Journal
100 years since Amundsen reached the South Pole
Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stolenberg unveils the Amundsen ice bust. Photo: Dagbladet.no/Ole Mathismoen/Scanpix
The ice bust of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen who was the first to reach the South Pole 100 years ago has been unveiled in Antarctica.
Despite temperatures as low as 40 degrees below zero, hundreds of people attended the commemorative ceremony on the South Pole, including Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg.
On December 14th 1911 Roald Amundsen’s expedition reached the South Pole overtaking another polar expedition led by British explorer Robert Scott.
Source: The Voice of Russia
“Mountains for Water”
“Mountains for Water” Plans Kili Climb in January
In January 2012, a group of dedicated climbers will ascend Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, the highest peak on the continent of Africa, while fundraising to construct a water reservoir for a community in need in Northern Kenya.
In 1998-2000, Kenya experienced a two-year drought. Ongoing issues have prevented communities, livestock and wild animals from having enough water to drink. Daily, Samburu women have to walk for an hour or more to collect water. The shortage of water means ill health and dehydration within the whole community – often leading to the prevalence of Trachoma, a bacterial infection of the eye and the leading cause of painful blindness. Reservoirs are of huge benefit to alleviate damage in times of drought, says expedition spokespersonPeter Kojalo.
The climb hopes to raise funds to construct a rainwater reservoir, which will benefit a local community for decades to come. A few open places remain for interested climbers. (For more information: http://www.
Norway’s King Harald V and Queen Sonja Open South Pole Exploration Exhibit at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Their Majesties King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway today officially opened an exhibit at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport commemorating the 100th anniversary of Roald Amundsen’s historic journey to the South Pole.
“It was a tremendous honor to have the King and Queen of Norway present to open the exhibit”
The exhibit, Cold Recall: Reflections of a Polar Explorer, on loan from Norway’s Fram Museum, is on display through Nov. 14 in Terminal 1-Lindbergh’s Concourse C. It is being displayed as part of the airport’s Arts and Culture Program, which is administered by the Airport Foundation MSP, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing travelers’ airport experience. The exhibit was secured through with a partnership between the Honorary Royal Norwegian Consulate, Sons of Norway (a Norwegian-American fraternal life insurance organization dedicated to preserving Norwegian Heritage and Culture), Destination Bloomington and the Airport Foundation MSP. This is the first time the exhibit has appeared in the United States.
Norwegian Roald Amundsen led the historic featured expedition from 1910 to 1912. In addition to illustrating the challenges of arctic exploration in the early 20th Century, the display also provides a unique look at the daily lives of polar explorers. There is no admission charge for the exhibit; however it is located past the terminal’s security checkpoints, so access is limited to ticketed passengers.
“It was a tremendous honor to have the King and Queen of Norway present to open the exhibit,” said Jana Vaughn, executive director of the Airport Foundation MSP. “The importance of the exhibit was also highlighted by the presence of some of the most respected modern explorers in the world: Minnesota natives Ann Bancroft and Will Steger and Norwegian Liv Arneson.
I encourage travelers flying through Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to plan enough time during their trip to see for themselves the hardships Roald Amundsen and his team faced a century ago, when they became first to explore the unforgiving environs of the South Pole.”
2011 Dream Maker Awards
Tonight at 5.30 pm, The Ann Bancroft Foundation will host its’ 14th annual Dream Maker Awards at the Hyatt Hotel in Downtown Minneapolis.
Congratulations to the four winners:
Shawnnise Watkins
Susan McCormick Hadley
Pam Borton
Women’s Advocates
Visit Ann Bancroft Foundation to read more about the winners.
Heard lately