Tourism has become a linchpin to Longyearbyen’s community and economy over the last decade, with rapid growth in the last 5 years inparticular. Whilst thinking through these changes I saw a call for a conference asking for presenters speaking on the topic of ‘Overtourism’. I wondered, can we really call tourism in Longyearbyen overtourism, has… Read More
Newsflash! Finally, the thesis is in, awaiting viva examination and I have recovered enough from the process to start talking about it again. Yesterday, I found the perfect opportunity to do so – I was lucky enough to visit the BAS (British Antarctic Survey). The fact that it was hosting an interdisciplinary, social science focussed… Read More
It’s been quiet on the blog since I returned from Svalbard in February. I have been head down, trying to write chunks of thesis. However, at the moment I am employing the ‘change is as good as a rest’ strategy: The Wales DTC of the ESRC has kindly supported me in paying a visit to… Read More
I’ve recently returned from a short trip to Kirkenes in Northern Norway. I have quite a bit to say about the conference I was attending, but I thought I’d first share some thoughts and stories about the town and area I visited, as it was quite fascinating and was the source of lots of ‘firsts’… Read More
At the end of August I attended the Royal Geographic Society (with IBG)’s annual conference in London. In preparation for, during and after the event I did a fair amount of reflecting on what the purpose of taking part in conferences are. I think it’s fair to say that academics put a fair amount of… Read More
(For anyone not of the right age and taste in music to get the Skunk Anansie reference, this blog title needs screaming loudly and with passion!) As mentioned last week, Environmental Protection is a big talking point in Svalbard, as is the future of coal mining here. The ‘paradox’ between the two, is perhaps no… Read More
I might be in danger of sounding like a broken record, but last month I returned from another great conference and am struck again by the importance of getting out there and presenting my research, but for different reasons. This time, I headed to the very North of Norway for the Barent’s Institute’s “Mining the… Read More
Value is one of the key theoretical concepts my PhD project is based around, given the title ‘Polarising nature-culture: An examination of value in Svalbard’. So, it’s not surprising this slippery little word occupies a lot of my thinking space/ time at the moment. It seems fairly innocent on the surface, we use the word… Read More
Well we had an amazing little holiday travelling round the West of Iceland: lava fields, volcanic craters, natural springs, waterfalls, seals, a glacier, crazy mossy/ lunar looking landscapes, snow-topped mountains, a Viking… But the reason for being there – the Nordic Geographers Meeting, also far exceeded expectations. I’ve had a really good time there meeting… Read More
Last month has been a busy one: I presented an introduction to my PhD project to fellow human geographers amidst the beautiful grounds of Gregynog. The director of the ESRC Wales DTC came along too, they have a little piece on the conference here. I’ve just gotten back from the Royal Geographic Society’s Postgraduate Mid-Term… Read More
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