The Journal of Wild Culture is a new online magazine that focuses on the broad and fertile intersection between culture and the environment. The Journal is published by the Society for the Preservation of Wild Culture, an arts and ecology organization founded by Whitney Smith in 1986 by multi-disciplinary artist Whitney Smith.

Part 1: The first in a three-part series on a project that asks the questions: What is Antarctica to us, and what we can be to it? A new book about the project weaves historic and contemporary photographs, recipes and daily reports in a polar journal style. At the heart of it is the story of the food.

Part 2 in our 3-part series on traveling to a faraway continent where the simplest acts — social and environmental — get edgy fast.

Part 3 or our 3-part series on a new book, The Antarctic Book of Cooking & Cleaning. An engaging chef and artist speaks intimately about food and cooking in a very desolate place.

Many thanks Whitney Smith and Wild Culture team.

ps see below for Get Involved list Carol created for this article series.

GET INVOLVED in Antarctic and global wilderness environment polar ocean and cultural protection outreach and education:

• Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition

• Antarctic Ocean Alliance

• 2041 — “Informing, engaging and inspiring the next generation of leaders to take responsibility, be sustainable, and know that now is the time for action in policy development, sustainable business generation and future technologies. In the year 2041 the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty <http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/about_antarctica/geopolitical/treaty/update_… could potentially be modified or amended. Our aim is to work towards the continuing protection of the Antarctic Treaty so that the last great wilderness on earth is never exploited.”

• Cape Farewell — The Cultural response to Climate Change

• WWF Antarctic teachers resources

• WWF Arctic

• International Polar Foundation

• EducaPoles — The educational website of the International Polar Foundation

• Greenpeace Protecting Antarctica — The heart of the ocean

• Directory of Environmental Organizations, jobs, volunteer work, government and non-government in Canada

• Cultural Survival partnering with Indigenous peoples to defend their lands, languages and cultures

• SCAR — The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, is a committee of ICSU, the International Council for Science, <http://www.icsu.org>  and it is charged with the initiation, promotion and co-ordination of scientific research in Antarctica. SCAR also provides international, independent scientific advice to the Antarctic Treaty <http://www.scar.org/treaty/>  system and other bodies

• Marine Conservation Organizations

In December we celebrated with winter solstice and now it’s time to celebrate the Antarctic midwinter which is better known in North America as the beginning of summer.

Here’s a toast to international cooperation, new dawns, science for good and earth stewardship!

In Antarctica many over-winterers don’t see the sunrise until late August and have been in 24-hour darkness since April. But today, the 21st of June is a reason to celebrate the light that is coming.

“Midwinter marks the point when we start heading back towards daylight, beginning with a glimmer of light on the horizon that gradually gets brighter and brighter. It’s been an excuse for celebration by overwinterers in Antarctica ever since Scott and Shackleton were here. In his book ‘The Worst Journey in the World’, Apsley Cherry-Garrard says of their Midwinter celebrations in 1910 ‘We are very merry – and indeed why not? The sun turns to come back to us tonight and such a day comes only once a year.” Natural History Museum, 2006.

We asked our special friends at the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) Lena Nikolaeva who was the Liaison Officer for the VIEW Foundation ecological expedition on which this book is based, for some words on Midwinter. Lena shared the following. It’s wonderful to be in touch with our colleagues since the making of the project together, and this book.  Without the hospitality, generosity and assistance of the Russian Antarctic Expedition team at Bellingshausen and the overarching support of the AARI in St. Petersburg, our Joint Russian-Canadian Ecological project wouldn’t have existed or been the humble success it was.

AARI: State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute belongs to the Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring. Organized in 1920, Russia has five scientific bases in the Antarctic year round and five temporary bases. AARI is the oldest and the largest Russian research institution in the field of comprehensive studies of the Polar Regions.

Dear girls, my dear friends Wendya and Carol,

My very kind regards from St.Petersburg to you and other members of the Antarctic Midwinter Dinner of which I happened to learn. Very few people on the Earth celebrate Midwinter Day. I guess – only few in members Antarctic community which we proudly belong to and some crazy sympathizers (which we belong to as well).

It is our tradition that the dinner speech, “toast” in Russian should be short enough not to sidetrack the attendee attention from the tasteful meals and good drinks.

I’ll try to keep to the rules.

You are well aware, girls, that I am an old woman and have been working in the Russian Antarctic Expedition for over 20 years with 12 expeditions to the Ice so far. By this I want to show that I know what I am speaking about.

On the Midwinter Day of 2014 I solemnly swear that 1995/1996 summer season at Bellingshausen station was the very outstanding  in my practice and that until now  it occupies a special place in my memories. I knew then and I know now that it was due to Wendy who was lucky to become the Queen of King George island. Chileans, Chinese, Uruguayans and others were happy to be invited for dinner or tea or glass of wine. (  guess they would be happy to come for a glass of rain water).

Bellingshausen guys adored Wendy and thought of her as of “our Wendya”, by all their hearts they disapproved alien competitor’s visits and looked for every bare possibility to render a service to her.

Wendy is talented in cooking but what is more important – in attracting people around her. I do confirm this.

Once again I want to thank you both for the book which is so much “in style”. I enjoyed reading it and discovered a lot of new things which I never noticed or paid attention to or knew before.

And the last. The next Midwinter Day should be celebrated in St.Petersburg because summer equinox here is as good as in Antarctica. White nights, art exhibitions, open air concerts, opera/ballet festivals…

I love you very much, girls, and miss you and hope to meet with you one day.

Cheers! Na zdorovje

Lena

 White Silence: A new Antarctic cocktail from Victor Pomelov

Victor Pomelov, a chemist by training, also works for AARI in St. Petersburg who helped in the making of the Joint Russian-Canadian Ecological Expedition with The VIEW Foundation. He recently wrote us this letter.

Many thanks for your wonderful book! I found some words about modest involvement of me in the history of its origin). Thanks for the mention! As I know this book is historically the first Antarctic cookbook! I will take advantage of it for my next expeditions).
I’m sorry I did not take part to the second season, as it was intended and not previously contributed to the cleaning and strong polar drinks recipes … Once, being a chemist, I personally prepared vodka, cranberry liqueur and polar alcoholic cocktail “white silence “(on special request)). I have long ceased to enjoy these recipes …
I heard that you are going to celebrate together soon “middle of the Antarctic winter.” This is a great holiday for Antarctic winterer, the top of the pass, after which time already rolling downhill to the long-awaited meeting with loved people.
I would like to raise a toast for the Antarctic, which united us all, and for all participants in this project, which I had heard so much of the memories of our explorers. And now I have the opportunity to learn about this “kitchen” of the wonderful book Wendy and Carol.
And, of course, a toast to Carol, for your courage and confidence in the success of this unforgettable expedition!

Best wishes
Victor Pomelov

 

 

 

Wendy’s Final Dinner Toast, Bellingshausen 1996 – Translation:

I don’t speak a lot of Russian, but I don’t need a lot of words— I only want to say:

I love  Antarctica. I love Bellingshausen. I love you.

I will remember you.

Doe growbavoy doski (Love and friendship til the coffin’s plank)