Geographical articles from August 2005

Geographical archives from August 2005

Underwater digital blues.(FROM THE EDITOR)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Digital photography has long been seen by its apologists as the 'green' alternative to its allegedly environmentally unfriendly film-based cousin. Unlike film photography, digital doesn't use chemicals, pollute the atmosphere or use up tonnes...

A WWF report claims most of Borneo's lowland forests will have disappeared within a decade.(BORNEO)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... A WWF report claims most of Borneo's lowland forests will have disappeared within a decade if deforestation continues at its current rate.

Briton Jason Lewis, undertaking an 11-year quest to circumnavigate the world by human power (no motors or sails).(GLOBAL)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Briton Jason Lewis, undertaking an 11-year quest to circumnavigate the world by human power (no motors or sails), has pedalled 450 nautical miles (833km) with American Lourdes Arango from Darwin, Australia, to Dill, East Timor, in 11 days. ...

An innovative pump designed by three Zimbabwe based teachers has won the St Andrews Prize for the Environment.(UK)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... An innovative pump designed by three Zimbabwe based teachers has won the St Andrews Prize for the Environment. The Elephant Pump is cheap and easy to install and maintain. The NGO Pump Aid, which the teachers founded, will receive US$30,000....

The Inka Porter Project, which campaigns for improved conditions for Andean porters and animal drivers, as well as improved environmental practices.(PERU)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... The Inka Porter Project, which campaigns for improved conditions for Andean porters and animal drivers, as well as improved environmental practices, has published a set of guidelines for trekkers that can be applied to many key trekking...

The world remembers Hiroshima.(Worldwatch)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... JAPAN Sixty years ago, on 6 August 1945, the world entered the nuclear age in dramatic and horrific fashion when the US military dropped an atomic bomb innocuously nicknamed Little Boy--on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The Hiroshima...

Get up and go to Asia.(Worldwatch)(The Royal Society for Asian Affairs is inviting applicants)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... SWITZERLAND The Royal Society for Asian Affairs is inviting applications from individuals aged 18-25 for an award to encourage purposeful travel in Asia by young people. It has been established in memory of Sir Peter Holmes MC (left), who, in...

Blue gold rush a threat to sea life.(Worldwatch)(International sea need protection of its genetic resources (medical use))
August 1, 2005... GLOBAL The vast and mostly untapped genetic resources found on the international sea floor need protection from commercial exploitation, according to a UN University/Institute for Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS) report. Increasingly recognised...

Wind map aids energy plans.(Worldwatch)
August 1, 2005... GLOBAL Researchers at Stanford University in the USA have produced a new global wind-speed map that could help improve the location of power-generating wind turbines. The study, which was partly funded by NASA, analysed wind-speed data from...

New technology reveals old ink.(Worldwatch)(Imaging is helping classicists to explore an ancient papyri)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... UK Classicists are making novel use of a process originally developed by NASA to explore planet surfaces. Multispectral imaging, which uses special camera filters to make separate images using different wavelengths of light, is helping to...

Growing desertification and intense dust storms will increasingly endanger health, according to a new report.(GLOBAL)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Growing desertification and intense dust storms will increasingly endanger health, according to a new report. The findings, based on data generated for the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, suggest that dust emanating form the Sahara and Gobi...

London's Thames Barrier, said to be the world's largest movable flood barrier, has been used 55 times since 2000.(UK)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... London's Thames Barrier, said to be the world's largest movable flood barrier, has been used 55 times since 2000. In the previous five years, it was used just 12 times.

Top 10 countries with the highest infant mortality rates.(Worldwatch)
August 1, 2005... TOP 10 COUNTRIES WITH THE HIGHEST INFANT MORTALITY RATES Deaths per 1,000 live births (2000-05) 1 Sierra Leone 177.2 2 Afghanistan 161.7 3 Liberia ...

A 1507 copy of a map by German cartographer Martin Waldseemuller that lay undiscovered in the stock of a European collector until two years ago has been sold for 545,600 [pounds sterling] at Christie's in London-a world record price for a single sheet map.(UK)
August 1, 2005... A 1507 copy of a map by German cartographer Martin Waldseemuller that lay undiscovered in the stock of a European collector until two years ago has been sold for 545,600 [pounds sterling] at Christie's in London-a world record price for a...

Kilauea volcano is Hawaii's worst air polluter and the USA's top producer of sulphur dioxide.(HAWAII)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Kilauea volcano is Hawaii's worst air polluter and the USA's top producer of sulphur dioxide, emitting an average of 1,000 tonnes every day, according to the American Lung Association.

