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THE EXPEDITION TEAM
Education and interpretation are key elements of the expedition. Students on
Ice Expeditions has assembled an international team of scientists and polar
experts, whose experience and enthusiasm ensures that students come away with a deeper
understanding and appreciation of the Antarctic. Expert polar naturalists, historians,
and earth scientists will make this expedition an unforgettable adventure!
MEET THE EXPEDITION LEADER:
GEOFFREY GREEN
Adventure Educator, Expedition Leader, Founder of
Students on Ice
Canadian adventurer, environmentalist and educator Geoff Green has been leading
expeditions and adventures from pole to pole for the past fifteen years. Many
notable organizations such as the Discovery Channel, World Wildlife Fund, National
Audubon and the Smithsonian Institution enlist Geoff to lead their groups into
the world's most remote and exciting regions.
In 2005, he received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from the U.S. Congress
for his work with youth and the environment. He was also voted one of Canada's "Top
40 under 40" - an annual national prize event saluting Canada's top young leaders. In
2004, Outpost Magazine chose Geoff as one of the "Top 5 Canadian Explorers" to
watch.
Geoff is the founder and Executive Director of Students on Ice Expeditions (studentsonice.com)
an award-winning educational organization based in Chelsea, Quebec. The program - now
in its eighth year - has taken almost 600 students, teachers and scientists from around
the world on expeditions to both the Arctic and the Antarctic. The goal of this unique project
is to give the world's youth a heightened understanding and respect for the planet's
global ecosystem, and the inspiration to protect it.
As expedition leader, Geoff is a veteran of 72 Antarctic expeditions and 27 Arctic expeditions.
MEET SOME OF OUR TEAM:
Lisa 'Diz' Glithero |
Ingrid Visser |
Dr. Roy "Fritz" Koerner |
"Scobie" Pye |
Olle Carlsson |
Eric Galbraith |
William (Bill) Lishman |
Santiago Imberti |
David Fletcher |
Belinda Sawyer & Rob McCallum |
Dr. Don Walsh
LISA 'DIZ' GLITHERO
Education Director
Lisa 'Diz' Glithero
is a committed environmental educator whose formal teaching experience has taken
her from Chhomrong, Nepal to the Heiltsuk community of Bella, British Columbia
to working as the Education Director for Students on Ice.
In 2004, after completing a Master of Education degree at Queen's University
while working for the Outdoor Experiential Education program at the faculty,
Diz founded the EYES Project. EYES - an initiative to build public awareness
for the need to bring more environmental and sustainable education ideologies
into mainstream schooling policy and practice.
In March 2006, Diz was 1 of 24 international women to be awarded the "Women of the Earth
Award" for her work in environmental education. She is currently a Professor with the
Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa.
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INGRID VISSER
Marine Biologist & Author
Ingrid's love affair with the sea began very early - her family sailed around the world on a 57 foot yacht for four and half years.
Arriving back in New Zealand just before she turned 21, Ingrid trained at Massey University as a vet, before transferring departments and
completing a degree in Zoology. She has worked with internationally renowned Discovery Channel to produce a documentary about her research.
Ingrid is an avid wildlife photographer and her work has been published in National Geographic and BBC Wildlife magazines. In 2006, Ingrid was
nominated for a New Zealand Book Award for her award-winning book "Swimming with Orca." Ingrid lives in Whangarei.
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Dr. ROY "FRITZ" KOERNER
Glaciologist and Explorer
Recipient of two Polar Medals for his work in both Antarctica and the Arctic, Fritz is an emeritus scientist at the National Glaciology Program of the Geological Survey of Canada.
In 1968-69, Fritz was a member of the remarkable British Trans-Arctic Expedition. A four-party group that crossed the Arctic Ocean sea ice from Barrow, Alaska to Svalbard, Spitsbergen via the North Pole - known as one of the greatest polar expeditions of all time.
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"SCOBIE" PYE
Polar Scientist and Historian
"Scobie" Pye is a research scientist with a Masters of Science degree from the University of Tasmania, Australia. Over the past 30 years much of his
life has been spent in southern latitudes working with the British Antarctic Survey (B.A.S.), the Australian Antarctic Division and the University of Tasmania.
He has spent four winters and seven summers on the of South Georgia, two summers on the floating ice shelf station of Halley Bay in the Weddell Sea and two
winters and nine summers on Australia's Macquarie Island. Scobie's main scientific interests are focused on the conservation and management of Polar Regions.
He has worked and traveled extensively in the northern latitudes. In 1978, Scobie was awarded the Fuchs Medal for outstanding service to the British
Antarctic Survey.
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OLLE CARLSSON
Polar Naturalist and Lecturer
Born and raised in Sweden, Olle was formerly a teacher and professional jazz musician before embarking on a life of polar adventure,
writing, photography, and lecturing. For over twenty years now, Olle has been sharing the migration route of the Arctic tern - Arctic adventures
in the summer, and Antarctic adventures in the winter. His Arctic expeditions include many voyages to the North Pole, Northwest Passage, Svalbard,
Iceland, and Greenland. His Arctic expeditions include many voyages to the North Pole, Northwest Passage, Svalbard, Iceland, and Greenland. His twenty-year
love affair with the Polar world is grounded on the integrity and beauty of these remote places, as well as the astounding adaptations for survival under
harsh conditions that the wildlife has suffered.
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ERIC GALBRAITH
Oceanographer
A native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Eric is passionate about Earth Science: why our planet appears the way it does, and the story of how it
got that way. He worked as a geologist in South America and the Canadian Arctic, and had visited all seven continents by the age of 25. He then turned
to the sea, pursuing a PhD in oceanography at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. His research looks at how global ocean circulation interacts
with the rest of the climate system, what this means for marine life, and how the ocean will respond to future climate change. He has worked as a lecturer
aboard cruises throughout the North Atlantic, and in both the Arctic and the Antarctic. Although currently residing in Montreal, he has recently accepted a
position as researcher at Princeton University.
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WILLIAM (BILL) LISHMAN
Artist, Inventor & Naturalist
William Lishman is a versatile artist of world renown. His works over the past Three decades
include two award winning films and numerous works of public art, which include an 86-foot
high central theme Sculpture for Expo '86 in Vancouver and a 2700 square foot 21st century
earth integrated dome home. He and seven pieces of his sculpture star in the acclaimed 3D
IMAX film the 'Last Buffalo.'
He was one of the pioneers of ultralight flight in Canada and in 1988 became the first human
to lead birds in formation. In 1993 he led the first experimental 'migration' of geese from
Ontario to Virginia, which was documented by ABC's 20/20.
Bill has received numerous awards including the Odyssey of the Mind's prestigious Creativity Award, which he shares, with the likes of Walt Disney, Chuck Jones and NASA as well as Canadian Pilots and Owners Association's highest award in general aviation. In September of 2000 Canadian Governor General Adrienne Clarkson bestowed the Meritorious Service Medal on Bill for his work with birds and bringing Honour to Canada.
Over the past decade, while continuing his work as a Sculptor Bill has presided over the 'Operation
Migration' organization he co-founded to carry out research in ultralight led bird Migration. The
Operation Migration team is currently working with the US Fish and Wild Life Service and several
other organizations to restore a flock of Migratory Whooping Cranes to eastern North America.
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SANTIAGO IMBERTI
Ornithologist
An ornithologist, photographer and writer, Santiago was born and raised in southern Patagonia, Argentina, which meant that wilderness was only a short step from his front door.
He has degrees in both ornithology and tourism, which has allowed him to combine his love for nature and the outdoors with his work as a bird watcher, naturalist, fly fisher and mountain guide. During the off-season Santiago continues his ornithology research, focusing his attention on birds of southern Patagonia and Antarctica. He is studying the rediscovered Austral Rail, the biology of the Chilean Swallow, a new method of parent - chick recognition among penguins and is also searching the winter grounds of the Patagonian endemic Hooded Grebe.
Marine mammals are another of his interests and he has worked as a field assistant studying Killer Whales and Chilean Dolphins among others.
Antarctica has always been of great interest, and this will be his sixth season working on the frozen continent. In order to help people understand nature, he works as an interpretive guide and also helps schools science projects in an attempt to interest children in nature.
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DAVID FLETCHER
British Antarctic Survey Base Commander & Polar Historian
David has spent the last 37 years in the Polar Regions, including 4 winters and 34 summers. He spent fifteen years with BAS as a dog driver, Base Commander and Field Operations Manager. David is a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society was awarded the prestigious Polar Medal. He has also received the Fuchs medal from the British Antarctic Survey. David has participated in several Students on Ice expeditions as a polar educator.
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BELINDA SAWYER & ROB MCCALLUM
New Zealanders Belinda Sawyer and Rob McCallum have extensive experience planning, organizing and leading expeditions to the world's far-flung outposts. Belinda is a certified ship's master, has lead many expeditions to the Antarctic continent and to extreme depth sites such as the RMS Titanic and the German battleship Bismarck. She is one of world's deepest diving females having completed a dive to 16,500 ft. in 2005.
Rob has worked as a conservation manager in New Zealand and the Pacific for the NZ Department of Conservation and for the United Nations. He is a published author on the conservation of rain forests. He now works as an outdoor guide and dive master on a wide variety of expeditions between the equator and the Antarctic, and recently led the 2005 expedition to the RMS Titanic.
Rob and Belinda have spent 10 seasons in Antarctica in a wide range of capacities including guide, naturalist, lecturer, environmental officer, logistics & safety specialist.
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DR. DON WALSH
Oceanographer and one of 20 Lifetime Members of the Explorers Club
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Dr. Walsh is an explorer, oceanographer and lecturer. Enlisting in the Navy in 1948, he graduated from Annapolis in 1954. During a 24 year naval career he spent 14 years at sea, mostly in submarines including command. At retirement he held the rank of Captain. Walsh's polar experience began with trips to the Arctic in 1955 and the Antarctic with the Navy's Deep Freeze '71 in 1971. He has worked at both North and South Poles and is eligible to wear the Antarctic Service Medal. The Walsh Spur (near Cape Hallett) was named for him in recognition of his contributions to the US Antarctic Research Program.
Dr. Walsh may be best known for making oceanographic history in 1960 with Jacques Piccard when they dove 35,800 feet down in the Navy Bathyscaph Trieste to the bottom of the Marianas Trench, deepest place in the world ocean. For this historic descent, never duplicated since, Walsh was decorated by President Eisenhower at the White House.
Don is the author of over 150 articles and papers, and has been an advisor for the White House, NOAA and NASA. He was appointed by Presidents Carter and Reagan to the U.S. National Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmosphere, was a member of the Law of the Sea Advisory Committee for the U.S. Department of State, and served as a member of the Marine Board of the U.S. National Research Council from 1990 to 1993. In 2001 received the Explorers Club highest award, The Explorer's Medal.
More Students on Ice Expedition team members
will be announced in the coming months!
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