What can we do to save the Penguins?
This was one of the points our guest speaker, Caroline Marriage spoke to our students about following her recent trip to Antarctica.
On Wednesday 16 November, we were delighted to be joined by Caroline Marriage as she spoke about why it is so important to act on climate change and the impact climate change has on environments like Antarctica.
This talk was one of many Learning Lunches, that the students are invited to attend over the course of the year. Mrs Victoria Anderson, Teacher of Biology and Deputy Head of Sixth Form, organised this talk – because:
“As we have a good number of students interested in geography, biology, and engineering I thought this would be a great opportunity to share with the students when I heard about Caroline's trip.”
Caroline previously studied at the University of Cambridge. She now works for an energy tech company Origami and was able to visit Antarctica with support from her employer, to learn how Origami could become a greener company.
Her talk enriched the students' young minds as she opened their eyes to some of the wonders of Antarctica. For example, did you know...
...Antarctica is the only place in the world that is not owned by any country and is protected by a treaty.
The treaty that protects Antarctica means that no military or missiles can be placed in this area and research is a key aspect of many journeys there. One crucial fact that Caroline spoke about was how this treaty that protects Antarctica is up for renewal soon, and this treaty may not be extended, meaning that in the future humans could begin to claim the land or use its resources, inadvertently advancing global warming
Caroline explained to the students the procedures that anyone traveling to Antarctica must follow. This included making sure all their clothes and belongings were hoovered and cleaned before stepping off the boat, to avoid bringing any traces of dirt or contaminating the land.
Before Caroline reached Antarctica, she was able to see and explore a place called Deception Island. This is where she and the other members onboard the ship experienced some of the beautiful landscapes and wildlife that call Antarctica home.
Her trip would not have been complete without some penguin photos for her to share with the students!
The students thoroughly enjoyed the talk, and it was excellent to see the students engage as they asked questions and discussed environmental issues with Caroline.
One of the excellent questions that a student asked Caroline was
“What did you take away from this?”
Carolines response
“Guilt for not doing enough to help the planet! But with this guilt came motivation to do more.”
At St Mary’s School, we always encourage students to discuss important topics as it further develops their understanding of greater world issues. We are delighted to have an advanced network of achieving and inspiring people at St Marys who are excited to come back and share their valuable knowledge with our current students.
One of the powerful messages Caroline left our students with was
“We all are a beacon for climate change awareness, but it is up to us to make the change and save our penguins.”