Hartley Travers Ferrar: (1879-1932) the geologist on the National Antarctic Expedition, Hartley Ferrar carried out important geological surveys in Antarctica, Egypt and New Zealand.(Late Great Geographers #58)
August 1, 2005... What was his background? Hartley ("Harry") Travers Ferrar was born in Dalkey, Ireland, on 28 January 1879, the son of John Edgar Ferrar, a bank official, and Mary Holmes (nee Hartley) Ferrar. Much of his early childhood was spent in South...

50 years ago today ... Geographical magazine, August 1955.(Worldwatch)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... The August 1955 Geographical featured an article by geologist SV Sykes detailing his petroleum-surveying expedition into the interior of Papua New Guinea (PNG), which at that time was still separated into the territories of Papua and New...

Swedish explorers finish 'impossible' journey.(WORLDWATCH)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... RUSSIA While the British media has recently been focused on various polar re-enactments and races, two Swedish adventurers have quietly completed an extraordinary winter journey in Siberia that most experts had deemed impossible. Veteran...

Kenya.(GEOGRAPHICAL FLAGS OF THE WORLD)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Description: The flag of Kenya features a black, red and white Maasai shield and white crossed spears on black, red and green horizontal stripes, broken up by a narrower band of white between each. History: The flag was adopted when Kenya...

The Woodland Trust.(Geographical Organisations of Note)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... When and how was the Woodland Trust founded? Kenneth Watkins created the Woodland Trust in 1972 with the help of three friends. They had two simple aims in mind--to acquire and care for threatened woods for the public to enjoy and to plant...

British mountaineer Alan Hinkes has successfully reached the summit of Kangchenjunga, and in doing so has become the first Briton to climb the 14 peaks taller than 8,000 metres.(NEPAL)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... British mountaineer Alan Hinkes has successfully reached the summit of Kangchenjunga, and in doing so has become the first Briton to climb the 14 peaks taller than 8,000 metres. The 50-year-old began his quest in 1987.

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the first ascent of the Southwest Face of Mount Everest, five veterans of the team--Sir Chris Bonington, Charles Clarke, Paul Braithwaite, Doug Scott and Pertemba Sherpa--will be presenting illustrated talks at the RGS-IBG in London (compered by Stephen Venables) and the National Mountaineering Exhibition at Rheged, near Penrith.(UK)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the first ascent of the Southwest Face of Mount Everest, five veterans of the team Sir Chris Bonington, Charles Clarke, Paul Braithwaite, Doug Scott and Pertemba Sherpa--will be presenting illustrated...

Summer heatwaves: weatherwatch with BBC weather forecaster Helen Willetts.(WORLDWATCH)
August 1, 2005... What is an 'inversion'? When weather people talk about an inversion they are referring to a temperature inversion. During a long period of summer anticyclonic (high pressure) weather, the air sinks and an inversion forms. This means that...

Whale shark on brink.(WORLDWATCH)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... AUSTRALIA The world's largest fish is being hunted to extinction and its international protection is now at a critical level, according to delegates at the first International Whale Shark Conference held in Perth, Western Australia, in May. ...

Quizzical: this month, Chris Edwards tackles temperature extremes, the size of Belgium, categorising nations' development status, the hydrogen bombs dropped on Japan and the number of people who speak Scottish Gaelic.
August 1, 2005... Which part of the world experiences the greatest extremes of temperature? M Thompson, Coventry In Verkhoyhansk, Sibera, when it gets hot, it gets pretty hot. But when it gets cold, it gets really cold. Over the course of a year, the...

End of an ERA.
August 1, 2005... After the best part of 30 years at the Society, Deputy Director Nigel Winser is moving on. Nigel has a special interest in conservation and sustainable development, and has managed more than ten of the Society's research programmes, beginning...

Sponsor a school.(Royal Geographical Society (donations))(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Society Fellows and members are being encouraged to take part in a new initiative to increase the number of school members, You can provide a gift of a school membership for a favourite school for 70 [pounds sterling] for a one year membership,...

Looking into the future via the past.(EDITORIAL)(Editorial)
August 1, 2005... At the Society's AGM in June, Professor Sir Nicholas Shackleton of the University of Cambridge was awarded the Founder's Medal in recognition of his longstanding contribution to geography and Earth science, specifically in the field of...

