Stunning new environmental resource

The project Atlantis team will reveal their new website promoting awareness of the island of South Georgia's beauty, wildlife and heritage at a special launch with Robin Harper MSP and John McAllion MSP on the RRS Discovery on 16 April.

Local schoolchildren will be the first to see the new site on the Discovery linking the ship's historic journey to the Antarctic and the city's ongoing interest and contribution to the Antarctic environment.

The project Atlantis team involving Steve Ellis, Elaine Shemilt from Duncan of Jordanstone and Brigadier David Nicholls have been working on the website since their visit to the island eighteen months ago.

Partly funded by the South Georgia government, the website is an invaluable educational resource for those studying environmental sciences or for others with an interest in this beautiful island whether they are scientists, historians, visitors, academics or other professionals. The site covers the island's history, wildlife, science, exploration, fishing and tourist industries, and management. For schoolchildren, there are puzzles and quizzes to test their knowledge of the natural environment.

South Georgia's geographical position and worldwide ecological significance make it a useful barometer for climate change. It is one of the last refuges for some endangered species, such as the graceful Wandering Albatross and the little South Georgia Pippit. South Georgia's history is also a lesson in how man has over-exploited living resources on this planet; the island has been the grizzly site of the near extermination of the fur seal in the 19th century and whales in the 20th century.

A section on visitors provides guidance of how to get to the island and where to go. Extensive links are available to other Antarctic educational and environmental websites.

Elaine Shemilt will also be exhibiting work about the Falkland islands with fellow artists Gary Gowans, Gary Fisher and Roland Ashcroft at the Imperial War Museum this month. Traces of Conflict is a multi-media artwork to mark the twentieth anniversary of the 1982 conflict in the South Atlantic. The work will centre on a large interactive media installation with an intuitive navigation system to access work by the four artists and an introduction by Brigadier David Nicholls who had personal experience as an officer during the conflict in the Falkland Islands in 1982. The exhibition opens in London's Imperial War Museum on 21 March and runs until June.

Captions - the new website interface and examples of the abundant wildlife on South Georgia island. Photos by David Nicholls.

Next Page
Return to April 2002 Contact