ANTARCTICA is a much brighter place thanks to the efforts of two Bangor Academy students, as flags designed by the pair successfully made the journey to Antarctica.
Designing two flags for the icy regions were year nine geography pupils, Hannah Reid and Martha Drury. The pair, along with the rest of their class and year eight and 10 pupils, were all tasked with creating a flag for the flagless Antarctica.
The artistic learning efforts were part of an awareness drive by the UK Polar Network (UKPN). The group aims to highlight the importance of Antarctica as a habitat, and as an area for important scientific research.
Learning about the area in a September lesson, one which geography teacher Nicola Chambers was keen to teach, the children learnt all about the continent. Part of this lesson concerned the Antarctic Treaty.
Signed in 1959, drilling for the tundra’s natural resources is forbidden under this accord, as is the presence of a military base. The agreement ensures Antarctica remains a centre for peace and scientific co-operation.
Being owned by several countries, Antarctica has no official flag. Remedying this, the UKPN are sent flags designed by schools from across the UK, which they bring with them to the research base, Kinnes Cove.
It was a difficult task for the geography department and for principal, Matthew Pitts, as the vast number of Bangor Academy submissions were whittled down to Hannah and Martha’s. Unable to pick between the two, they opted to send them both to the UKPN.
These flags, printed off onto a single sheet, were sent off in time for the research group’s expedition at the end of October last year.
Receiving word that their flags made it safely to Kinnes Cove two weeks ago, geography teacher Nicola was pleased to see a piece of Bangor in the icy wastes of Antarctica.
“The designs had to be sent away to the UK Polar Network by the end of October, because of their upcoming expedition,” revealed the geography teacher. “The UKPN sent us the email a few weeks ago to show that their flags got to Kinnes Cove.
“It’s a great achievement for the girls, and I am so proud of them, because they did work hard on them,
“It’s brilliant, I think it is such a rare opportunity to say that you have something you made being held in Antarctica.
“The UKPN’s whole goal is to try and educate kids in the UK about Antarctica, and about how much we need it. It actually takes in a lot of our carbon emissions,” notes Nicola.
“Antarctica doesn’t have its own flag, as it is owned by several different nations. In return for entering the competition, the UKPN sent the school resources and material we can then use to teach the children.
“We did a whole thing about Antarctica Day in September. The kids learnt about how important it is and why we need it so much, they learnt about the Antarctic Treaty, and how we are not allowed to excavate and take oil from the continent,” added the local teacher.