The Association has an Initiative Fund. 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.
Members interested in the Fund should read the guidelines, which you can download here, and direct any questions to Dr Bill Block at the email address given on the application form.
Recent awards from the initiative fund have included the following:
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.