RCGS News & Events

For the love of teaching
When Phyllis Arnold toured Old Québec with her husband a few years ago, a class of grade-seven students on a field trip caught her eye: the textbook they were using to learn about Quebec and Canada happened to be one of her own. Although she retired eight years ago, Arnold, a Governor and Fellow of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, still runs into some of the 76 educational books she authored during her career. Arnold Publishing Ltd, the company ... Full story »

Teaching about Geographical Thinking
Call it a pedagogical bestseller. Teaching about Geographical Thinking — a resource book for geography teachers co-published in 2008 by The Royal Canadian Geographical Society and The Critical Thinking Consortium at the University of British Columbia — has been so popular that a revised edition is due to be published in May. The book outlines ways in which teachers can encourage students to think critically about geographical issues. “Rather than ... Full story »

Spring 2010 Speaker Series
Join internationally renowned anthropologist Wade Davis on a journey to the world’s ancient cultures. Learn about the wayfinders in the islands of Polynesia, the lost civilization of the Anaconda in the Amazon rainforest, the aborigines of Australia, the Nepalese Buddhists and the nomadic Penan of the Borneo forests. Davis, who was born and raised in Canada, offers insight into the world views of indigenous cultures and reminds us of the precariousness ... Full story »

Funding for expeditions
Calling all adventurers and explorers! Funding now available from the Society for expeditions proposed for 2010. See the Expeditions section for information and guidelines regarding expedition funding. Application deadline: March 15, 2020. Full story »

Research grants for university students
The Society is offering grants to university students for geographic research projects in 2010. Grants up to $3,000 available to undergraduate students. Two $5,000 Studentships available for Masters students: $5,000 for Northern Geography and $5,000 for Human Geography. Application deadline: March 15, 2010. Full story »

2009 Winner of the Canadian Award for Environmental Innovation
Sidney Ribaux was a 23-year-old law student deeply concerned with the environment and social injustice when he co-founded Équiterre in 1993. The Montréal-based group, which began as a volunteer initiative devoted to issues such as climate change and energy, has since become one of Quebec’s most influential social and environmental organizations. Inspired by the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Ribaux and his friends decided to address global ... Full story »

Canadian Geographic’s new interactive map
Canadian Geographic’s new interactive map profiles each of the 52 International Polar Year research projects conducted throughout the Canadian Arctic. Topics range from sea ice to the impact of climate change on caribou and human communities. The map and a module on IPY for the Canadian Atlas Online were created with the support of the Government of Canada IPY program. - Dan Ray Full story »