News

Advance Notice of Autumn Event

26 June 2020 / Events, News, Past Events / By

The South Georgia Association’s Autumn event this year will be in association with the Devon and Cornwall Polar Society and it will be held at theDuke of Cornwall Hotel, Plymouth on the 19 October. Special rates for the nights of 18 and 19 October will be available for those attending the event. The hotel is well known for its connections with Sir Ernest Shackleton.

The morning of the 19th will be free with opportunities to visit the Scott Memorial, Scott’s birthplace and other attractions such as the Plymouth Marine Aquarium. The afternoon programme will include presentations on:

  • The work of the Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science (SAHFOS) since Hardy’s work at South Georgia in the 1920s to the present, by David Johns of SAHFOS
  • Remote medicine at South Georgia and the Antarctic, by Drs Daranee Boon and Ian Grant (both formerly of the BAS Medical Unit)
  • Speaker and title to be confirmed

Throughout Saturday there will be an exhibition of paintings of South Georgia by Theo Crutchley-Mack who was recently Artist in Residence at South Georgia funded by the South Georgia Heritage Trust. There will also be an exhibition of photographs of South Georgia wildlife by Oli Prince who has spent several seasons on the Island.

In the evening there will be a reception followed by dinner at the Duke of Cornwall Hotel.
Full details including costs and booking details will be available here soon.

South Georgia Association AGM and Spring Meeting

28 June 2020 / Events, News, Past Events / By

13th April

The South Georgia Association’s AGM and Spring Meeting will take place this year at the Royal Overseas League, London on Saturday the 13th April 2019. The meeting will start with a reception followed by the AGM and a talk by Elizabeth White, film maker with BBC Natural History Unit – “BBC at the South Sandwich Islands”.

Booking form, AGM agenda and nominations for the Executive Committee:

[Download not found]

Booking by 7 April 2019 please.

Morag Husband Campbell Medal 2019 – Nominations

29 May 2020 / Morag Husband Campbell Medal, News / By

26th October 2018

The South Georgia Association is inviting nominations for the award of the Morag Husband Campbell medal for the second year.

The Medal has been made possible by a generous bequest from a long-standing and enthusiastic supporter of the Association, Miss Morag Husband Campbell. It comprises a Sterling silver relief medallion, 60mm in diameter. The name of the recipient and the year will be inscribed on the reverse. It is intended to award the Medal every year or every other year depending upon nominations.

The Association has agreed that the Medal should be awarded to individuals who have contributed significantly to the understanding, appreciation and promotion of South Georgia. This would encompass i) scientific studies as well as in the arts and humanities including culture, history, heritage, artistic endeavour etc., ii) adventurous travel and “exploration”, iii) activities which enhance the wider appreciation of South Georgia (e.g. in the media or through administrative functions).


Nominations (self-nominations are not permitted) should be made on the official Nomination Form also available from the Secretary of the Association, to whom they should be sent no later than 31st December 2018. The award will be made next year at the Annual General Meeting of the Association.

BBC Blue Planet II highlights new concerns for South Georgia Albatrosses

29 May 2020 / News / By

The BBC wildlife documentary series Blue Planet II featured footage of British Antarctic Survey (BAS) research on Wandering Albatrosses at Bird Island, South Georgia. New concerns were highlighted on the effects of plastic pollution in the oceans. This spectacular species is already seriously threatened by fisheries by-catch and a new BAS publication reveals populations of wandering, black-browed and grey-headed albatrosses have halved over the last 35 years.

Pipit nest on Thatcher Peninsula

29 May 2020 / News / By

In 2011 when the South Georgia Heritage Trust started their multi-million pound rat eradication project, the South Georgia Association offered a bottle of champagne to the first person to find a South Georgia pipit nest on the Thatcher Peninsula. We’re delighted to announce that it has now been claimed by Jamie Coleman, who found a nest in Burnet Cove, Maiviken, a few kilometres from Grytviken. This area was baited in 2011 at the beginning of the rat eradication project. Jamie estimates that there are now at least four pairs of pipits at Maiviken.

It’s fantastic to be seeing the results of the mammoth effort that went into the rat eradication project. The endemic South Georgia pipit that had disappeared from much of the island is making an amazing comeback: it is being seen and heard in places around the island where it has never been recorded before.

SGA Response to GSGSSI Strategy Consultation

18 July 2020 / News / By

We have submitted a response to The Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands’ consultation on their strategy for the next five years, taking into account all the comments from members that we received. Our response covers many aspects of the Governance of South Georgia, encouraging responsible management of tourism, fisheries and the cultural heritage of the island amongst other topics.

You can download the response here:

SGA Comments on GSGSSI Strategy 2016 (465 KB)

The resulting final strategy, as well as the full set of responses, is available HERE on the GSGSSI website.

GSGSSI Strategy Consultation

29 May 2020 / News / By

The Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI) have announced a consultation on their strategy for the period 2016 to 2020. All parties with an interest in South Georgia are invited to respond and contribute. The draft strategy document and a letter to interested parties are available on the GSGSSI website.

Whilst members of the SGA are very welcome to respond to GSGSSI directly, we will also be submitting a response as an Association on behalf of our members. We would therefore welcome comments on the draft strategy which we will collate and incorporate in our response. Please send your comments and thoughts to secretary(at)southgeorgiaassociation.org by 5th July 2015.

Mapping of South Georgia

29 May 2020 / News / By

Adrian Fox, Head of Mapping at the British Antarctic Survey, will be giving a talk at the Defense Surveyors Association Annual Seminar on the 27th June. The talk will describe the evolution of mapping of South Georgia, from the earliest mapping efforts, through the expeditions of Duncan Carse in the 1950s into the interior of the island, to modern maps at detailed scales produced from satellite imagery to support the recent rat and reindeer eradication projects.

Further details are on the Defense Surveyors Association website.

Shackleton Legacy meeting

29 May 2020 / News / By

The Shackleton Legacy meeting that we recently jointly held with SPRI was well attended and was a great success.

The full programme of talks – on subjects as varied as Shackleton’s leadership skills, sea ice conditions, navigation techniques, and expedition nutrition – remains online on our Shackleton Legacy page, with links to outlines of the speakers talks where they are available.

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