UK Polar Network List

Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Expression of Interest: instructors for Data Carpentries

Dear UKPN members,

The UKPN is planning to organise Data Carpentry training for members during 2026-2027. At this point, we're putting out an expression of interest for anyone who would like to be involved with planning and/or delivering the training - you do not need to have been an instructor before, or be familiar with the Carpentries. As long as you are reasonably familiar with the programming content, or even a particular topic from the syllabus that you'd be confident instructing in, that's great! It's likely we'd also need some volunteers on standby for general troubleshooting during the training.

The format would be TBD, virtual or hybrid over 0.5-2 days. This can be flexible as we can adjust timings and trim things. To give you an idea of what the Carpentries GitHub community resources look like (all open source!), see: https://github.com/carpentries

If you're interested, please complete the short Google form (link below) as soon as you can and we will be in touch with more details. By the end of next week at the latest (15th October) would be great. Thanks and looking forward to chatting!

https://forms.gle/bH9kmPkjZkcfAk3w5

Best regards,

Ellie Fisher

Training Team

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UKPN Seminar Series October talk: Social media for Antarctic science communication

Dear UKPN members,

We have further details on the next UKPN seminar series talk, which will be given by Matty Jordan on 14th October at 09:00 BST. The registration link for this event is here.

Join Matty Jordan for a session on using social media for science communication. Drawing on his experience from producing over 100 viral social media videos (with 1 billion total views), Matty explores how to combat misinformation, build trust, and simplify complex topics. Learn how to hook an audience, tell compelling stories, and grow a personal brand without sacrificing professionalism. This presentation is packed with practical tips, real-world examples, and a behind-the-scenes look at science communication in an age where algorithms dominate.

About Matty:

Over the past decade, Matty Jordan has travelled to Antarctica eleven times, spending more than 500 days living and working on the Ice. His experiences include crossing the notorious Drake Passage, wintering at New Zealand's Scott Base, and visiting the Geographic South Pole.

As a former project manager for New Zealand’s Antarctic Programme, Matty worked alongside scientists and delivered construction projects in support of world-leading climate science.

Matty has since amassed over two million social media followers by sharing the wildlife, landscapes, history, science and human stories that make Antarctica unlike anywhere else on Earth.

Nominated for the Shackleton Award in 2026, Matty has a mission to inspire one billion people to care about Antarctica. He is a board director for the U.S. based Antarctican Society, a trustee for the Frank Worsley Antarctic Research Library and regularly organises community events on behalf of the New Zealand Antarctic Society.

He has recently authored his first book called The Antarcticans about what it is like to live and work in, and travel to Antarctica.

Best regards,

Ellie Fisher and Lucy Stephenson,

UK Polar Network Committee 2026-27

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Tuesday, October 6, 2026

UKPN Seminar Series October talk: Social media for Antarctic science communication

Dear UKPN members,

We are pleased to announce that the next seminar series talk will take place on Wednesday 14th October at 09:00 BST. Our speaker will be Matty Jordan (https://mattykjordan.com/), who will talk about "Social media for Antarctic science communication". Further details to follow.

The link to the Eventbrite page is here: UKPN Seminar Series: Social media for Antarctic science communication Tickets, Wednesday, October 14 • 9 AM - 10 AM GMT+1 | Eventbrite

Once registered you will receive the invite to the Teams meeting. Hoping to see many of you there!

Ellie Fisher and Lucy Stephenson

UK Polar Network Committee 2026-27

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UArctic: Disasters and Natural Hazards

The University of the Arctic's Thematic Network on Disasters and Natural Hazards has published its Year in Review summary https://www.uarctic.org/media/yrzggwcy/year-in-review-disasters-and-natural-hazards-2026.pdf

The Thematic Network https://www.uarctic.org/activities/thematic-networks/disasters-and-natural-hazards and welcomes new members. Please contact Ilan https://ilankelman.org/contact.html with your email address, affiliation, and ORCiD if you have one.

Wednesday, September 30, 2026

APECS Book Club: November 18th 2026

📢 The 5th edition of the APECS Polar Book Club is here!

📖 This autumn, APECS Sweden and APECS Netherlands invite you to read Bitter Passage by Colin Mills and join us for an engaging discussion about Arctic exploration, colonial encounters, survival and the stories we tell about the North.

Set during the search for Sir John Franklin's lost expedition, Bitter Passage follows Lieutenant Frederick Robinson as he joins a rescue voyage into the Canadian Arctic. Combining historical fiction with psychological suspense, the novel explores themes of imperial ambition, isolation, Indigenous knowledge and the challenges of navigating unfamiliar Arctic environments.

Whether you are interested in polar history, Arctic cultures, exploration narratives or simply enjoy a good book, we would love for you to join the conversation!

🕑 Date & Time: 18 November 2026, 16:15–18:15 CET

📍 Online via Zoom (Zoom link will be shared closer to the event)

The Polar Book Club is open to all APECS members and early-career researchers worldwide. We warmly welcome participants from all disciplines and countries.

📝 Registration: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/g0t4t51Ue4

❓ Questions? Feel free to get in touch with Lena Leimgruber Haraldsson, APECS Sweden (lena.leimgruber@umu.se)

We look forward to reading and discussing Bitter Passage with you! ❄️⚓📚

Dr Saule Akhmetkaliyeva [she, her, hers]

Postdoctoral research fellow

BlueC project| bluec.ie

School of Biology and Environmental Science,

University College Dublin, Ireland

Please do not feel obliged to respond to my emails outside of core working hours

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Polar Science Outreach Volunteering Opportunity - London

Hello UK Polar Network!

The UKPN festivals team are excited to announce that the first UKPN science festival event of the new academic year will be happening on Saturday 28th November, as part of our ongoing collaboration with the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London.

We are looking for volunteers to help put on the event, including:

Setting up and running fun and engaging polar-themed activities and experiments
A couple of short talks (~15 mins) on your research or life as a polar researcher
Being on hand to chat to visitors and answer questions about polar science

This will be a great chance to engage a diverse audience of families and young children and potentially inspire the next generation of polar scientists!

No experience needed - all we ask is your commitment and enthusiasm. 😊

Food and drink will be provided on the day, along with refunds for travel and accommodation. For more info, and to express interest, see the form at: https://forms.gle/kK27Si8MQ72uQDuf9. Please fill out the form by end of the day on the 9th of October.

If you are unable to travel to London for this event, do not fear! There will be future events at different locations across the country that you can get involved in.

Please contact us at festivals@polarnetwork.org if you have any questions.

Best wishes,

Edmund, Aimee & Tom

UK Polar Network Festivals Team 2026-2027