UKAHT was established in 1993. Since then, they have worked to preserve and care for these sites to make them safe, secure and accessible for visitors from all over the world.

This season sees the Trust embark on one of its most important events Conservation work At Port Lockroy since 1996, spanning three seasons. Major structural repairs are planned to Bransfield House, which houses the museum, to address issues caused by increased snow loading and moisture.

Climate change mitigation efforts include adding drops to roofs and windows and replacing all windows in the generator shed. A three-year preservation plan begins this season as the team works to stabilize the structure. The second year will see major structural repairs, and in the final year, the artifacts will be returned and final repairs completed.

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Main image: Atlas & Boots