Special appeal: Blaiklock Island Refuge

We need your help

Antarctica’s historic buildings are unique in the world, but they are vulnerable. Warmer, wetter conditions threaten the survival of these sites, and we must act now.

We need your help to deliver conservation in one of the most challenging and remarkable places on Earth.

Our Blaiklock appeal

This season, we are prioritising repairs at Blaiklock Island Refuge, a hut frozen in time. Located on a wild and rocky island, it is a museum in miniature and a time capsule of Antarctic life.

Built and used by early pioneers who created the first maps of the region, it is a rare example of an early sledging refuge which offered brave men a place to shelter and rest with their dogs. Step inside, and it is brimming with artefacts supporting basic survival.

Heritage under threat

The glacier which once surrounded the refuge is now open sea, and warmer conditions are causing faster degradation of wood and metal. The site is now in urgent need of repair.

Climate change and the challenges of Antarctic conditions is putting heritage under pressure along the Peninsula. In the past few years we have seen a marked increase in rot, artefact damage and algae, putting these modest wooden sites at risk of loss.

To the future

At the Trust, we are dedicated to safeguarding the future of Antarctica’s heritage, working together with our partners and specialist colleagues, stakeholders and supporters to deliver complex conservation and maintenance work, along with wider policy work under the Antarctic Treaty.  

From leading on the protection of the Endurance shipwreck, to delivering complex repairs at Port Lockroy, our conservation work will repair these sites and ensure their survival into the future.  

How to help

We have four options available, from funding essential tools and materials to sponsoring a conservation carpenter. However you choose to support Blaiklock, know that you've helped us expertly care for this very special place, protecting it for years to come.

Other ways to support us