The Royal Scottish Geographical Society

In 1997 grants totalling £4,250 were awarded to the expeditions listed below.

If the name-heading of an expedition is highlighted as a hyperlink, then clicking on it will provide details of any available reports and other related documentation held by RSGS.

Scotland - Africa '97

Project Elgon '97
Ten Aberdeen University students teamed up with students of Makerere University in Uganda to extend their previous year's survey of small mammals, birds and amphibians in Mount Elgon National Park, and to assess the impact of human activity on vegetation, soil and water.

Kasanka River Survey
Working closely with the Kasanka Trust, the University of Zambia, and the National Parks and Wildlife Service of Zambia, six students from Edinburgh University worked for over 8 weeks in Zambia's Kasanka national Park and the surrounding Game Management Area, where they studied water quality and the fish populations on which local subsistence communities depend.

Malawi 1997
Strong links have been forged between Aberdeen and Malawi by five members of the University of Aberdeen Expedition to Malawi 1997.   Their studies of soil and vegetation in indigenous Miombo woodland and their comparisons of biodiversity in different woodland types were undertaken in close co-operation with the Forestry Research Institute of Malawi and the people of Mpalale Village.

Western Hemisphere

Project Guandera 1997
Venturing to the High Andes in search of the black-thighed puffleg and other exotic birds, a team of students from the University of Glasgow joined forces with Ecuadorian students to study bird habits in and around the Guandera Reserve on the largely unsurveyed eastern slopes of the Andes in Ecuador's Carachi Province.

Canada '97
Some like it cold!   In the summer of 1997 staff and students from the Department of Geography and Topographic Science at Glasgow University headed for the glaciated valleys of Kananaskis Country in Alberta, Canada.   From their base at Calgary University they explored glacial landscapes armed with 'BearGuard' protection sprays.

Bolivian Forests Expedition '97
Highlighting the importance of three species of tropical trees to threatened mammals such as the Giant Anteater and Goeldi's Marmoset, a group of ecologists from Aberdeen University explored the rich diversity of Neotropical Dry Forests near Santa Cruz in Bolivia.   Working with the Bolivian BOLFOR Project, they produced findings designed to assist in the production of sustainable forestry guidelines for use in local logging areas.

School Expeditions '97

Buckie-Mawenzie Exchange 1997
In 1997 Buckie High School in Aberdeenshire continued its exchange programme with Mawenzie Secondary School in Moshi, Tanzania.   Providing an experience of a lifetime in a community in the developing world, the exchange is designed to promote international friendship, enhance a global perspective, and provide material for teaching geography and related subjects.

North Berwick High School World Challenge Costa Rica '97
Waving the RSGS saltire in Central America this summer were pupils of North Berwick High School in East Lothian, who set off from Dunbar to study the volcanic heart of Costa Rica, trek in the cloudforests of the Monteverdea, and assist with local conservation projects.

Fulcrum Leadership Challenge - Scotland to Paraguay 1997
Selected from schools throughout Scotland after rigorous selection procedures, 12 girls and 6 boys aged 17 to 18 years spent an arduous three weeks traversing the Gran Chaco of Paraguay under the guidance of John Hunt and 5 other leaders.   "Investing in the business and social leaders of the future" is the aim of the Fulcrum Challenge.

Marine Expeditions

Adventure Under Sail - The Ocean Youth Club Challenge Voyage 1997
Allowing young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to experience the thrills and learn the skills of ocean seafaring is the object of RSGS support for the Ocean Youth Club.   Members sailed on board the yacht Taikoo for an 'Adventure under Sail'.

Project Swallow Reef '97
An Aberdeen University BP Conservation Programme award-winning expedition to study the coral reefs off the coast of Borneo with the object of providing data that can be used to help designate protected areas and compile management plans.