Dr Kate Rawles is passionate about using adventure to raise awareness and inspire action on our major environmental challenges. In 2006,
she cycled 4,553 miles from Texas to Alaska, following the spine of the Rockies and exploring North American attitudes to climate change. She then used the journey as a way of giving hundreds of talks and slide shows to very diverse audiences, with the cycling adventure as a ‘Trojan Horse’ for a strong message about climate change and environmental sustainability.

 

Her book ‘The Carbon Cycle; Crossing the Great Divide’ (2012) was shortlisted for the Banff Mountain Festival Adventure Travel Book Award and was a runner- up in the People’s Prize.

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In 2014 Kate took the adventure/ communication concept to sea, working with Pangaea Exploration as ‘Mission Leader’ on their Gyre to Gaia ocean plastic pollution trip. Some of her sound recordings were used in Selfridges’ Project Ocean exhibition and she gives regular talks on ocean plastic pollution and its impacts on ocean ecosystems and biodiversity.

 

Kate’s background is environmental philosophy. She studied at the Universities of Aberdeen, Glasgow and Colorado State and then taught environmental ethics at Lancaster University. In 2000 Kate set up Outdoor Philosophy; short courses that harness the power of relatively wild places to critique dominant views of human nature relations and inspire and support action for environmental sustainability.

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In 2014 Kate left her post as a half- time lecturer in Outdoor Studies at the University of Cumbria to work fully freelance and to begin planning The Life Cycle.

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Her aim is to cycle from Costa Rica to Cape Horn, following the spine of the Andes and focussing on biodiversity; what it is, why it matters, what is happening to it and, above all, what can and is being done to protect it.
She plans to use The Life Cycle as a major piece of communication via talks and articles, a book, social media, and various forms of outreach work.

The Life Cycle begins in December 2016.