Would-be explorers will have a chance to take part in an “Antarctic” walk at Barnes WWT London Wetland Centre throughout this month.
In celebration of the centenary of Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s expedition to the South Pole, visitors to the nature reserve will have a chance to find out for themselves if they too have what it takes to complete a polar trek.
The Great Scott Discovery Trail tests aspiring explorers on basic survival knowledge as they make their way from a recreated Base Camp taking a peek at clothing, food, sledges and equipment that would be used by modern day explorers along the way.
General manager Martin Senior said: “Captain Scott’s Antarctic journey is a special moment in our history but also a crucial event in the background of the conservation movement.”
He said the Wetland centre, founded by Scott’s international conservationist son Sir Peter, was the perfect place for the exhibit because it was his journey that inspired his son to commit to protecting wetland wildlife and habitats in the UK and worldwide.
Mr Senior said: “Thanks to his inspirational leadership and the encouragement he and his wife gave to their son Peter we now have WWT, a well-established conservation body protecting wildfowl and their wetland habitats, and WWT London Wetland Centre, a unique nature reserve which has inspired the creation of other urban wetlands around the globe.”
Panels throughout the exhibition will inform visitors of the history of Captain Scott and his team’s polar exploration, which was initially successful but saw them die on the way home, and explain interesting titbits, like why the Antarctic is a no-poo zone.
For details visit wwt.org.uk/london.
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