| Summary: | There has been a recent increase in 'Environmental Monitoring' activities globally, and Antarctica has been no exception- Information from most places globally in some form is desired to know what effect people have on the world we live in. Information is also required about the state of the environment from the global to the local scale so to judge the quality of air breathed and water used by people, the nature of the atmosphere, the health of the forests and the productivity ofthe world's oceans. It seems that all aspects of the environment are being studied somewhere, and in some way. Antarctica is still considered relatively pristine and Environmental Monitoring seems even more impoltant to understand the existing conditions to be able to predict changes and impacts from the human presence on this continent. This Antarctic Studies course had a multi-disciplinary approach in the lectures and the field work, teaching all participants about aspects of Antarctica, and the world in general, in a nature that extended thinking and interest beyond the individuals background / academic discipline. The Individual Project for this course however was required to 'reflect your academic and / or professional interests.' My academic background is principally in Physical Geography, and 1 am currently studying towards a B.Sc (Hons) in Geography at the University of Canterbury. During my studies, I have also taken papers in Chemistry, Geological Hazards and various aspects of Biology, so have a general interest in environmental sciences, my degree I have had limited exposure to the concepts and methods of environmental monitoring, the idea and use of environmental indicators or environmental impact assessment. This topic has enabled me to extend my knowledge and experiences, and has also made me realise that my Department may need to improve areas of its teaching. The topic of this project does reflect my academic background though, as Geography is one of several disciplines involved with environmental management. Maybe more ...
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