2013-2014
Illustrated Public Talks
motivational stories of adventure expertise on vital current issues inspirational insights into people, places & planet 37 inspiring speakers • 90 fascinating talks • 13 locations Dave MacLeod - Extreme Climbs
Clifton Bain is Director of
Tom Christian manages the
the IUCN UK Peatland Programme,
National Tree Collections of Scotland initiative and the iCONic project at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Both projects, helping to safeguard threatened tree species by creating conservation collections in Scotland, have taken him on plant collecting expeditions around the world.
which exists to promote peatland restoration. Scotland holds 15% of the world’s blanket bog, so peatlands such as the Flow Country are vitally important for plants, animals and carbon storage.
Col John BlashfordDr Andrew Cook shares Snell, a renowned explorer himself, his research into the personal uses early images and HM Stanley’s original magic lantern slides to tell the story of David Livingstone’s remarkable expeditions and his fight against slavery. He aims to reveal the real Livingstone, his achievements, his failures and his
open one to every free for s ber RSGS mem d come an s u join !
legacy today.
correspondence of the Goodsir family, held by the RSGS. Harry Goodsir was the surgeon on Captain Sir John Franklin’s 1845 voyage of Arctic exploration, whose sad final fate was uncovered by the explorer John Rae.
wife of David Livingstone. Often seen as a shadow in the blaze of her husband’s sun, Mary played an
John Blashford-Snell - The Legend of Livingstone
important role in his success, and her own feats as an early western traveller in uncharted Africa are unique.
Matt Dickinson, a filmmaker and writer who specialises in wild places and indigenous peoples, celebrates Isobel Wylie Hutchison, a pioneering film-maker and RSGS
Matt Dickinson - Retracing Isobel Wylie Hutchison’s Footsteps
medallist who created a unique record of Arctic life in the 1920s, focusing on landscape, wildflowers and people’s daily lives.
David Edwards witnessed
Julie Davidson tells the
the eruptions and evacuations that
story of her search for Mary, the extraordinarily courageous and stoical
In 2011 he went back to see how the
changed Montserrat’s destiny in 1995.
Ian Edwards - Woodlanders: New Life in Britain’s Forests
island had recovered and to revisit areas which had been destroyed. He explores the major challenges that a community faces having lost twothirds of its land space.
Ian Edwards returned to Scotland, after years exploring forests in the Tropics, to document the ‘New
Richard Else - Thirty Years at the Sharp Edge
Woodlanders’ who are breathing new life into Scotland’s native woods. Following a large replanting programme, there has been a resurgence in forest culture, with more people than ever working or playing in the woods. Kari Herbert - Heart of the Hero
Tim Emmett - Global Freezing!
RSGS: helping to make the connections between people, places & the planet
Richard Else is an ‘extreme
Afternoon talks (Edinburgh & Glasgow only) start at 2.15pm. All other talks start at 7.30pm. Details are correct at the time of going to print
film-maker’ who, filming at heady
(August 2013) but may be subject to change. Please see www.rsgs.org for the latest information.
