Fieldwork

In November 2025, GUIDE-BEST postdocs Liz Cooper and Zdenka Sokolíčková, along with Tom Huizer from Arctic Explorer, joined an expedition cruise with HX as guest scientists.

Liz, interested in the perceptions and experiences of Antarctic tourists, collected two datasets. For the first, she had 21 passengers keep daily travel journals to reflect on their thoughts and feelings. For the second, she interviewed 40 passengers about their perceptions of and feelings about the carbon impact of their trip. Liz is currently analysing and writing up the data, and plans to submit two papers at the end of the year.

Zdenka conducted an ethnographic study focusing on the role time plays in experiencing Antarctica. She connected beforehand with 3 tour guides and 6 passengers, with whom she conducted online interviews prior to the voyage, mingled during the trip, arranged focus groups, and re-connected again a couple of months after the trip. The ethnography also included participant observation – taking part in various activities during the voyage, exploring how various temporalities shape the experience. 

Tom joined on behalf of the Arctic Explorer Foundation, an organisation dedicated to bringing Arctic and Antarctic science closer to you through immersive, interactive, and educational activities. Tom documented the expedition in 360 degree video, an immersive video format that can be used in VR headsets and dome theatres. The material will serve the study of Silpa Saila Kumar into the effectiveness of VR to inspire environmental action, without the environmental footprint of polar travel. Under the tagline Snowlands, this virtual Antarctic expedition will the piloted at Lowlands Science this summer.