The Young Explorers’ Trust is delighted to announce that the winner of the 2016 Stephenson Award for an outstanding contribution to youth exploration goes to Cameron Mackay – a student at Glasgow University.
Cameron was a member of a BES Expedition to the Himalayas in 2014. Later as a student at Glasgow University, in 2015 he was leader and organiser of ‘Greenland360’ an expedition concept that aimed to bring together science, art and education to communicate the full picture of the changing landscape in Greenland. This project was led by young people with the desire to inspire and motivate the next generation to get involved with climate science and to explore and experience wilderness first hand. Through the communication of the data collected, he hoped to define the importance of this wilderness and inspire others to explore and care for the fragile natural environment.
Through films and feedback of our adventure he planned to pass on this excitement to other young people. This he and other members for the expedition have done in remarkable ways for ones so inexperienced. In addition to a full report which outlines all the scientific results of the expedition, he wrote a very good report for YET and produced and narrated a film of the expedition.
They released an education resource pack in partnership with Education Scotland. As an example of a peer group planned expedition its aims and accomplishments go well beyond the norm. As leader and organiser of the expedition Cameron was the inspiration behind the whole project overall a remarkable achievement for one so young.
Since then he has been in Tanzania with a student organised trip this summer as well as the Himalayas with British Exploring which included a high quality film from the Himalaya trip. He has a lot of thoughts on how to engage the younger generation and has been working on a similar avenue recently through offering a platform for young expedition organisers and participants to communicate their discoveries called Explorers’ Stories. As part of this he organised an expedition- and environment-based event at the IMAX Centre in Glasgow.
2 Responses
Many Congratulations Cameron, so well deserved, I follow your path in life with much pride. Continue your great work.
Amazingly well done! You fully deserve this! Very proud to know you!