heights around the world, has had a
Aberdeen • MacRobert Building, University of Aberdeen, King’s College, Aberdeen, AB24 5UA
rare opportunity to observe leading
30 Sep 13 4 Nov 13 2 Dec 13 6 Jan 14 3 Feb 14 3 Mar 14
mountaineers at close quarters. He
Tim Emmett Iain Stewart Matt Dickinson Julie Davidson Andy Torbet Craig Mathieson
Global Freezing! Climbing the Ice Wall Scotland Beneath Our Feet Retracing Isobel Wylie Hutchison’s Footsteps Looking for Mrs Livingstone Operation Iceberg: Arctic Science, Adventure and Filming Some Like It Cold…
Ayr • Council Chambers, Ayr Town Hall, New Bridge Street, Ayr, KA7 1JX 25 23 27 29 26 26
Sep 13 Oct 13 Nov 13 Jan 14 Feb 14 Mar 14
Charles Withers David McClay Doug Scott & Paul Braithwaite Robert Rogerson Mike Parker Fred Pearce
The World’s Baseline: Geographies of the Prime Meridian Picturing Africa: Illustrating Livingstone’s Travels Big Walls and High Mountains Planning Legacy: Glasgow 2014 and the City’s Future On the Map: Cartography and National Identity The Land Grabbers: The Fight Over Who Controls the Earth
Borders • Heriot Watt University, Scottish Borders Campus, Netherdale, Galashiels, TD1 3HF 24 22 26 28 25 25
Sep 13 Oct 13 Nov 13 Jan 14 Feb 14 Mar 14
Charles Withers David McClay Doug Scott & Paul Braithwaite Robert Rogerson Mike Parker Fred Pearce
The World’s Baseline: Geographies of the Prime Meridian Picturing Africa: Illustrating Livingstone’s Travels Big Walls and High Mountains Planning Legacy: Glasgow 2014 and the City’s Future On the Map: Cartography and National Identity The Land Grabbers: The Fight Over Who Controls the Earth
explores what motivates them to risk their lives, and how they balance danger against the success of pioneering new climbs.
Tim Emmett has been a professional climber for 15 years, putting up new routes across the globe, often BASE jumping from them, climbing probably the most outrageous ice climb in the world, at Helmcken Falls (eight pitches of severely overhanging ‘spray ice’ next to a thundering waterfall), and wingsuit flying in the Himalaya.
Kari Herbert considers the lives of some of the world’s most famous polar explorers through the eyes of the women who inspired them to achieve great things. Blending personal accounts
Dumfries • Easterbrook Hall, The Crichton, Bankend Road, Dumfries, DG1 4TA
of longing, betrayal and hope, with
23 21 25 27 24 24
stories of peril and adventure from the
Sep 13 Oct 13 Nov 13 Jan 14 Feb 14 Mar 14
Charles Withers David McClay Doug Scott & Paul Braithwaite Robert Rogerson Mike Parker Fred Pearce
The World’s Baseline: Geographies of the Prime Meridian Picturing Africa: Illustrating Livingstone’s Travels Big Walls and High Mountains Planning Legacy: Glasgow 2014 and the City’s Future On the Map: Cartography and National Identity The Land Grabbers: The Fight Over Who Controls the Earth
golden age of discovery, she shines new light on some well-loved stories of adventure.
Syd House, Forestry Commission
Dundee • Tower Extension, University of Dundee, Perth Road, Dundee, DD1 4HN
Conservator, explores reasons for
1 5 3 7 4 4
Scotland having some of the finest tree
Oct 13 Nov 13 Dec 13 Jan 14 Feb 14 Mar 14
Tim Emmett Iain Stewart Matt Dickinson Julie Davidson Andy Torbet Craig Mathieson
Global Freezing! Climbing the Ice Wall Scotland Beneath Our Feet Retracing Isobel Wylie Hutchison’s Footsteps Looking for Mrs Livingstone Operation Iceberg: Arctic Science, Adventure and Filming Some Like It Cold…
Dunfermline • Carnegie Hall, East Port, Dunfermline, KY12 7JA - talk marked * is in St Andrew’s Erskine Church of Scotland Centre, Robertson Road, Dunfermline, KY12 0BF 2 Oct 13 6 Nov 13 * 4 Dec 13 8 Jan 14 5 Feb 14 5 Mar 14
Jasper Winn Iain Stewart Matt Dickinson Julie Davidson Andy Torbet Craig Mathieson
Paddle: A Long Way Around Ireland Scotland Beneath Our Feet Retracing Isobel Wylie Hutchison’s Footsteps Looking for Mrs Livingstone Operation Iceberg: Arctic Science, Adventure and Filming Some Like It Cold…
Edinburgh afternoon • Appleton Tower, 11 Crichton Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9LE 18 16 20 22 19 19
Sep 13 Oct 13 Nov 13 Jan 14 Feb 14 Mar 14
Siân Pritchard-Jones & Bob Gibbons From Deepest Africa to the Highest Himalaya Noo Saro-Wiwa Oil and the Big Man Ian Edwards Woodlanders: New Life in Britain’s Forests Clifton Bain Going with the Flows Alison McCleery The Falkland Islands: Fact, Fantasy and the Future John Mayhew National Parks: Unfinished Business
collections in the temperate world. He considers where they are, how important they are, and what contribution they make to the future of conservation, climate change and landscape quality.
