A memorial evening in honor of Sir Wally Herbert, pioneering polar explorer, and his travelling companion and leading glaciologist, Dr. Fitzroy (Fritz) Koerner, will be held at the Royal Geographical Society in London on Tuesday evening, 7 April 2009, to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the British Trans-Arctic Expedition. The doors will open at 6pm and admission is free. great journey on Earth' - the first crossing of the Arctic Ocean along its longest axis, and the first undisputed expedition to reach the North Pole on foot.
The pioneering British Trans-Arctic Expedition (BTAE), conceived and led by Sir Wally Herbert, involved a 16-month journey across 3,620 miles of sea ice from Alaska to Spitsbergen via the Pole of Inaccessibility and the North Pole. It was hailed by Prime Minister Harold Wilson as a 'feat of courage which ranks with any in polar history' and, in the opinion of H.R.H. Prince Philip, a journey which stands 'among the greatest triumphs of human skill and endurance.'
The scientific program, conducted by Dr. Fritz Koerner, was the first surface survey of the frozen polar ocean. Koerner's findings now provide benchmark data for today's scientific predictions about the status of the melting polar ice cap and associated climate change issues.
In celebration of the fortieth anniversary, Polarworld is delighted to present an evening celebration and a touring exhibition that will be shown in London and Scotland. Of particular importance is the evening
dedicated to polar science and endeavor at the Royal Geographical Society in memory of Sir Wally Herbert and Dr. Fritz Koerner, who died in 2007 and 2008 respectively. The celebrations will include film, story telling, and reminiscences from the Herbert and Koerner families as well as tributes from some of the world's leading lights in polar endeavor and science.
A touring exhibition is also part of the anniversary celebrations:
The Art of Exploration - An Exhibition of Prints of Sir Wally
Herbert's Paintings
29 March - 24 May 2009 at the National Geographic Store, on Regent Street in London; and 30 May - 30 August 2009, at Discovery Point, in Dundee, Scotland.
The Polar World, Sir Wally's last book in hardback, is available at the special price during the celebrations. The book can be ordered through the Polarworld website.
For further information about these events or the book, please contact Kari Herbert.
Alison York, Ph.D.
Project Manager
Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS)
3535 College Rd., Suite 101
Fairbanks, AK 99709-3710
Phone: 907/474-1600 Fax: 907/474-1604
york@arcus.org
Visit ARCUS on the Internet