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Grants awarded: 2013

Grants awarded: 2013

The Gino Watkins Memorial Fund, under the joint trusteeship of the University of Cambridge and the Royal Geographical Society, gives grants towards expeditions that meet its objectives of guiding and inspiring enterprising people towards scientific research and exploration in the polar regions.

The Committee of Managers of the Fund would like to thank the Augustine Courtauld Trust for their generous contribution of £9,000. The members of the Committee who served during the year were Mr D Fordham, (Chairman), Dr P. Adams, Dr I Campbell, Mr R Crabtree, Dr L Craig, Professor J Dowdeswell, Dr D Goodman, Dr M Humphreys, Professor M Lea, Mr J Muston, Professor R C Schroter, and Dr M Tinsley.

The Committee met on the 23 February 2013 and made the following awards:

Expedition Report Description Award
Tri-Province Arctic Canoe Expedition 2013 Report Group of six men will paddle the Dubawnt, Morse and Armark Rivers – a route that has never been accomplished in known canoeing history. Additionally, they will be collecting water samples for the International Arctic Research Centre at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks £1,000
2013 Baffin Island Ski Mountaineering Expedition Postponed until 2014.
Travel to the east of Baffin Island to ski some of the best couloirs on planet earth (up to 1500 m) in the Sam Ford Fjord and Walker Arm area
£500
Bearly Adventures 2013 Climb east face of Bear Tooth, Buckskin Glacier, Alaska £1,000
Expedition of the High Chugach Mountains of Alaska by ski Report Ascent and ski descent of Mt Marcus Baker (13,176 ft) in the Chugach range in Alaska. Assess the ski mountaineering potential of the high Chugach in the vicinity of Mt Marcus Baker £1,000
Oxford University Geological & Educational Outreach Expedition Report To produce a detailed geological map of the specified area with any observations recorded in notebooks. To document the expedition for use as a tool for science outreach £2,000
Clipperton Project, S.E. Georgia Expedition To investigate: (1) Microplastics in the S. Atlantic; (2) survey of marine debris and invasive colonists on the intertidal and subtidal research of the sub-Antarctic Island of S Gorgia; (3) the impact of larger plastic debris on native wildlife; (4) application of a noval baited underwater camera system to survey the shallow water scavenging fauns of S Georgia; (5) to raise awareness amongst multidisciplinary practitioners of the above environmental impacts in the region GW £3,000
to include £1,000 from the Edward Wilson Fund
Oxford West Greenland Expedition Report To explore and pioneer new routes and first ascents on both technical rock faces and mountains in the Uummannaq and Upernavik regions of NW Greenland GW £2,000
to include £500 Arctic Club Award
Arctic 2013 – The return: N.W. Passage Report NW Passage west to east. A new route for a fibreglass boat - Prince of Wales channel. Collecting pilotage and weather information for a new Pilot to be published by royal Cruising Club Pilotage Foundation and Imrays £2,000
to be the A and J Simpson 2013 Expedition
The Fortrose Academy, E. Greenland Expedition 2013 Report Geographical studies of glaciated valley – geomorphological, fluvial and glacial. Biological studies – collaboration with Stirling University study on sex ratios of Greenlandic Seed Bug. DofE Gold Award (2 pupils). John Muir Award (pending) £2,500
East Greenland Summer 2013 Report Explore little known area around Tuno, E Greenland. Further the polar, mountain, and leadership experience of the expedition members. Document experiences and the area in photos GW £2,500
to include £500 Arctic Club Award
Measuring circulation in Sermilik Fjord S.E. Greenland Report To gather data to identify water bodies and circulation patterns within Sermilik fjord; to identify whether and how iceberg calving events are related to the delivery of warm water within the fjord £500