Visit Everest or the Antarctic at one of our school workshops.(In Society: A round-up of news, views and recent and forthcoming events at the RGS-IBG)(Regional Geographical Society )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... The Society's education team has created a series of workshops with the aim of inspiring young people to explore our resources, discover new people and places and understand our changing world. These popular workshops make use of the...

A selection of forthcoming society events.(In Society: A round-up of news, views and recent and forthcoming events at the RGS-IBG)(Royal Geographical Society)(Calendar)
August 1, 2005... For details, please contact the Events Office on 020 7591 3100 31 August-2 September RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2005 (CONFERENCE, LONDON) The main meeting of the RGS-IBG research groups and the largest meeting of...

Lecture focus: an evening with Bill Bryson.(In Society: A round-up of news, views and recent and forthcoming events at the RGS-IBG)(Calendar)
August 1, 2005... The Society is pleased to announce that Bill Bryson, travel writer extraordinaire, will be taking his illustrated lectures on the road for our Regional Theatres Programme. Beginning in September, Bill will be presenting a series of six talks...

Join the society--get the magazine.(In Society: A round-up of news, views and recent and forthcoming events at the RGS-IBG)(Public Notice)
August 1, 2005... The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) is a world centre for geographers and geographical learning dedicated to the development and promotion of knowledge, together with its application to the challenges facing society and the environment....

RGS-IBG medal and award winners 2005: on 6 June, at the annual general meeting of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), the following people received medals and awards for their varied and groundbreaking services to geography and related fields.(RGS-IBG MEDALS AND AWARDS)
August 1, 2005... Founder's Medal Professor Sir Nicholas Shackleton For research on Quaternary palaeoclimatology Professor Sir Nicholas Shackleton of the University of Cambridge was presented with the Society's Founder's Medal for more than 45 years'...

A short-lived experiment: map of the coast of Panama (1715).(MAP OF THE MONTH)
August 1, 2005... This single-page map lacks title, author, scale, printer, publisher and date. But because it was part of a book, some of these gaps can be filled in. In fact, reading the top lines on the opposite page, and looking down the "Plenary Explication...

Royal geographical society with IBG: advancing geography and georgraphical learning.(MAP OF THE MONTH)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Patron Her Majesty The Queen Honorary President HRH The Duke of Kent The Council President Sir Neil Cossons OBE Vice Presidents Elspeth Insch OBE, Professor Keith Flichards, Professor David Thomas Honorary Treasurer David Lyon...

Life on the line.(KOREA)
August 1, 2005... Since George W Bush included North Korea in his 'axis of evil', the stand-off between the North and South has returned to the spotlight, not least because of the North's nuclear weapons programme. The origins of the division of the Korean...

The smoke-breathing mountains of Hawaii: the volcanism that created the Hawaiian islands continues to put on some of the world's most amazing geological displays. Chartered geographer Andrew Lee travels to the Big Island to witness their power.(HAWAII'S VOLCANOES)
August 1, 2005... Pele Honuamea is Hawaii's great mother goddess of fire. Legend has it that she sits within Kilauea's Halema'uma'u crater, stirring a great volcanic cauldron, the contents of which she's ready to tip out at any time. Meanwhile, Poli'ahu, the...

Paper: what ever happened to the paperless office? This utopian dream seems to have been buried beneath a mountain of email print outs. Andrew Brackenbury asks what went wrong.(Geographical dossier)
August 1, 2005... Wherever you're reading this, pause for a moment and consider what's in your hands. These words have been printed on glossy sheets of one of the building blocks of modern society--paper. Now look around you--from the magazine you're holding to...

The historical paper trail: from its origins in the East, paper was historically the catalyst in scientific and artistic achievement the world over and still underpins our lives today.(Geographical dossier/paper)
August 1, 2005... According to an ancient Chinese manuscript, in 105 AD, Ts'ai Lun, an official in the imperial court of China, reported the invention of a remarkable new material to his emperor. Over the next two millennia, this extraordinary...

Pulp affliction: although the paper industry claims that it's moving towards true sustainability, most environmental organisations remain unconvinced.(Geographical dossier/paper)
August 1, 2005... After decades of standing accused of 'ancient forest crime' by environmental NGOs, the paper industry has started to fight back, trumpeting its green credentials. "Our raw material is renewable and recyclable," says Kathy Bradley of the...

The ePaper revolution: the next few years could see new technologies reducing our dependence on paper. But how close are we to the reality of the paperless office?(Geographical dossier/paper)
August 1, 2005... Depending on your viewpoint, the phrase 'paperless office' is either one of the most premature or redundant of our times. Between 1995 and 2000--the height of the dot-com boom--Canada, the world's largest manufacturer of office printing paper,...

