Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 11/23/2007 - 08:23

Ann,

Are you allowed to bring a piece of ice home as a souvenir or would this violate some treaty?

Maybe just an ice cube or two?

Lawrence

 

Ann Linsley

Hi Lawrence, 
Under the Antarctic Conservation Act and the Antarctic International Treaty we can't do anything that is not permitted for scientific purposes.  Anything that is brought back has to be part of the scope of the research and has to be permitted.  Working with animals is even more specialized.   The Antarctic Conservation Act that details what human interference means in the environment.  My team is bringing back dead sea critters ( I packaged these up see the pictures of what is coming back), soil samples from terrestrial and marine sources.
 
Thanks for the question!!  Today is Thanksgiving so it is a holiday here. 
Ann 
 

 
 

Mary Kaye Smith

After reading through your journal, we realize what a dream this is for you and my two sons have found this trek really exciting.... ME TOO!!!  We are wondering however, WHERE ARE THE PENGUINS?  We think this is a really cool thing and being able to follow you is so fun for us. ... Never gave much thought about Antartica until YOU went there.  thank YOU for the adventure..... stay warm............Mary Kaye Smith
the NYSTROM MAP LADY!!!
mksmith@herffjones.com

Ann Linsley

Thanks Mary Kaye!! As for penguins.. .we saw only 1 so far on the way to Cape Evans and Scott's Terra Nova Hut.  I put the picture on the journal article and there are several on the photo gallery.  There was only 1 little guy/girl- dont know the gender. But it was really pretty far away from the open waters so food might become an issue for it pretty soon.  Hopefully it turned around and headed back.  I have been here for 2 weeks now and have not seen open water however I have walked on a lot of frozen sea ice that will become open water by January.
Take care and keep following along!!
Ann 
 
Ann Linsley