The Association has funds available for making small grants towards projects. These are called Bob Burton Awards. Applications are welcomed from members of the Association who wish to initiate or support projects that will stimulate awareness of, and interest in, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
Bob Burton, a founding member of the South Georgia Association, had many links to South Georgia. These include carrying out biological research, directing the South Georgia Museum, and as author, historian, and conservationist. He left a generous legacy to the SGA, which is being used for Initiative Funding.
Members interested in applying for an award should read the guidelines, which you can download from this page, and direct any questions to us at the email address given on the application form.
Recent awards from the initiative funding scheme have included the following:
2024: Pipit Monitoring
‘Assessing pipit recovery on South Georgia: Six years post rodent eradication’ aims to establish an efficient and replicable methodology to study South Georgia pipit distribution at sites on the South Georgia mainland and on Bird Island. Funding will be used to purchase Songmeters (acoustic recorders). A planned paper on the project will provide a valuable basis for further scientific work which the equipment will continue to be suitable for.
2024: Hope Cross Memorial Appeal
This project aims to display a memorial cross commemorating Sir Ernest Shackleton at Discovery Point, Dundee. The cross formerly stood atop the cairn built on Hope Point, South Georgia by Shackleton’s crew following his death aboard Quest in Grytviken harbour. After more than 100 years exposure to the islands severe climate, this original cross became too fragile to remain in place and was replaced by a replica.
Funds are being used to build a fitting display in Dundee which will allow more people to access this important memorial and create a respectful focal point for visitors to reflect on Shackleton’s achievements. More information HERE
2024: Virtual Viola
The Viola Trust is working to virtually repatriate the old Hull steam trawler Viola (later know as Dias) to her home port of Hull. Initiative Funding is being used to complete a virtual reality realisation of Viola and her long and varied history. The resulting 10-minute VR film will be shown in the South Georgia Museum, on cruise ships visiting the area, and in UK and Scandinavian museums.
Viola/Dias still lies on the foreshore at Grytviken, one of three iconic sealing/whaling vessels that remain there.
2024: Westminster Abbey Shackleton Memorial
The SGA made a donation to help with the installation of a memorial plaque to Sir Ernest Shackleton in Westminster Abbey. Our Chair, David Drewry, has written more HERE.
2023: Shackleton, Beyond Endurance – Stage Workshops
James Burke was helped with the production of marketing materials to promote the story of Shackleton’s incredible journey from Antarctica to South Georgia and the subsequent rescue of his expedition from Elephant Island.. The ultimate aim is to bring this story, and the people and the environments in it, to the stage. More information HERE
2021: Seabird By-Catch Outreach Project in Japan
RSPB/Birdlife project to raise awareness in Japan of the by-catch mortality of South Georgia’s seabirds in tuna fisheries. More information HERE.
2018-19: Sealing Archaeology Project
An archaeological project investigating the history of sealing at selected sites on South Georgia by a team from the Cambridge Archaeological Unit aided by citizen scientists. An article about this project can be found in the October 2019 SGA Newsletter
2017: Participation in Homeward Bound
Funding support for Miss Madeleine Brasier to enable her to participate in an all-female leadership training expedition to the Antarctic as part of Homeward Bound. Find out more HERE.
2011-2013: Oral History Project
Funding was provided by a number of organisations, including the SGA, British Antarctic Survey, BAS club, South Georgia Heritage Trust and the United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust, to record interviews with John Croxall, Bob Burton, and Nigel Leader-Williams.
You can access the Oral Histories HERE.
2011: Habitat Restoration Project
We contributed to the South Georgia Heritage Trust’s project to eradicate invasive rodent species – rats and mice – from the island, restoring the habitat for for native species such as ground-breeding birds.
See more about the project HERE
2010: Dictionary of Falklands Biography including South Georgia
SGA donated copies of David Tatham’s Dictionary of Falklands Biography including South Georgia to various libraries with interests in South Georgia.
There is an online version of the Biography, with updates, HERE.
2010: Putting South Georgia on the Map
SGA provided support to Alec Trendall during publication of Putting South Georgia on the Map, his history of Duncan Carse’s South Georgia Surveys, and donated copies of the book to various institutes and national libraries.
2009-2010: Digitisation of Photographs
GA funded the digitisation of David Ferguson’s photographs of South Georgia from 1912, and Harrison-Matthews cine film Hay film from Prince Olav. See more information about the project ON THIS PAGE.
2006-2007: Historic sites survey
Funding was given for a fieldwork survey of a number of historic sites on the island.
2006: Antarctic Magistrate
A contribution was made towards the publication costs of Antarctic Magistrate: the Life of Edward Beveridge Binnie.
2006: Duncan Carse Bust Appeal
A substantial sum was raised to create a bust of Duncan Carse, who led a number of expeditions to map the interior of the island. A small amount remains from this sum, and the SGA particularly invite applications for projects that have a connection to Duncan Carse or the South Georgia Survey expeditions.
The bust is now in the South Georgia Museum and you can see a picture of it in the museum’s online collection HERE.