Cities in dust: archaeological investigations are revealing the extraordinary 4,000-year story of the little-known oasis of Merv, located in a remote desert in Central Asia.(TURKMENISTAN)
August 1, 2005... Tucked away in a remote corner of Central Asia, surrounded by one of the harshest desert terrains on Earth, is an extraordinary inland river delta that once sustained a spectacular civilisation. While the ancient riverine cultures of the Nile...

A glimpse of a greener future: celebrating science and civilisation, the first expo of the 21st century not only exhibits the latest environmentally friendly technologies, it puts them into practice. Jo Sargent reports from Expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan.(EXPO 2005)
August 1, 2005... These days, Japan is renowned as the source of all that is technologically innovative. So it came as no great surprise to discover, as I walked around the site of Expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan, a week before it opened, a 3-D screen that doesn't...

Just deserts: internationally renowned German photographer and lecturer Michael Martin has been awarded a Royal Geographical Society medal for his work documenting deserts. It's a fitting tribute to Martin's 25 years of desert travel, his unquenchable passion for deserts and their people and his work raising the public's awareness of them.(GEOPEOPLE: MICHAEL MARTIN)
August 1, 2005... While desert nomads find their way using the stars, Michael Martin unwittingly found the desert by way of the stars. As a teenager growing up in Augsburg in southern Germany, Martin was a keen astronomical photographer. "My big dream was to go...

Into the liquid world: from its origins in improvised homemade gear and underwater military espionage to its position today as a worldwide leisure and tourism industry, scuba diving has certainly come a long way. Tim Ecott explores the history of our mission to conquer the underwater world.
August 1, 2005... In June 1943, the overnight express train from Paris delivered a large wooden crate to the station at the Mediterranean port of Bandol. The crate was addressed to a young French naval officer by the name of Jacques Cousteau, who later wrote:...

Thinking big in the South African bush: with an astonishing variety of habitats and flora and fauna, Baviaanskloof Protected Area is one of the world's most diverse regions. Charles Leftwich reports on an innovative attempt to incorporate the area into an extensive new 'mega-reserve'.(SOUTH AFRICA)
August 1, 2005... Standing atop one of the highest points in the Kouga range, all I can see in every direction are the convoluted curves, gulfs and crowns of mountains. There is no sound, only the sense of the movement of cloud as two patterns interplay, those...

Travel insurance: a question of cover: absurd as it may seem, it's reckoned that one third of Britons travelling overseas for whatever reason are doing so without adequate (or in some cases any) insurance cover. This is just an accident waiting to happen.(TRAVEL MATTERS)
August 1, 2005... Jennifer White (not her real name), a 27-year-old retail manager from London, was trekking in the rainforest in Guatemala with friends when Things Went Badly Wrong. Her group had had a great day. "We'd climbed the side of a mountain where we...

2005 Responsible Tourism Awards: nominate a responsible tourism winner and a trip exploring the wonders of China could be yours.(COMPETITION)
August 1, 2005... Many of the stunning holiday destinations that we visit are in fragile environments and are coming under increasing pressure from tourism. This is your chance to help by placing your nominations for the second Responsible Tourism Awards, which...

Land of golden plenty.(GEOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE)(Diamonds deposits in Northern Cape province (British controlled coast); South Africa (19st century))
August 1, 2005... SOUTH AFRICA Until the 1860s, the British considered Southern Africa as something of an imperial backwater. Its only value lay in the strategic position of a naval base on the Cape. That was the case until the discovery of first diamonds and...

Royal Siamese Maps.(Book Review)
August 1, 2005... Royal Siamese Maps by Santanee Phasuk and Philip Stott Thames & Hudson, hb, pp208, 35 [pounds sterling] The title of the first chapter of this gloriously illustrated book, 'Treasures from a royal cupboard', could equally be applied to the...

The Spice Route: a History.(Book Review)
August 1, 2005... The Spice Route: A History by John Keay John Murray, hb, pp368, 20 [pounds sterling] John Keay is in the habit of turning out impeccably researched, elegantly written books with disconcerting frequency. Now he has followed his other forays...

Lost in Tibet.(Book Review)
August 1, 2005... Lost in Tibet Richard Starks and Miriam Murcutt Lyons Press, pb, pp232, 8 [pounds sterling] 'Flying the Hump' was one of the less publicised but most heroic and terrifying operations of the Second World War. For three years, between 1942...

