A COLD CHRISTMAS

Team to spend their festive days on icy continent in mission to conserve historic base that's led by woman from N. Wales

- BY RYAN MCDOUGALL

A TRUST that protects historic heritage sites on Antarctica has announced it is sending a team on a 9,000-mile mission to the icy continent to safeguard a base from the impacts of climate change.

As part of the three-year project, the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT) is safeguarding Base A, Port Lockroy, Britain's first permanent scientific base on the continent.

Its leader is based in North Wales.

The venue serves as a designated heritage site. It is home to the world's most southern post office and museum, plus a colony of 1,000 gentoo penguins.

The trust deploys a team each year to manage the flagship site, but said this year marks the start of a new chapter, as the Antarctic Peninsula is one of the fastest warming places in the world. Port Lockroy is subsequently deteriorating.

Now more than 80 years old, the site is also facing issues because of its age and environmental factors.

Its buildings also face structural challenges and require repairs because of increased rainfall, water flow and snow loading.