A former tax accountant from Scotland, Craig Mathieson is an adventurer and explorer who aims to inspire younger generations to learn about the environment and take advantage of the great outdoors themselves.
In 2001 Craig led an expedition to various unclimbed peaks in Greenland. Following the success of that trip, he went on to lead the first dedicated Scottish expedition to the South Pole, man-hauling his sledge 730 miles over the Antarctic continent. Then, in 2006, Craig led a successful expedition to the North Pole, taking along a previously inexperienced 16-year old Scottish boy as a means of inspiring the youth to re-discover the outdoors through the joys of exploration.
Craig is the co-founder of Northern Lights Expeditions, an organization that seeks to highlight climatic change through exploration of the Arctic. Through the sharing of knowledge and experience with traditional indigeounous communities, the team works with young people to harness the message and lessons from people who still live in touch with the environment, and whose traditional way of life is being directly affected by environmental changes.
The organization’s first project is the Northern Lights Greenland Expedition. During July and August 2009, the team kayaked between remote Inuit settlements of Eastern Greenland forging relations with Scottish schools and delivering donated laptops to assist with linking children via joint projects. Upon returning to Scotland, the team has toured Scottish schools, speaking to the children and teachers involved in the project. Training has been delivered to the teachers on how to participate further in the project through the secure online learning environment.
In Phase 2, select students from Scottish schools will accompany the team back to Greenland to experience firsthand the Inuit way of life. These children will learn about how climatic change is having a very real effect on the Inuit communities. They will then return to the UK and share their experiences with other children. Experiencing the environment firsthand, including the differences in personal values and ways of life and the effects of climatic change, will hopefully make a sustained impact on the development of our younger generation. In the last phase of the project, select Inuit children will be flown to Scotland, to live amongst schoolchildren and learn their way of life.
The Northern Lights Greenland Expedition has already secured Sir Robert Falcon Scott's grandson, Falcon Scott, as its patron, and is endorsed by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society.
A passionate and inspiring speaker, Craig resides in Bo'Ness, West Lothian, Scotland with his wife and three children.
Craig Mathieson, Scottish adventurer and climate activist, is available through IMG Speakers Bureau for speaking engagements. Craig Mathieson is also available for corporate meetings and events, business seminars, and much more. Please contact IMG Speakers at 212-774-6735 or speakers@imgworld.com for more information on booking Craig Mathieson.
