Antarctic Heritage Trust is a New Zealand-based charity with a vision of inspiring explorers.
Through its mission to conserve, share and encourage the spirit of exploration the Trust cares for the remarkable expedition bases of early Antarctic explorers including, Carsten Borchgrevink, Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Sir Ernest Shackleton and Sir Edmund Hillary.
It shares the legacy of exploration through outreach programmes and encourages the spirit of exploration through expeditions to engage and inspire a new generation.
Shackleton’s Hut at Cape Royds, Ross Island, Antarctica 1907-1909 @AHT
Our Inspiring Explorers™ Programmes
From the classroom to polar-inspired expeditions, the Inspiring Explorers™ programme is giving young people the chance to grow their explorer mindset. Our donors create opportunities for young people to connect with and be inspired by the qualities of legendary Antarctic explorers like Scott, Shackleton and Hillary. Exploration embodies curiosity, allows us to embrace uncertainty and develop resilience. These qualities are more critical in today’s world than ever before and will be crucial in shaping our shared future. These programmes push young people outside their comfort zone, giving them experiences that challenge them physically and mentally. No other programme in the world draws on the rich heritage of these polar explorers as a source of inspiration. The Inspiring Explorers™ programme draws heavily on the explorer qualities of curiosity, resilience, leadership, innovation, and teamwork, encouraging young people to engage with the spirit of exploration. It includes our Inspiring Explorers Expeditions™, Young Inspiring Explorers™ and Inspiring Explorers Education™ initiatives.
Inspiring Explorers Expeditions™
The Trust’s Inspiring Explorers Expeditions™ includes both New Zealand-based events and expeditions to the world’s polar regions.
Young Inspiring Explorers™
Young Inspiring Explorers™ empowers young, modern-day explorers to meet life’s challenges by connecting them to the inspiring feats of early Antarctic exploration.
Inspiring Explorers Education™
The Trust’s Education team travel around New Zealand to bring our virtual reality experiences to schools, community groups, public venues, and festivals.
Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ 2017 – Climbing Mount Scott © William Pike / AHT
Our Conservation Programmes
Antarctic Heritage Trust is a world leader in cold-climate heritage conservation, with a major programme to conserve the historic huts and artefacts in the Ross Sea region of Antarctica. In 2002 the Trust launched the Ross Sea Heritage Restoration Project with support from donors from around the world. Each year, a team of conservation experts travels to Antarctica to conserve the five historic expedition bases we care for:
- Borchgrevink’s Hut, Cape Adare
- Scott’s Hut, Hut Point
- Shackleton’s Hut, Cape Royds
- Scott’s Hut, Cape Evans
- Hillary’s Hut, Scott Base
More than 80 conservation experts from 15 countries have worked in Antarctica on this project conserving the explorers’ bases and the more than 20,000 artefacts the men left behind, including clothing, food and equipment. A number of famous discoveries have been made over the years.
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Antarctic Heritage Trust
7 Ron Guthrey Road, Christchurch 8053, New Zealand
Private Bag 4745, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
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Antarctic Heritage Trust
7 Ron Guthrey Road, Christchurch 8053, New Zealand
Private Bag 4745, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand