Royal Society honour for lecturer back from Antarctic expedition

Trailblazer: Outdoor learning and sustainability education work recognised

A Carnoustie woman who was part of an all-female expedition to Antarctica has received a top honour.

Dr Beth Christie, a lecturer in education at Edinburgh University, was recently awarded honorary fellowship of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society for her work on outdoor learning and sustainability education in Scottish schools.

Last year, Dr Christie was one of two Scottish women selected for the threeweek voyage which was part of a yearlong programme to develop leadership and strategic communication capabilities.

The lecturer, who was once a pupil at

“Sharing knowledge and provoking thought through story is fundamental to my profession as a lecturer. DR BETH CHRISTIE

Carlogie Primary School, has been bringing the stories of Antarctica back to schoolchildren in Scotland.

She said she was overwhelmed to receive the award and said the fellowship was a “wholly unexpected surprise”.

“Sharing knowledge and provoking thought through story is fundamental to my profession as a lecturer,” she said.

“I often teach in the outdoors, invoking immersive sensory experiences to reveal and enrich our relationship with the natural world and to catalyse new narratives.

“I weave these storylines into my teaching to help communicate complex issues of economic, social and environmental sustainability.

“They provide comfortable starting points for difficult conversations about our personal response to issues such as climate change, loss of biodiversity and our lifestyle choices.”

Dr Christie returned to Carlogie Primary after coming back from Antarctica. She brought back the flag designed by primary six pupil Erin Geekie, which was selected to represent the expedition, completing a round-trip journey of about 18,600 miles.

She also brought the Royal Scottish Geographical Society flag and a 3D printed Maggie’s Penguin, which had also been taken on the voyage.

gstrachan@thecourier.co.uk