Welcome to the January edition of the RSGS e-news!
In this edition we share details from the recent Perth Nature and Biodiversity Conference hosted by RSGS and the Perth City Leadership Forum, and some of our recent additions to our online blog.
In January RSGS working with the Perth City Leadership Forum hosted the Perth Nature and Biodiversity Conference with the intention to kick-start a year of action on biodiversity.
RSGS CEO Mike Robinson welcomed everyone with an introductory speech and the conference then heard video messages from several key speakers including Pekka Timonen, Mayor of Lahti in Finland; a small city which was chosen to be European Green Capital in 2021,‘Perth can be the most sustainable small city' said Mayor Timonen 'it just has to do it, and there are so many reasons to do it happily’
The conference then heard from Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention of Biological Diversity, who said ‘I warmly welcome Perth’s ambition to become the most sustainable small city in Europe, and particularly your goal to ensure that people, communities and businesses all play their part, to prepare for and implement the global biodiversity framework at local level.’
Visit our blog to read Mike's full introductory speech on why Perth should become the most sustainable small city in Europe.
With new content every week on our online blog there's always something of interest. Some of our recent additions include:
Sir Fitzroy Maclean: Escape to Adventure: RSGS Writer-in-Residence Jo Woolf investigates a hair-raising mission in Benghazi undertaken by Sir Fitzroy Maclean, the legendary Scottish soldier considered to be one of the inspirations for Ian Fleming's James Bond.
A Fruitful 2021 at RSGS: As we approached the New Year, we reflected on some of the activities we have been involved in during 2021 at RSGS, and what we have achieved.
Let’s Make 2022 a Year of Relentless Positivity: RSGS CEO Mike Robinson considers whether we can make 2022 a year of relentless positivity by making it our resolution to take climate change action seriously.
Isobel Wylie Hutchison: Toasting Rabbie Burns in Greenland: “It is Burns Night! Can one be the only Scot in Greenland and forget to celebrate such a festival? One cannot!” - On Burns Night, RSGS Writer-in-Residence Jo Woolf writes about Isobel Wylie Hutchinson celebrating the famous poet in Greenland in 1929.
Next Week Dr Laura Hepburn Wednesday 9th February at 7:30pm
Next week our latest Inspiring People talk will be with Dr Laura Hepburn who is fascinated by the way that iron supports life on Earth, and possibly beyond. Using footage from the East Scotia Sea, Laura’s talk will feature some of the unique, deep-sea technology that we use to locate, explore, and sample new environments from the abyssal ocean to deep space.
In Two Weeks Keith Broomfield Wednesday 16th February at 7:30pm
In Two weeks' time we will be hearing from Keith Broomfield, a well-known Scottish naturalist, who writes weekly nature columns for The Courier, Press & Journal and Alloa Advertiser newspapers, and occasional pieces for The Scotsman. In his presentation, Keith will be talking about his new book – A Scottish Wildlife Odyssey – which is a travel journey from the south to the north of Scotland in search of the country’s wild secrets.
Our next GeoQuizzical event will be taking place on Monday 14th of February at 7:30pm over Zoom. The quiz will be in the usual format of eight round of eight questions with prizes on offer. For this month’s quiz we will be including some Valentine's themed rounds, so start making your Valentine’s Day plans now!
Tickets are £3 per device, with all proceeds to support the work of the Society. Book your tickets now by clicking on the ‘tickets’ button below.
At our next Climate Solutions Q&A event, we are excited to be hosting former chief executive of SSE, Ian Marchant: a driving force for change in the utilities industry and key figure in the campaign to enshrine emissions reductions targets in Scottish law in 2009.
Participants will have the opportunity to draw on Ian's extensive experience of driving sustainable change in the utilities industry and his wide-ranging expertise in governance, finance, regulation, renewables, and climate change mitigation, and to engage in a lively discussion across these topics.
Get your ticket now: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/climate-solutions-meet-the-experts-tickets-243730974907
