An Abertay University lecturer is gearing up for an epic journey which will see her retrace the voyage of the RRS Discovery.
Dr Rebecca Wade, a senior lecturer in environmental science, will join 87 other women aboard the Antarctica expedition ship Ushuaia when they set sail from Argentina next week.
It comes three years after she was originally supposed to embark on the journey, with the Covid-19 pandemic delaying the trip several times.
The expedition is part of the Homeward Bound leadership programme for women in science.
Dr Wade said: “I heard about the programme through a researcher I used to work with.
“It’s a competitive programme with a selection process to get on it and I was delighted when I was offered a place back in summer 2019.
“It is really important that we have diverse voices around the decision-making table when we are making decisions for people, the planet and for our economy so I’m excited to be part of this.”
Dr Wade is scheduled to travel to Ushuaia in Argentina next Tuesday, a journey she says will take around 30 hours from Edinburgh.
The 52-year-old will then meet up with the rest of the contingent before embarking on the days-long voyage to the Antarctic.
“It takes two or three days to get to the Antarctic and we will be sailing on some of the most lively waters on in the globe – the waves are legendary”, she said.
“There will be tough moments along the way. We will sharing space with strangers, it’ll be cold, and we are away from our family. I’m worried about sea-sickness as well.
“And some of what we’ll see will be quite sobering but we are there to do better for the planet.”
Retracing legendary explorers
The voyage is expected to last around 19 days and the group aims to raise awareness of the impact of climate change by providing a first-hand account of its effects on the icy shores of the continent.
They’ll also make observations of wildlife, plants, and ice in the frozen south, including via landings on the Antarctic Peninsula.
The team also includes Dundee-based Fiona Logan, CEO of Insights, and
Irene Tierney, director and principal ecologist at IMTeco Ltd.
They will be following in the footsteps of Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton who made a landmark voyage to Antarctica on the RRS Discovery in 1901.
The Dundee-built Discovery was the first-ever ‘research ship’, and data from the expedition is still used as a baseline for modern-day climate science.
And Dr Wade – a Dundonian herself – is hoping her experience will also benefit people in the City of Discovery.
She added: “For me its about bringing the learning we gain there back to Dundee.
“I’ve worked all over the world, the USA, Canada, Brazil, and what gives me satisfaction is bringing that back to home.”
Conversation