Earthwatch at 50: Joe, Bertie and George
2nd September 2018
Earthwatch at 50: Joe, Bertie and George’s story
George Strainge, Joe Witt and Bertie Thomas (from left to right).
After attending the Earthwatch annual debate in 2016, Joe Witt was inspired to book an expedition to Borneo to experience an Earthwatch project for himself and signed up to the Teen Team trip to study climate and landscape change in Borneo’s rainforests.
The trip to Borneo was life changing for me. said Joe. It had a big impact on me as an individual as well as on my career choices.
Joe was joined on the expedition by Bertie Thomas, a youth member of the Royal Geographical Society, and George Strainge who noted:
The themes of land use change and climate change were relevant to what I wanted to learn at university, and Borneos rainforest was somewhere I had always wanted to go.
All three went on to study Geography degrees at University, with the common theme of Climate Change being apparent. During his studies at Durham University, Joe surveyed glacier retreat in Iceland as well as leading his own expedition to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Joe has now started a Masters at King’s College London in Climate Change: Environment, Science and Policy.
Georges interest focussed on water policy and management, leading him to create his undergraduate dissertation on the environmental threats being faced by the Brisbane Basin in Queensland, Australia. He plans to continue his involvement with the environment in a career focussed on management in the fresh food and produce industry.
Bertie is completing the final year of his degree, his dissertation is exploring the impact of Climate Change on rockfall and glacier tourism in Italy. After which, he is planning to do a Masters in International Relations.
After attending the Earthwatch annual debate in 2016, Joe Witt was inspired to book an expedition to Borneo to experience an Earthwatch project for himself and signed up to the Teen Team trip to study climate and landscape change in Borneo’s rainforests.
The trip to Borneo was life changing for me. said Joe. It had a big impact on me as an individual as well as on my career choices.
Joe was joined on the expedition by Bertie Thomas, a youth member of the Royal Geographical Society, and George Strainge who noted:
The themes of land use change and climate change were relevant to what I wanted to learn at university, and Borneo rainforest was somewhere I had always wanted to go.
All three went on to study Geography degrees at University, with the common theme of Climate Change being apparent. During his studies at Durham University, Joe surveyed glacier retreat in Iceland as well as leading his own expedition to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Joe has now started a Masters at King’s College London in Climate Change: Environment, Science and Policy.
George interest focussed on water policy and management, leading him to create his undergraduate dissertation on the environmental threats being faced by the Brisbane Basin in Queensland, Australia. He plans to continue his involvement with the environment in a career focussed on management in the fresh food and produce industry.
Bertie is completing the final year of his degree, his dissertation is exploring the impact of Climate Change on rockfall and glacier tourism in Italy. After which, he is planning to do a Masters in International Relations.
“