Graham Kitchener & Pauline Symaniak tell the story of their 4,300 mile pedal across North America. A simple bicycle ride became a challenging adventure as they encountered bears, violent storms, vast plains, intense heat, mechanical failures, and a colourful set of characters on the road.
Dave MacLeod is considered the best all-round climber in the UK. Having climbed hundreds of new routes in different climbing settings, he continues
Edinburgh evening • Appleton Tower, 11 Crichton Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9LE
to seek out ever harder and bolder first
3 7 5 9 6 6
ascents, exploring the limits of his own
Oct 13 Nov 13 Dec 13 Jan 14 Feb 14 Mar 14
Jasper Winn Iain Stewart Matt Dickinson Julie Davidson Andy Torbet Craig Mathieson
Paddle: A Long Way Around Ireland Scotland Beneath Our Feet Retracing Isobel Wylie Hutchison’s Footsteps Looking for Mrs Livingstone Operation Iceberg: Arctic Science, Adventure and Filming Some Like It Cold…
Julie Davidson - Looking for Mrs Livingstone
persistence, dedication and effort.
Craig Mathieson realised a childhood dream when he skied to the South Pole in 2004. He decided to share this life-changing experience in 2006, training a 16-year-old schoolboy and taking him with a team to the Geographic North Pole. Now, with his charity The Polar Academy, he aims to inspire young
2013 is the 200th anniversary of the birth of David Livingstone
adults through polar expeditions.
John Mayhew
has led a three-year project to promote a National Parks Strategy for Scotland, aiming to develop a comprehensive network with at least three new Parks being designated by 2015, including Scotland’s first Coastal and Marine National Park.
David McClay
, NLS’s Livingstone Exhibition Curator, examines how artists, photographers, engravers and publishers helped David Livingstone to create some of the most interesting and iconic images of Africa, from the terror of lion attacks and the horrors of slavery to the abundant wildlife and magnificent scenery.
Prof Alison McCleery recounts her visit to the Falklands, ownership of which remains a sensitive issue and, arguably, a useful distraction from economic and political woes in South America. She describes the everyday life of Falkland Islanders, and the unusual wildlife, debunking a few misconceptions and untangling the complexities of a geopolitical anomaly.
Dr Bob McCulloch
recalls 20 years of fieldwork experience investigating environmental change in southernmost Patagonia from the Last Glaciation to the present, and shares some of the challenges faced by researchers sampling mud along the southern Andes.
Prof Stuart Monro
, Scientific Director at Our Dynamic Earth, is a leading practitioner in promoting science to a wide audience. He explores as part of a personal journey the evidence from various parts of the world for what we call plate tectonics.
Mark Ovenden
, a broadcaster and author who specialises in the subjects of graphic design, cartography and architecture in public transport, discusses his favourite world rail maps and tells stories of how he tracked down some of the more obscure ones.
Mike Parker, map enthusiast and author, looks at how nations choose to portray themselves on maps, and what we can glean from that, focusing particularly on Scotland. With the upcoming referendum on independence, and Scotland’s character and position under some scrutiny, now seems a perfect time to discuss issues of national identity.
