Illustrator Charlie Thomas and Starship paediatric nurse Gemma Wyllie were tasked with creating a children's book for the NZ AHT about South Georgia's most famous penguin inhabitants.
Illustrator Charlie Thomas and Starship paediatric nurse Gemma Wyllie were tasked with creating a children's book for the NZ AHT about South Georgia's most famous penguin inhabitants.
A group of young Kiwis have returned from an Antarctic mission with a story of survival, conservation and a penguin chick finding its place in the world.
No sooner had they met, Gemma Wyllie and Charlie Thomas were given an unusual task.
At an Antarctic Heritage Trust event last year, the two were told that not only would they be spending two weeks travelling the subantarctic but they would be writing a children’s book together.
The project would include a trip aboard the expedition ship Magellan Explorer shared with paying guests of the trust, including former PM Dame Helen Clark, and time spent among the largest collection of penguins on earth. It was the perfect setting for an adventure story.
Wyllie, a 25-year-old paediatric nurse working at Auckland’s Starship Hospital, had pitched the idea to the trust at the beginning of 2023 as part of an outreach programme.
“AHT loved the idea. It’s a story of hope, conservation and teamwork. What a child’s journey might look like at Starship.”
She was one of 22 young New Zealanders invited on the adventure to South Georgia Island as part of the AHT’s Inspiring Explorers programme. While some were taking part in scientific programmes, others had mountaineering objectives. All were expected to come back with stories to share with young New Zealanders. However, Wyllie and Thomas were tasked with this very unique outreach project.
“South Georgia is home to the biggest King Penguin colony in the world. Our book is about a little penguin’s fight for survival and finding their place in the world,” says Wyllie.
The nurse, whose first degree was in biology, described visiting the remote island as a “dream come true, to be able to bring something back to Starship that I can read for the children”.
The life of South Georgia's half a million penguin chicks are full of challenges and inspiration for the children's authors. Photo / Paul Carroll, Unsplash
Charlie Thomas, a 22-year-old conservation worker and illustrator from Waiheke, was thrilled to be invited to take a box of paints to the ice. Although he said the most difficult part of preparing for the trip was committing to the six months of secrecy, while the journey was finalised.
The amateur artist and professional wildlife researcher has won praise for sketches and an ability to visualise complex science issues. He has been working for the past six years to combine art and conservation.
The paintings and a visual diary Thomas kept of plastic found in the stomachs of marine birds in Hawaii’s Kure Atoll won praise in New Zealand and the US.
“Art brings a raw and confronting message in a digestible way, without being off-putting,” he says.
Something that is important whether telling stories to primary school pupils or the general public.
The artist, who has shared these findings in primary schools, was delighted to be challenged with bringing the story of South Georgia and its population of one million king penguins to young New Zealanders.
Illustration for conservation: Charlie Thomas' drawings have won praise for highlighting important issues such as Pacific Ocean plastic. Illustration / Charlie Thomas
“It’s such an amazing age when everything is so exciting and all they want to do is learn more. A photo of an albatross is endlessly interesting”.
The conservationist says the illustrations for Wyllie’s stories will not shy away from the real world issues that affect the subantarctic island.
From experience, Thomas says children don’t want to feel that you aren’t giving them the full picture.
“All of the different species have amazing characters - heroes and villains - but we don’t want to shy away too much from the reality of ‘life in the freezer’. It’s tough.”
There are plenty of animals that would love to eat a lost penguin chick.
“They’re not evil,” says the Kiwi conservationist. “They’re just birds trying to make a life.”
During their three-week journey they encountered elephant seals, whales and Antarctic petrels. Each lifeform is uniquely suited to South Georgia and the Antarctic and each is uniquely susceptible to the threats facing the fragile habitat, especially during a recorded outbreak of avian flu.
Wyllie and Thomas as yet don’t have a name for their penguin chick. The task goes against years of training, describing it as “breaking the golden rule of conservation”: don’t name the animals you encounter. Anthropomorphism goes against the grain of conservation, he says, though it is a vital part of writing children’s stories.
The Anglican Church in Grytviken, South Georgia where Ernest Shackleton's funeral service was held in 1922. Photo / David Stanley, Flickr, CC
However, this didn’t stop the team of 22 naming a leopard seal Mahira, the Māori word for curious. The team left it as a link back to New Zealand as part of their contribution to wildlife cataloguing work for the British Antarctic Survey in South Geogia.
Along with the children’s book were several other missions for outreach projects back in New Zealand. This included a mountaineering expedition aiming to be the first New Zealand team to climb Mt Worsley, a challenging two-day subantarctic climb named for the Akaroa-born captain on Shackleton’s Endurance mission.
But Antarctic weather had other plans, and the decision to make the summit was called off.
In the spirit of Shackleton, the explorers were able to make a success out of a new objective and initial disappointment.
Sam West, 29, from Wanaka, was one of four Inspiring Explorers with mountaineering experience invited to attempt the Mt Worsley climb.
“The decision to call off the climb boiled down to weather. It wasn’t cold enough to snow,” he said, and the snow melt and rain meant that equipment was soaked before they were able to get very far.
“It’s not a great way to start an expedition into one of the most remote parts of the planet,” he said. “It’s very exposed.”
Together with the climb team, Millie Mannering, Lily Green, Sasha Cheng, and mountain guides Lydia Bradey and Dean Staples, they set their sights on Mt Hodges, climbing from Grytviken.
Antarctica21's expedition vessel the Magellan Explorer was home to the Heritage Trust's 22 inspiring explorers over summer.
West was very even-keeled about the change of plans. He had been drawn to the expedition after exploring a family connection to the south and polar exploration. His grandfather John was part of Edmund Hillary’s 1958 crossing of Antarctica, and an inspiration for joining the team.
“I never got to talk to him about it but I read his diary. He’s part of the reason I wanted to apply for the expedition”
Their final objective was not far from Shackleton and Worsley’s 1916 walk to freedom, after being marooned in Antarctica for months. It was a reminder of how unpredictable the remote region can be and of the importance of resilience.
“Nothing is a given,” said climb team member Millie Mannering, before departing for South Georgia.
She was not too disappointed with the alternate climb 605m above sea level, traversing on skis back to the church in Grytviken.
“Not many people can say they have skied to Shackleton’s grave, which is where we finished our expedition.”
The climb of Mt Hodges, with Grytviken bay in the background. Photo / AHT
“We came down to the cemetery and toasted him with a bit of whiskey,” said West. “It was a spectacular day, skiing past elephant seals.”
The climber from Wanaka said he would love to go back and climb Mt Worsley. “I’ve got a bit of unfinished business but it’s just so remote, so who knows when that will be.”
Now the explorers are back on terra firma in Aotearoa, they will be working on group outreach projects including the children’s book and public talks on the projects undertaken in South Georgia.
In connection with expedition partners MetService and the Royal Society Te Apārangi, the year ahead is about focusing on the messages of science, education, history, and climate change and translating their experiences and passion for the polar region for the public.