Death and the Sun: a Matador's Season in the Heart of Spain.(Book Review)
August 1, 2005... Death and the Sun: A Matador's Season in the Heart of Spain by Edward Lewine Doubleday, pb, pp 306, 10.99 [pounds sterling] Sadly, the Spain of the romantic stereotypes is still being perpetuated. Following its recent success with a book on...

Tigers in Red Weather.(Book Review)
August 1, 2005... Tigers in Red Weather by Ruth Padel Little, Brown, hb, pp 430, 16.99 pounds sterling] "Like the robin in your garden, [the tiger] has to kill to live"--a startling image that tells you you're in a poet's hands. When an affair ended, Ruth...

Deep Jungle.(Book Review)
August 1, 2005... Deep Jungle by Fred Pearce, Eden Project, hb, pp288, 18.99 [pounds sterling] The jungle has long exerted a hold on the Western imagination. From the legend of El Dorado to Conrad's Heart of Darkness, jungles have been seen as dark places...

Sir Richard Burton's Travels in Arabia and Africa.(Book Review)
August 1, 2005... Sir Richard Burton's Travels in Arabia and Africa. edited by John Hayman Huntington Library Press, pb, pp120, 12.50 [pounds sterling] Captain Sir Richard Burton was an extraordinary man in an extraordinary century. Explorer, adventurer,...

Ashes and Snow.(Exhibition of animal photography by Gregory Colbert (Nomadic Museum, New York City))
August 1, 2005... Ashes and Snow Nomadic Museum Hudson River Park's Pier 54 West 13th Street New York City, USA A highly unusual touring retrospective, Ashes and Snow is the culmination of 13 years of work by Canadian-born filmmaker, artist and photographer...

The Secret of the Sahara: Kufara.(Book Review)
August 1, 2005... The Secret of the Sahara: Kufara by Rosita Forbes. First published 1921. Most recent edition published by Long Riders Guild Press, pb, pp356, 11.99 [pounds sterling] "The great adventure began at Jedabia, 190 kilometres from Benghazi as...

Dancing at the Dead Sea.(Book Review)
August 1, 2005... Dead Sea by Alanna Mitchell Eden Project Books, pb, pp300, 8.99 [pounds sterling] Anyone who's visited the Dead Sea will find it difficult to see how this heat-stricken place could become any deader. Yet this wasteland is one of the...

Robert Hooke and the Rebuilding of London.(Book Review)
August 1, 2005... Robert Hooke and the Rebuilding of London by Michael Cooper, Sutton, pb, pp275, 12.99 [pounds sterling] While most people will be aware that during the 17th century, much of London was destroyed in the Great Fire, they may not know that the...

Expedition essentials: the middle of an expedition isn't exactly the best time to discover that you're missing a vital piece of kit. This month, Paul Deegan discusses those items you'll want to make sure you never leave behind.(essential gear)
August 1, 2005... If you've started reading this article thinking, "Hang on a minute, isn't all equipment taken on an expedition pretty much essential?" then I would be the first to agree with you. After all, on a mountaineering expedition, no boots equals no...

Ten of the best: these days, there are a million and one gadgets vying for the attention of the serious expeditioner. Here we've assembled a selection of some of our personal favourites.(ESSENTIAL GEAR)
August 1, 2005... 1 penknife Victorinox Climber Stay Glow 20 [pounds sterling]/90 grams Features innovative fluorescent handles to help you find it in the depths of your rucksack [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2 multitool Leatherman Charge...

New ultra-light daysacks for tall and short people.(GEAR ESSENTIALS)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Until recently, daysack users usually had to put up with designs supplied in only one back length. This meant that for tall and short people, finding a daysack that weighs less than a kilogram with a hip belt that actually sits on the hips was...

Lock climber.(Prosafe 500)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... The Prosafe 500 is a smart, three-digit-dial, pre-set-combination lock disguised as a climbing carabiner. Available in silver, blue and red, it costs 4.95 [pounds sterling] and boasts a spring-loaded shackle opening. Geographical has ten locks...

Tesco tents take off.
August 1, 2005... Tesco reported a 97 per cent rise in sales of tents and camping gear in the first weeks of June.

Vango guarantee.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Vango is now offering a lifetime guarantee on all of its products. * Info: www.vango.co.uk

GP-yes.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Newly introduced to the UK by Silva is the iFinder GO from US electronics specialist Lowrance. This pocket-sized entry-level GPS unit offers a 16-parallel-channel receiver (as opposed to the usual 12) and more than 48 hours of operation on two...