Dave MacLeod - Extreme Climbs
Craig Mathieson Some Like It Cold…
Glasgow afternoon • Renfield St Stephens Church Centre, 260 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4JP 3 7 5 9 6 6
Oct 13 Nov 13 Dec 13 Jan 14 Feb 14 Mar 14
Stuart Monro Andrew Cook Richard Else Bob McCulloch Andy Torbet Craig Mathieson
Life on the Rocks The Franklin Arctic Expedition’s Lost Surgeon Thirty Years at the Sharp Edge CSI: Patagonia Operation Iceberg: Arctic Science, Adventure and Filming Some Like It Cold…
Glasgow evening • Boyd Orr Building, University of Glasgow, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QQ 16 20 11 22 19 19
Oct 13 Nov 13 Dec 13 Jan 14 Feb 14 Mar 14
Noo Saro-Wiwa Ian Edwards Chris Rose Mark Ovenden Alison McCleery John Mayhew
Oil and the Big Man Woodlanders: New Life in Britain’s Forests Artists for Albatrosses Railway Maps of the World The Falkland Islands: Fact, Fantasy and the Future National Parks: Unfinished Business
Helensburgh • Victoria Halls, Sinclair Street, Helensburgh, G84 8TU 26 24 28 30 27 27
Sep 13 Oct 13 Nov 13 Jan 14 Feb 14 Mar 14
Charles Withers Bob McCulloch Doug Scott & Paul Braithwaite Robert Rogerson Mike Parker Fred Pearce
The World’s Baseline: Geographies of the Prime Meridian CSI: Patagonia Big Walls and High Mountains Planning Legacy: Glasgow 2014 and the City’s Future On the Map: Cartography and National Identity The Land Grabbers: The Fight Over Who Controls the Earth
Inverness • The Highland Council Chamber, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, IV3 5NX 7 Oct 13 11 Nov 13 9 Dec 13 13 Jan 14 10 Feb 14 10 Mar 14
Tom Christian John Mayhew Doug Scott Dave MacLeod Richard Else David Edwards
Plant Collecting in the 21st Century National Parks: Unfinished Business Significant and Joyous Moments in the Mountains Extreme Climbs Thirty Years at the Sharp Edge Montserrat: Reclaiming Paradise
Kirkcaldy • School of Midwifery, University of Dundee Fife Campus, 5 Forth Ave, Kirkcaldy, KY2 5YS 16 14 18 20 17 17
Sep 13 Oct 13 Nov 13 Jan 14 Feb 14 Mar 14
Siân Pritchard-Jones & Bob Gibbons From Deepest Africa to the Highest Himalaya Noo Saro-Wiwa Oil and the Big Man Andrew Cook The Franklin Arctic Expedition’s Lost Surgeon Clifton Bain Going with the Flows Alison McCleery The Falkland Islands: Fact, Fantasy and the Future Ian Edwards Woodlanders: New Life in Britain’s Forests
Perth • North Inch Community Campus, Gowans Terrace, Perth, PH1 5BF 8 Oct 13 12 Nov 13 10 Dec 13 14 Jan 14 11 Feb 14 11 Mar 14
John Blashford-Snell The Legend of Livingstone Graham Kitchener & Pauline Symaniak Sleepless ‘til Seattle Craig Sams & Jo Fairley Ethical, Organic, Fairtrade: The Story of Green & Black’s Dave MacLeod Extreme Climbs Kari Herbert Heart of the Hero Syd House National Tree Collections of Scotland
Stirling • Logie Lecture Theatre, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA 9 Oct 13 13 Nov 13 11 Dec 13 15 Jan 14 12 Feb 14 12 Mar 14
John Blashford-Snell The Legend of Livingstone Graham Kitchener & Pauline Symaniak Sleepless ‘til Seattle Doug Scott Significant and Joyous Moments in the Mountains Dave MacLeod Extreme Climbs Kari Herbert Heart of the Hero David Edwards Montserrat: Reclaiming Paradise
* indicates a different venue
open to everyone • £8 for adults • free for RSGS members
Fred Pearce, journalist and
David McClay - Picturing Africa
author, moves from boardroom and trading floor to goat-herder’s hut and flooded forest in an examination of a profound ethical and economic issue, the race to grab land, with parcels the size of Wales being snapped up across the plains of Africa, the paddyfields of Southeast Asia, the jungles of the Amazon, and the prairies of Eastern Europe.
patronage, and proved it incompatible with modern democracy, resulting in a rise in corruption and an absence of meritocracy.
Doug Scott
’s climbing began on the gritstone of Derbyshire and moved on to big walls from the Dolomites to the Karakoram. His expeditions have ranged from early overland trips to North Africa and the Hindu Kush, to ascents of Kangchenjunga and Shishapangma.
