Bulletin Summer 2024

Council nominations and elections

Nominations from Fellows are now requested for the Council positions of Education - Vice President, Membership - Councillor, and Professional Practice - Councillor. We are also seeking nominations for the following positions on the Research and Higher Education Committee: Chair of the Annual Conference 2025 and Member. The nomination deadline is 5.00pm on 21 March with the election taking place at our AGM on Monday 3 June. Nigel Clifford’s successor as President will also be decided in this year’s election.

Image credit: Nando Machado

Call for regional committee members

Promote geography to your local community and champion the discipline by joining one of our regional committees. We have 11 regional committees across England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Singapore, including a new London committee. Each committee organises a programme of local events and is seeking new members who can help plan fascinating lectures, guided walks, field visits or social events.

New Year honours

The Society is pleased to congratulate those recognised in the King’s New Year honours, including Professor Mark Brandon FRGS, Professor of Polar Oceanography at The Open University, who has been awarded the Polar Medal, and Mike Robinson, Chief Executive of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, who has been awarded an OBE for Services to Climate Change Education.

National Education Nature Park

More than 1,200 schools, nurseries and colleges have now joined the National Education Nature Park. The Society is supporting the programme, led by the Natural History Museum with other partners, which brings together places of education taking action to improve biodiversity and empower children and young people to make positive changes. As well as boosting nature across the country, the programme is designed to develop young people’s digital and green skills and enhance their wellbeing through connection to nature.

All schools, nurseries and colleges in England are encouraged to join the National Education Nature Park network.

The free programme provides the resources, support and guidance needed to put nature at the heart of education through a five-step process. Resources and digital tools supporting the first steps of the process are online now. Regular webinars and their recordings also provide introductions to key tools and advice to get started.

Sign up to the National Education Nature Park newsletter to keep up to date with the project.

Image credit: Department for Education

Annual Conference 2024

Our next conference focuses on maps, from the applications of spatial data to locational sketches, from analytical visualisations to imaginary maps.

The conference will take place in London and online, from 27 to 30 August. We look forward to chair Professor Stephen Legg’s plenary dialogues, digital installations and galleries, and special sessions in the Foyle Reading Room using the Society’s map collection. Two sessions will be co-delivered with the International Geographical Union who are holding their conference in Dublin at the same time.

A draft programme for the conference will be published in late May. Registration is open now – book before 14 June to receive an early bird discount, in addition to your membership discount.

Guides for researchers

Written by leading researchers and academics, the Society publishes guides with advice on key topics in scholarly publishing and communicating. We have been working with Professor Peter Hopkins, Newcastle University, to update two existing guides and launch a third.

Publishing and getting read aims to provide clear, practical and constructive advice on how to publish research in a wide range of forms. It encourages authors to think strategically about publication profile and plans, while setting out some of the opportunities and responsibilities of being an author. The guide also provides general support on getting published research read. New sections have been added on open access and on the opportunities of digital-only publishing.

There is a long tradition of geographers communicating research ‘beyond the academy’ – particularly to policy makers, public audiences, businesses, young people and teachers. Today there are more opportunities and methods to do this. Recognising this, we’ve launched a new version of the Communicating geographical research beyond the academy guide, bringing new perspectives to encourage readers to reflect on motives, means and methods, and to present examples of good practice.

In the new Working with voluntary and community groups guide, contributors explore a range of topics and issues – from health, disability and care, through to the environment, austerity, violence, and craft, among others. The guide highlights the approaches taken by geographers in their work with community and voluntary organisations, and some of the challenges negotiated in the process.

A new opportunity for professional development and recognition

Geospatial applications and services have become an intrinsic part of everyday life and the UK is a leader in geospatial technology and applications. To provide the environment for this vibrant sector to continue to grow, there needs to be a skilled workforce of geospatial analysts and geographic data scientists.

Working with a trailblazer group from business and industry, led by Damien McLoud (Arup), we have been supporting the development of a new Level 7 integrated master‘s Spatial Data Specialist Apprenticeship. This apprenticeship will provide the opportunity for the development and acquisition of advanced geospatial skills.

Image credit: NASA/Unsplash

The Society’s Regional Theatres Programme has been running since 2002 and aims to inform and inspire the general public about the diverse world of geography.

Later this year, Tristan Gooley will bring his unique knowledge to public audiences across England as he discusses the clues and signs in his latest book, How to Read a Tree. We spoke with him to find out what is in store for his audiences and what simple principles explain the shapes and patterns you can see in trees.

Tell us a bit about your background

I’m self-taught in a lot of areas, but it all started with a restlessness. At a very young age, 10 years old, I got asked the question where would you like to go today? That was the beginning of understanding that navigation, even though the word didn’t mean anything to me at that point, was the art that would allow me to shape my own journeys rather than going where I was told to go, which is not something many 10-year-olds, including me, find that exciting. So, navigation was the key to choosing my own destinations, and that was a lot more fun. It was a stepping stone approach – small journeys became big ones, hills became mountains, ponds became lakes and then oceans. And through that I learned the wonderful art of navigation.

What inspired you to find out more about natural navigation and explore the art of reading trees?

I realised that navigation was becoming technical, no less interesting, but a lot less satisfying in terms of the journey. In my 20s I started turning things on their head. I was still doing long expeditions using conventional navigation. But I started doing very short journeys just using natural navigation and it was in many ways more challenging and exciting than the longer journeys.

There are different parts of natural navigation, but we can use the Sun, the Moon and the stars, and planets to a lesser degree. As soon as we start looking at the ground, we’re looking at how things like the footprints of Sun, wind, water and trees are reflected in different ways. So, they are fantastic for natural navigation.

There are over two dozen techniques I now use with trees to find my way. And wherever there are trees, there are clues that can help us understand the landscape, which is map making and a natural navigation sense to find our way.

Image credit: Jim Holden

What can audiences expect from your talk?

Well, my talks are quite different in the sense that I’m not just talking about my experiences, I’m trying to give audiences these skills. There’s a limit to what can be achieved in an hour and a half, but that’s what I want people to do. I want them to have had a fantastic time, hopefully. I’d rather they come away with the ability to read things for themselves than have listened to me tell a fun story. It’s possible to be both sometimes, but I want people to learn new skills during the talk and be inspired to learn more.

What would you like audiences to come away with?

A lot of people talk about connecting with nature and there’s this feeling we should be doing certain things or we ought to be doing certain things.

The takeaway for me is that this is not about ought or should, this is about fun. Our brain wants to do this. It loves doing it. It’s what it evolved to do. It is a key human skill. It’s what makes us human. It’s the thing we do better than animals.

So, the take home is – have a go because it’s enjoyable and that will open up an exciting new world, I hope.

Keep an eye out in your next Bulletin for booking information about Tristan’s upcoming talks, or visit Talks on demand to re-watch his 2023 Monday night lecture if you won’t be able to attend in person.

Tree with asymmetric growth facing south. Image credit: Tristan Gooley

“My research looks at cohousing projects in the UK and Australia in various stages of development. Cohousing can be loosely defined as the organisation of private homes alongside shared communal spaces and facilities including laundries, entertainment rooms, workspaces, kitchen and dining areas, and gardens. Premised on resident participation in the design and implementation, and ongoing collaboration thereafter in an intentional ‘community’, it is an intriguing model. Groups create opportunities to share and connect for more secure, supportive and sustainable housing. However, the obstacles to delivering cohousing are many, not least in negotiating the land market. I’m learning how to encourage innovative housing models, and what these projects mean for future housing supply and land use in Australian and British cities.