Kite flies in icy winds

Antarctica’s high winds and freezing conditions might deter most, but some see them as perfect opportunities to fly a kite—in the name of conservation.

The kite is an aerial photography device providing a bird’s eye view of the plateau that is home to the historic huts built by Australian explorer Sir Douglas Mawson and his team during their 1911-14 expedition to Cape Denison in East Antarctica.

Mawson was killed in the expedition. This year, 10 members of a foundation named after him—the Mawson’s Huts Founda - tion—are trying to repair the damaged huts. Archae - ologist Jody Steel, part of the 10-member team, said the kite was key to canvassing the landscape. “We can identify that certain areas might have been used to dump certain artifacts,” he said.