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/// Small Charity, Big Punch ///
The calibre of our network and quality of our public events often conceal our small size. And January is a case in point, as our small charity played host to some of the biggest names working in science, adventure and communication.
In front of thousands of people, we had animal families with Gordon Buchanan, whales with Doug Allan, Blue Planet II with James Honeyborne and a deep-sea goldrush with David Shukman.
But, of course, there's more to the RSGS than just our talks programme. This month, we've also launched our latest research grants, begun working on our second Young Geographer magazine, and sent several new Scottish and British representatives (including our in-luck Communications Officer!) to trek across the Omani desert.
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In early January, BBC wildlife presenter Gordon Buchanan wowed a packed house at Perth Theatre with a talk entitled Animal Families & Me. The 400-strong audience were left spellbound by his close encounters with some of the most iconic animals on Planet Earth, from wolves in the northern reaches of Canada to ‘super tusker’ elephants on the plains of Africa.
Gordon concluded his talk by explaining that his role as a wildlife film-maker was to inspire people to care more deeply about the world around them, and encourage them to consider how everyone can help better protect the habitats of wild animals in the future.
Following the talk, Gordon was welcomed into a new family – the family of the RSGS as an Honorary Fellow. This prestigious honour was conferred for his inspirational contribution to nature, environment and wildlife through his work on a range of series such as Big Cat Diaries, Last Chance to See… and, most recently, Grizzly Bear Cubs and Me which aired over Christmas.
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During the first week of January, award-winning wildlife film-maker Doug Allan (left) spoke at four venues across Scotland for our Inspiring People talks programme – and his talk Whale Meet Again went down a storm with the thousands who saw him!
What's more, in front of a packed-out crowd in Dunfermline at his alma mater, Dunfermline High School, he received Honorary Fellowship and the prestigious RSGS Mungo Park Medal. They were presented by RSGS Vice-Chair Alister Hendrie for Doug's contribution to geographical knowledge and inspiration through his numerous award-winning film sequences – often captured at great personal risk – and for his promotion and support of a range of geographical charities.
As an RSGS Medallist, there's no doubt 'whale meet again'!
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In mid-January, we welcomed Blue Planet II to Scotland as Executive Producer and creator of the show James Honeyborne visited the Central Belt. And with media interest from the likes of The Sunday Times, The Scotsman, The Sunday Post and BBC Radio Scotland, there was no surprise that so many turned up to hear the behind-the-scenes stories and science from the series!
Like Blue Planet II, David Shukman is also no stranger to BBC Television. Over two nights in January, the BBC Science Editor spoke in Dumfries and Galashiels on the subject of deep-sea gold mining, and provoked an interesting set of questions from the audiences.
Following his talk in Dumfries, David was presented with an Honorary Fellowship of the Society for his informed and impartial contribution to science communication throughout his career in the media. We're delighted to be welcoming David into the RSGS network and look forward to working with him as his geographical adventure continues.
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The Connecting Cultures Course is a UNESCO sponsored trek for young people through the Omani desert, hosted and developed by Outward Bound Oman together with Honorary Fellow of the Society Mark Evans.
We've been a proud partner of the Connecting Cultures Course for some time now and have sent numerous British representatives to take part in this incredible opportunity over the past few years.
And, in January, it was the turn of local RSGS volunteers Ellie Kirkland and Hannah Fieldsend, along with Drew Christie, Cameron Watson, Patrick Godden and our very own Communications Officer James Cave who was there as a proud representative of the Society and custodian of the RSGS Explorers' Flag...!
For all involved, the trip was a once-in-a-lifetime and life-changing journey in a completely new and challenging environment. In the coming weeks, we'll feature stories about these adventures and the dialogues that arose, and look forward to promoting more places on the course in the years to come!
For now, though, we've a more pressing matter: the hoover needs oot to deal with the sand dunes James has traipsed through the office...
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