Polar Outreach Catalogue

Similar to a number of countries, the New Zealand Government provided additional funding to support New Zealand's contribution to the global IPY science effort. There was an expectation that all of the science that was supported would have a strong education and outreach component. In addition to the science that was supported, Antarctica New Zealand and a number of other agencies also supported specific IPY education and outreach projects. The New Zealand IPY projects that were supported are nearing completion and this provides an opportunity to reflect on the successes of the IPY to profile the value of New Zealand's polar science. The New Zealand science that contributed to the IPY has generated a significant amount of positive outreach and many of the IPY research programmes have developed effective ways to ensure a large and diverse audience is exposed to the work. These include:
- scientific publications
- a range of specific education activities
- public outreach including work with a range of media
- contributions to permanent visitor attractions.
In addition to the science events that were part of the IPY New Zealand supported a separate project on education and outreach. This project has also used a number of different ways to reach a large audience. In 2009, Antarctica New Zealand initiated a public opinion survey to gauge how much the New Zealand public knew about Antarctica and New Zealand's Antarctic activities. The survey of 1,000 respondents showed a strong awareness of New Zealand's activities in Antarctica, including 42% of all people surveyed understanding some aspects of Antarctic science. The results from this survey provide a great baseline to track further efforts in engaging with New Zealander's on Antarctic research.