Keeping Antarctica kākāriki: A Resene green Scott Base wins New Zealanders' hearts

29 Jun 2022

New Zealand has spoken and voted to keep Scott Base kākāriki/green! The iconic Resene Chelsea Cucumber has graced the exterior walls of Ross Island research station since 1965. The choice finished with 4514 votes from the 10,830 Kiwis and honorary penguins who made the choice between green, orange and blue.

The vote allowed the Antarctic community and New Zealanders to be part of the design process during the Scott Base Redevelopment, which will see the current, aging buildings replaced with a fit-for-purpose base powered by 97% renewable energy. It means we can keep supporting science for another 50+ years.

“The colour will link two eras of New Zealand science,” said project director Jon Ager. “The special connection that Kiwis have with Scott Base has been abundantly clear during the vote. We will move towards construction knowing people are behind us and, one day, everyone that voted will be able to say: I helped to shape Scott Base.”

When the vote opened in May 2022, green leapt into the lead. As the current colour of Scott Base, it’s the firm favourite of many Antarcticans. “Give me Chelsea Cucumber or give me death,” came an early tweet online.

As comments poured in online, the devotees of green said the colour is a connection to our history, clean, pristine, humble and unique among Antarctic bases. It’s a reminder of home, life, ferns and our environmental stewardship of the continent.

Scott Base is Aotearoa’s Antarctic home on the ice. The facility is the strategic hub for scientists from New Zealand and across the globe to carry out some of the most important research in the world. The current redevelopment of Scott Base will see the aging infrastructure replaced with a safe, fit-for-purpose, and sustainable research facility that will support New Zealand’s presence in the Ross Sea region of Antarctica for the next 50 years.

Read more on the project here: Home | Scott Base Redevelopment

Published: 29 Jun 2022