Grand Marais Public Library will host former Grand Marais resident Suzanne Gucciardo, who is to share her recent journey through the sub-Antarctic islands of New Zealand and into the Ross Sea aboard a Russian-built ice breaker. Gucciardo is scheduled to speak at the library at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 11. Her talk is titled “South by Southwest to Antarctica through the Southwest Pacific.”
This area of the southwest Pacific has been called the “Southern Galapagos” due to the diversity of the unique plants and animals found among the islands. Due to their location, human exploration and exploitation of these lands were recent and are still evident on the landscape. Meanwhile, the Ross Sea of the western Antarctic has been called the “last ocean” as it is the most pristine marine ecosystem on Earth. Nearly 600,000 square miles were designated a marine preserve in late 2016 to protect the unique biological diversity found there. Experiencing this ecosystem first-hand means exposure to some of the harshest conditions known.
The public is invited to learn more about the human and natural history of Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic islands through Gucciardo’s photo journey and sharing of her experiences.
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