Become a Meister of the trail.(GEAR ESSENTIALS)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... Columbia's updated functional and comfortable Trait Meister II sandal--which features a quick-release main clip buckle, as well as three hook-and-loop Velcro straps. an anti-odour sole and highly ergonomic moulding--could be the ideal...

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke: medical advice from Jason Gibbs, head pharmacist at Nomad Travel stores and health clinics.(Travel health)
August 1, 2005... These two conditions are both caused by overloading the body's cooling mechanisms, either by poor acclimatisation or overexertion. Heat stroke is a dangerous condition that can result n delirium coma and even death. The individual may have...

Sunflower.(The Geographical Good Guide Guide)(Lanscapes, series which cover popular areas in Europe (travel))(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... A bit of history Sunflower's 'Landscapes' series began in 1981 with the publication of Landscapes of Madeira, a region that the company's founders, John and Pat Underwood, had visited and fallen in love with in 1973. The series has since...

Explorer's essentials: Pen Hadow, the only person to walk to the North Pole, without resupply, from Canada.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... 1 GPS Garmin 12 unit. First things first--latitude, longitude and GMT. * Info: www.garmin.com 2 Nikon Ti-28. A wide-angle compact camera with options--for polar icescapes and in tent shots. Traceable with difficulty * Info:...

20,000 flashes under the sea: in the first of a new series about field photography techniques for the geographer, Keith Wilson discusses that most alien and technically difficult of environments: underwater.(Geo Photo)
August 1, 2005... The principles for attaining good photographs underwater are the same as those for the land-based (topside) photographer. However, there is one very significant difference--because water is 800 times denser than air, light starts scattering as...

Journey of a lifetime.(Chris Brown returned from journey to Himalaya)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Chris Brown, the 2005 winner of the Journey of a Lifetime Award, recently returned from nearly six months in the field travelling and living with the Kharnak nomads of the Himalaya. The Kharnak are pastoralists who move three or four times a...

Forthcoming grants deadlines.(Geography teaching grants)(Calendar)
August 1, 2005... 2 SEPTEMBER Innovative Geography Teaching Grants: several grants of up to 800 [pounds sterling] for new ideas in secondary-level geography teaching 16 SEPTEMBER Journey of a Lifetime Award: 4,000 and the chance to record a documentary for...

A killer innovation.(Grants news)(Anthony Cheetham, award winner for the innovative geography teaching (2004))
August 1, 2005... Everyone remembers a good teacher. For many of us, myself included, our interest in the wider world began in school, the result of an inspiring teacher with the ability to enthuse pupils with a lifetime love of the study of people and places....

Free to a good home.(Mailbag)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... It was interesting to see the selection of past covers of Geographical illustrated in the June 2005 issue (70 years of adventure). These provide an unusual record of social, political and geographical changes over time. I have a collection of...

Champagne moment.(Mailbag)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... In the July 2005 issue of Geographical, you have a picture of a group of polar adventurers, including Tom Avery, at the North Pole clutching what is unmistakably a bottle of champagne (Worldwatch). While I'm hardly going to begrudge these men a...

Charity cheerleader.(Mailbag)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... Tom Chesshyre's otherwise excellent call for clarity in regard to the hidden costs of charity challenges (Travel matters, July 2005) isn't generous-spirited enough. Sure, he presents a balanced (if slightly cynical) view on just how much of...

Save the rocks.(Letter of the month)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... It was surprising and disappointing that Charlie Furniss's article on protected areas (Dossier, June 2005) was written almost entirely from the perspective of biological conservation. The fact is that nature comprises both biotic and abiotic...

Spirit of the age.(Mailbag)(Cartoon)
August 1, 2005... DAMN! I FORGOT TO PACK THE GLASSES! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Lost in the post.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... Formed from a line of extinct volcanoes, this 30-kilometre island was one of the first in the group settled by the indigenous population of this stamp's country of origin. Sailing by in 1769, Captain Cook named it after the calming influence it...

Sticky question.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... In response to your story on camping stoves (Essential gear, July 2005), in many parts of the world, the quality of petroleum fuels is very poor, and they quickly clog sophisticated pressure type stoves. Gas is generally unavailable, and, of...

Chloe Scott-Moncrieff inconversation with a Tom Avery.(Interview)
August 1, 2005... Tom Avery, at 29, is the youngest Briton to have reached Both poles. He and his team recently retraced Robert Peary's 1909 expedition, in the process becoming the fastest to reach the North Pole on foot, even beating Peary's disputed 37-day...