Congratulations to glaciologist Dr. Heïdi Sevestre on winning the inaugural Shackleton Medal for the Protection of the Polar Regions. Dr. Sevestre, a pioneering climate activist, expedition leader, scientific researcher, documentary maker, and lobbyist, receives a prize of £10,000 as a contribution towards her ongoing work in the polar regions and the very first Shackleton Medal.
An international jury of polar experts – chaired by Prof. Lewis Dartnell – debated the shortlist and decided the winner at the Royal Geographical Society in London.
Amongst an exceptionally strong list of nominees, Dr. Sevestre stood out for the extraordinary courage she has demonstrated working in the field and her drive and determination to communicate her message.
Dr. Sevestre is a rising star of the polar world. In the seven years since she obtained her PhD from the University of Oslo she has become a consultant for the Arctic Council, was Director of Outreach for the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative before her job at AMAP, the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme, Working Group to the Arctic Council and has presented numerous scientific documentaries. The jury were particularly impressed with her achievements as an expedition leader in extreme environments, and her extensive outreach campaigns. These have involved giving talks at schools, at universities, on glaciers and even spinning icebergs, with audiences ranging from six-year-old children to CEOs and leading politicians. She is also passionate about the use of social media to educate the world, “I think scientists should be on TikTok, Snapchat, Twitter,’ she declares.
The Shackleton Medal // Winner Announcement from Shackleton on Vimeo.
ABOUT SHACKLETON:
Shackleton designs and develops performance apparel for people living and working in the world’s extremes. Driven by exploration and innovation, our company is built on the life and values of polar titan Sir Ernest Shackleton and exists to inspire, prepare and equip people for the challenge. We design in London and work with the highest quality manufacturers in the UK, Italy, and around the world. Fur-free and RDS-compliant, we are committed to continual improvement of our sustainability standards.
Thanks to Virginia Jones for contributing to this post.
We are thrilled to learn that Heidi , a little girl living down the road in our savoyard village of Gruffy, has become, after all these years , a leading star in the world of science. Well done Heidi, we are so proud of you! David and Christiane Ellis