CLARKS SUMMIT — A pod of whales silhouetted against an Antarctic sunset. Penguins slipping in and out of the water in search of fish to feed their young. Ice and rocks stretching across the land as far as the eye can see.
These are some of the scenes that stand out most in Leela Baikadi’s memory from her January, 2015 expedition to Antarctica, the final of the seven continents added to her list of places she has visited. And the North Abington Township resident wants to share these memories with her community.
Her multimedia exhibit, titled simply “Antarctica” and featuring paintings and photographs from her trip, will be displayed for two weeks, beginning Monday, July 24, at the Abington Community Library. The travelling exhibit was already shown at Taylor Community Library, Carbondale Public Library and Valley Community Library. The Abington stop will be the exhibit’s last, before heading to the Everhart Museum in Scranton for a free closing event, open to Lackawanna County Library System cardholders from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5.
The museum event will include tours of the rocks and minerals gallery, a children’s activity on rocks and minerals, a presentation of the artwork by Baikadi and a lecture by glaciologist Jonathan Walton.
The project, supported by a Lackawanna County Arts and Culture Grant, also includes an Antarctica story time for children ages 2 to 7, scheduled for 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Monday, July 31 at the Abington library. It will feature books, songs, a take-home penguin craft and other activities, with Baikadi on hand to answer questions and talk about her experiences in Antarctica.
Baikadi described the continent as “unspoiled.” She said even with the 100 or so people on the cruise ship, there was a sense of isolation.
“It was beautiful; it was very peaceful,” she said. “And knowing that in probably a 30-mile radius, you’re on the only ship full of people, it was just a very different feeling.”
“You read about how Antarctica is, how barren it is, but you still can’t visualize it,” she said.
One aspect Baikadi found fascinating about Antarctica was the variability of its weather. She said although her group didn’t encounter any “really bad weather” while they were there – it was the height of summer and temperatures were around 30 degrees – they often had to change their day-to-day itinerary due to the lack of reliable forecasts. She said one day, while one group of people from the cruise was walking along the shore and saw only a few snowflakes, another was caught in a blizzard while hiking about a half mile away.
One of the most fun parts of the trip for her was seeing penguins up close and watching their antics.
“It’s amazing,” she said. “You just stand there, and they go right next to your legs.”
When asked if she would like to go back to Antarctica some day, she said she would like to return to all of the places she visited over the years, each of which was her favorite while she was there.
“I love travelling,” she said.
