Xander

Former Head of the Administrator's Office on 🇦🇨 Ascension Island for @ascension_gov & @FCDOGovUK
All views my own.

[Xander @XanderFCDO]

@RLeighTurner @Colcestrian @FCDOGovUK Updated signage, still not encouraging...

[Xander @XanderFCDO]

Well that's all folks. 2 years working with fab colleagues & fantastic islanders and enjoying many amazing experiences on Ascension Island. It's been a blast and I have not painted the Lizard on the way out - those who know, know.

For now, I'm signing off from Ascension.

[Philip Rushbrook @PhilipRushbrook]

#Ascension Sea Rescue team in Georgetown. 'Volunteered' to join a rescue at sea training exercise. Marvellous teamwork providing a vital service to the island. #SouthAtlantic @ascension_gov @AscensionAdm @GO_ASHT @British_OTs @FCDOGovUK

[Ascension Island Heritage Society @AscensionHistry]

#OTD in 1984 Ascension Island issues a First Day Cover of stamps featuring a commemoration of the 150th anniversary of St Helena becoming a British Colony.

[Lucy Mortlock @lucy_mortlock]

Merry Christmas from Ascension Island! Have some dodgily phone scoped birds from the past couple of weeks. White Terns, Masked Boobies, Ascension Island Frigatebird and Red Footed Booby.

[Xander @XanderFCDO]

Ascension Island once again provided essential tracking for a critical space launch.

Tracked from ~13 minutes into the flight with the 🚀 travelling ~180km above the island 🇦🇨

[Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office @FCDOGovUK]

Today marks the start of a new era in space observation.

@ESA and @NASA have launched the world's largest & most powerful space telescope.

British expertise has been at the heart of this project, working alongside a global team to deliver breakthrough innovations.

[Ascension Conservation @AIGConservation]

#MerryChristmas from all of us here at Ascension Conservation and Fisheries!
We will bring you lots more Asi wildlife updates in the New Year 😊

[Xander @XanderFCDO]

.@AscensionAdm & Marina hosted the annual Ascension Island Christmas Carols Spectacular, where the community came together to festively celebrate & give thanks following another eventful year.

From everyone on Ascension: We wish you all a safe Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

[Xander @XanderFCDO]

🇦🇨 @ascension_gov has released the Public & Government Holidays for 2022 including an extra Public Holiday for HM The Queen's Platinum Jubilee & a Government Holiday to mark the 40th anniversary of the 🇫🇰 Falkland Island Liberation Day.

@40Falklands @FalklandsGov @RoyalFamily

[Xander @XanderFCDO]

Volunteers have been helping to clear & restore Monkey Rock Cemetery, one of the oldest on the island. Containing graves dating back to the mid-1800s & is located on the slopes of Green Mountain, a few hundred meters below the Residency. 🇦🇨

Read more:
https://t.co/fD4LgBtPlV

[Xander @XanderFCDO]

.@AscensionAdm has released this year's Christmas message highlighting the work & collaboration during 2021 to keep 🇦🇨 working & safe.

Full message:
https://t.co/96dPA6n1Ux

Photos: 🇦🇨 nurses, Cllr Nicholls at the JMC in London & the 1st vaccines arrive.

Merry Christmas to all!

[Laura Shearer @LimpetLaura]

We had a super curious scrawled filefish on our #dive over the weekend. So lucky to see such a beautiful fish up close and personal! #Ascension #islandlife #SCUBA

[Xander @XanderFCDO]

@CoralReefFish @synth_ethics @katpower714 Tristan da Cunha's MPZ has Ascension beat being just shy of 700,000 km2!

[Fera @FeraScience]

While Ascension Island and its waters are rich with biodiversity, the #biodiversity and #ecological systems are threatened by invasive alien species, with #ants being one of the most harmful groups.

Find out more: https://t.co/oJEzYWWTyA

#Biodiversity #Fera #Science

[Xander @XanderFCDO]

@halifaxinvestor @AndrewBellBNN Ascension Island still has the HMS Hood guns mounted at Fort Bedford on the slopes of Cross Hill.

https://t.co/nf6KWo7bXl

[Xander @XanderFCDO]

2 5.5" guns were removed from HMS HOOD in 1934 arriving on Ascension Island in April 1940. Mounted at Fort Bedford on the slopes of Cross Hill. Only fired to repel U-boat U-124 commanded by Kapitanleutnant Jochen Mohr who was laden with crew plus 104 survivors they had collected

[Xander @XanderFCDO]

@Helge_Nielsen @rightrelevance @CoralReefFish At 445,000sq km Ascension Island's #MPA is one of the largest in the world however Tristan da Cunha has us beat with their whopping 687,247sq km of protected ocean.

A massive boost for ocean biodiversity.

https://t.co/SDYDusKoqR

@AscensionMPA @fkilpatricktdc @ukgovbluebelt

[Xander @XanderFCDO]

New Year resolutions on Ascension Island often focus on protecting the island's unique environment & the vital biodiversity the Territory offers.

@AIGConservation works with islanders to keep Green Mountain (& themselves!) in good shape through various restoration projects. 🇦🇨

[Xander @XanderFCDO]

On Thursday 18 November there was a Formal meeting of the Ascension Island Council 🇦🇨

Minutes of the meeting are below. Minutes for past meetings can be found on the
@ascension_gov website: https://t.co/4UZLOa1wtr

Discover more about the Councillors:https://t.co/scJ9J50gMk

[Blue Belt Programme @ukgovbluebelt]

#Ascension, #Pitcairn & #Tristan da Cunha published their MPA management plans. Providing the essential roadmap to how they will protect their MPAs. #BlueBelt2021 @AscensionMPA @PulauResidence @fkilpatricktdc

[Ascension Island Heritage Society @AscensionHistry]

#OTD in 1979 Ascension Island issues a First Day Cover of stamps featuring the centenary of the death of Sir Rowland Hill