The science station called McMurdo has been operating on the southern tip of the continent since 1956. It’s an important research center, attracting geologists, physicists, engineers, hydrologists, pilots, and just plain adventure-seekers. McMurdo Station has grown so much, in fact, that it’s really a town unto itself. It’s got a harbor, three airfields, a heliport, over a hundred buildings, and a bowling alley. About a thousand people work at McMurdo in the summer -- 200 in the dead of winter -- and the scientists depend on the non-scientists to keep the place humming. SOUNDPRINT went to McMurdo as part of the International Polar Year Media Collaboration Pole to Pole to cover a scientific project. While we were there, we met the diverse and colorful group of people who constitute Life at McMurdo.

The Soundprint documentary series features the best work of top radio producers. The award-winning documentaries are renowned for drawing the listener into the story with compelling interviews, authentic voices and rich sound. From memoirs to science, health and popular culture, Soundprint creates a powerful experience the listener will not soon forget. Life at McMurdo is part of a Soundprint miniseries called ""Pole to Pole"", supported in part by the National Science Foundation.

Here are some other documentaries in the series:
Fire and Ice, produced by Dan Grossman
IGY: On the Ice, produced by Barbara Bogaev
IGY: WeatherReport, produced by: Barbara Bogaev
Meltdown, produced by Dan Grossman
Time Capsule in Siberia, produced by Moira Rankin

Soundprint Executive Producer: Moira Rankin
Audio Engineer: Jared Weissbrot
Production Assistant: Nkechi Mogekwu