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Guardian of South Georgia Heritage Trust

Environment

Formula 1’s Green Flag: The Race for 100% Sustainable Fuel

If you’ve followed my journey through the icy silence of Antarctica or the sustainable gardens of Dove Park, you’ll know I’m a firm believer that sustainability isn’t a destination – it’s a series of deliberate, conscious choices.

Usually, I’m talking about the choices we make in the supermarket aisle or when picking a carbon-neutral expedition ship! But today, after reading a surprising article in the Guardian, I’m looking at a very different kind of “vessel” – the Formula 1 car.

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Environment

Detective Work from 400 Miles Up: Tracking Antarctica’s Icons with “Penguin Poop”

In my previous post, I talked about the incredible feat of mapping the mountains and canyons hidden beneath Antarctica’s ice. But as I learned during Dr. Peter Fretwell’s presentation, some of the most vital work the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) carries out, involves looking at what is happening right on the surface.

While the bedrock mapping tells us how the ice might move, Dr. Fretwell’s “Wildlife From Space” project tells us how the animals are coping. And it all starts with something rather unexpected: penguin poop.

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Environment

Your Guide to Sustainable Fish & Meat in UK Supermarkets – Part 1

Chatting to my friend Rosie Deegan, Elouise Makes (sustainable, ethical jewellery), about salmon – wild or farmed, which to buy for our own health and that of the planets? Well we were both confused! Step into any UK supermarket, and you’re faced with a dizzying array of logos, labels, and claims, especially when it comes to fish and meat. What do they all mean? Can you really trust them?

There is a LOT of information on this topic, so this a two-parter. This guide break’s down the key sustainability marks you’ll encounter, explains their reliability offering practical tips for conscious shopping. Part 2: a Shoppers Pocket Guide with a list of ‘sustainable swaps’.

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Environment

The High Stakes of Mapping Antarctica’s Hidden World

Deep beneath the vast, white expanse of Antarctica lies a world few will ever see – a landscape of jagged mountain ranges, deep-cut canyons, and ancient valleys. For decades, scientists have been working to “peel back” the ice to understand what lies beneath. Recently, a monumental milestone was reached with the release of Bedmap3, the most detailed map of the Antarctic continent to date.

I was fortunate enough to attend a presentation by Dr. Peter Fretwell where he shared some of the results of this groundbreaking work. Listening to the sheer scale of the data collected by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and their international partners, it’s clear that this research is far more than a cartographic achievement. It is a vital tool for understanding our planet’s future. What I love about this type of research is it’s all about facts with little hype and conjecture!

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Environment, Sustainable Travel

Reflections on 2025. Fragility, Resilience and the Lessons of the South

As the final days of 2025 drew to a close, I found myself looking back on a year that has been as challenging as it has been illuminating. Through the lens of this blog, we have explored everything from the quiet biodiversity of our own gardens in Dove Park to the staggering, icy majesty of the Antarctic Southern Ocean.

While the tone of environmental news can often tilt toward the “doom and gloom,” my journey this year – both through research and my own travels – has reinforced a singular truth: sustainability is not a static goal, but a series of deliberate, conscious choices.

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Environment, Sustainable Travel

The Pulse of the Planet: Why Your Choices in the Shopping Aisle Matter in Antarctica

How do you describe a place that feels like the very edge of the world? Antarctica is a vast, frozen wilderness – a land that has famously claimed the lives of explorers who dared to challenge its silence. But step off a Quark Expeditions vessel at Snow Hill, as I recently did, and you’ll realise that “barren” is the last word you’d use.

Watching the stoic Emperor penguins against the sheer white horizon, you realise this place isn’t just surviving, it is teeming with life. Yet, this fragile splendour is under siege. We often think of the threats to Antarctica as distant, monolithic forces – global warming, industrial overfishing and historical whaling – that only governments can solve.

But after walking among the colonies, the truth becomes clear: The fate of the ice isn’t just in the halls of parliament; it’s in your shopping basket.

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Environment, Sustainable Travel

From Ambassador to Trustee: An Unexpected Voyage

I’m incredibly excited – and frankly, a little speechless – to share with you all, I was invited to officially joined the Board of Trustees of the South Georgia Heritage Trust (SGHT) as of September 2025!

If you’ve followed my adventures here, you know how profoundly my first trip to South Georgia Island in November 2019, affected me. It was a place of astonishing beauty and humbling conservation success. I wrote about it in “How this all started,” my emotional reaction to Gold Harbour, and the need to “celebrate the return of the whales but not forget our past.” That voyage wasn’t just a holiday; it was a call to action.

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Environment

Krill-y Good News for the Antarctic Crew

I’ve got some genuinely fantastic news from the world of health retail.

Holland & Barrett, a big name on our UK high streets, has just announced they are phasing out all products containing krill and krill oil. I know, I know—it might sound like a minor ingredient switch, but trust me, this is a monumental win for the world’s wildest and most fragile ecosystem: the Antarctic.

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Environment, Sustainable Travel

Beyond the Horizon: Our Grand Prix Win at the London Art Film Awards 🎬🏆

I’m writing this with a profound sense of gratitude as our short documentary, ‘Antarctica, A Life Changing Experience’, has just been honoured with the GRAND PRIX BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY award at the prestigious London Art Film Awards.

This is more than just another plaque on the wall; it is recognition of the film’s central purpose. The London Art Film Awards celebrates authentic, compelling storytelling that resonates deeply and to receive their highest documentary honour underscores the critical nature of our message.

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Environment

My Penguin Necklace Story: From Antarctica to Jewellery with Elouise Makes

My husband is a wonderful man. Before our ‘trip of a lifetime’ to Antarctica, South Georgia Island, and the Falkland Islands — a journey three years in the making — he surprised me with a beautiful gold penguin necklace. It wasn’t just any necklace, but a piece from Elouise Makes, a jeweller who focuses on sustainability and traditional craftsmanship in every aspect of her jewellery making. With the penguin made from reclaimed and repurposed gold, I have been wearing it almost daily ever since!

Little did I know, this single gift would be the start of a very special relationship with the artist behind the brand, Rosie Deegan. Today, I want to share both my journey with Rosie and her incredible process, which is all about a slower, more sustainable way of creating.

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