Craig Sams & Jo Fairley - Ethical, Organic, Fairtrade
Siân Pritchard-Jones & Paul Braithwaite has Bob Gibbons have for 30 years participated in many key expeditions
Legacy Research Co-ordinator for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. He examines the impact of the Games on the economic and social health and well-being of Glasgow and Scotland, focusing on sport and physical activity, cultural heritage, crime, and community engagement.
Chris Rose travelled with
Andy Torbet, extreme diver
Mike Parker - On the Map
albatross research scientists to South Georgia to sketch and paint the wildlife and landscapes of these remote islands, home to albatrosses, elephant seals, and colonies of penguins a quarter of a million strong. Working in extreme conditions, he had unprecedented access to areas seldom visited by humans.
Craig Sams & Jo Fairley
Fred Pearce - The Land Grabbers
are organic food and fairtrade pioneers who developed Green & Black’s chocolate and Maya Gold, the UK’s first Fairtrade product. They believe manufacturers need to help consumers to support sustainable and fair production.
Noo Saro-Wiwa, daughter
Chris Rose - Artists for Albatrosses
! s U n i Jo
of environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, examines the control of political power in Nigeria. The discovery of oil challenged the traditional system, where central chiefs distribute resources through
Noo Saro-Wiwa - Oil and the Big Man
Prof Iain Stewart
delves into the long and fascinating geological history of Scotland, the country where scientific pioneers made ground-breaking discoveries in the landscape to explain how our planet works. He shows that Scotland’s building blocks hold a surprising heritage going back over three billion years.
Dr Robert Rogerson is
Mark Ovenden - Railway Maps of the World
from the late 1960s onwards. He has made several first ascents, and it was his solution to the technical problem of the southwest face of Everest that was key to the success of Sir Chris Bonington’s famous 1975 expedition.
and adventurer, lived on, climbed around and dived inside a glacier in Greenland and an iceberg floating off Canada for BBC2’s acclaimed series Operation Iceberg. He was part of an expedition team of glaciologists and other experts, explaining the amazing lifecycle of an iceberg.
Doug Scott - Significant and Joyous Moments in the Mountains
Iain Stewart - Scotland Beneath our Feet
Printed by McAllister Litho Glasgow on FSC 130gsm silk using vegetable based inks
Bob McCulloch - CSI: Patagonia
been organising treks and writing travel guides. They have hitched across Tibet, driven a busload of over50s to Nepal, explored the Sahara, travelled across Africa, and journeyed by Land Rover from Kathmandu to the UK.
Jasper Winn
recounts his three-and-a-half month solo sea kayak trip around Ireland’s thousand mile coastline. His knowledge of the country’s culture, history, wildlife, literature and myths, makes for a story that goes way beyond paddling endurance.
Andy Torbet - Operation Iceberg
Prof Charles Withers
explores where the world begins in time and space. Greenwich UK has been the site of the world’s Prime Meridian, 0˚, since 1884. Before then, several different places were used as the prime meridian, a source of much geographical confusion.
Jasper Winn - Paddle
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The newsle tter of the
Life, The EverythingUniverse, and
Carbon: sour
ces, sinks
“We’ll be alive thousand blade again in a and a millio s of grass, n leaves.”
& cycles
Philip Pullman
RSGS : helpi ng RSGS GEOGRAPH
ER SUMMER
FOUR 16.indd
to make the conn ectio 1
RSGS, Lord John Murray House, 15-19 North Port, Perth, PH1 5LU Charity registered in Scotland no SC015599
In This Editi on... • Working with SAGE S to Increase Impact • Expert Views : Carbon Soil, Seas & Solid Rock• Expert Views Innovation : Origins & s of Carbo n • Opinions: Natio Parks & Geop nal arks • Expert Views : Dating, Pricing & Reducing Carbon • Reader Offer: Facts are Sacre d
plus othe r comments news, , books... ns betw een
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2013
Royal Scottis h Geogra phical Society
peop le, place s & the plane t 25/06/2013
14:21