Ark

Thursday this week saw the naming ceremony for the new British Antarctic Survey research ship, the Sir David Attenborough. It was a reminder that asking the public their opinion is a bad idea as it would have been called Boaty McBoatface if the public vote was actually followed through with.
I suggested Tom Crean for the name at the time.

We have been in discussions with British Antarctic Survey to get someone in to speak to the students, and this would be excellent with this renewed interest, and also to coincide with our unit on the Antarctic.

Simon Armitage, the new Poet Laureate, and a geography graduate no less, published a new poem on the same day. It recasts the ship as a modern day Ark... exploring the impacts of climatic change.
It can be read on Simon's own website page, as a PDF



Later that day, Simon then visited Jamie and the Encounter Edu team...

Fantastic to talk Arctic and climate change with the Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage, whose new poem was on @BBCr4today this morning. Here he is about to go full 3D with @encounteredu to see the @NERCscience Arctic station. @BAS_News @UKSINet #UKinArctic pic.twitter.com/213b8LQ4yl

— NERC Arctic Office (@Arctic_Office) September 26, 2019

Ark: copyright Simon Armitage 

Image: Copyright BAS Press Office.
https://www.bas.ac.uk/media-post/ship-is-named-with-royal-ceremony/1854_img_8009-jpg/