[Expedition]: Grant Redvers, the leader of the next Greenlandia polar mission

Grant Redvers will be this year's leader of Scoresby in&out, the Greenlandia climate initiative's third consecutive maritime expedition to Greenland this summer.

Three months before departure, we take a look at his background and expectations for this mission which, despite his polar experience, will be a first for him.

Greenlandia: Grant, can you introduce yourself?

Grant Redvers : I have a background in environmental science, but over the years I’ve worked more in science support and field operations, particularly as a sailor and expedition leader aboard vessels in the polar regions.

I first met Vincent Hilaire , Founder and Executive Director of Greenlandia, on board the polar expedition vessel Tara, when he joined us mid-way through the Arctic Drift from 2006-2008. Prior to Tara, I sailed on a number of yachts in the high southern latitudes supporting a range of scientific, natural history and exploration activities.

In recent years, I’ve worked mainly on projects in the north, from skippering a research and film support yacht for a number of years in west Greenland, Baffin Island and Labrador, to more recently being part of a team setting up the new Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS) in the central Canadian Arctic village of Cambridge Bay.

I’m currently back in New Zealand, where I’ve been involved in planning research support at Scott Base, New Zealand’s research station in Antarctica, and I now manage health and safety for a local ferry company in Wellington.

Greenlandia: What motivates you to join this third Greenlandia expedition?

Grant Redvers : I’m excited to be heading back to the Arctic, in particularly Greenland, to a region and country I know and love, but also to an area that will be new to me. I feel privileged to be joining an established programme with an experienced team of dedicated professionals.

Although I’m experienced leading remote expeditions, and familiar with the nature of the science activities we’ll be conducting. Every mission is different, from the people, to the weather and ice conditions, sampling methods, vessel capabilities, logistics constraints, and of course the unforeseen challenges that will surely crop up. I’m most looking forward to piecing together this “expedition jig-saw puzzle” with the team!

Greenlandia: Do you know the Scoresby Sound already?

Of course I know the Scoresby Sound. The scale is immense and always draws my eye when looking at a chart of Greenland. I’ve sailed in waters nearby, but I’ve never entered in the Fjord itself. So I’m really excited to be visiting a new part of Greenland for me, meeting local communities, and leading Scoresby in&out 2024 expedition in what promises to be a stunningly beautiful, wild, and isolated part of our planet. ?

After over 20-years sailing and working in the polar regions, largely supporting climate related research, it’s impossible to ignore both the scientific and anecdotal evidence of the impact of climate change. Even over this relatively short period, I have noticed changes in access to navigable waters, less predictable weather patterns, and changes in the distribution of wildlife.

Greenlandia: Since Tara Arctic in 2006-2008, what have you noticed about the state of the planet's ice?

The record minimum summer sea ice extent we observed on board Tara in 2007 has been surpassed on a number of occasions since, continuing the trend of declining sea ice area and thickness in the Arctic. This trend is confirmed by local friends living in the north, who often say their seasons are now less predictable, particularly the “shoulder seasons” between summer and winter, sometimes making it harder to establish safe travelling routes on sea ice to access hunting and fishing grounds.

Projects like Greenlandia continue to add to our scientific knowledge and understanding, but also importantly make the human connection, between people who call the Arctic home facing a rough climate change, and those of us living at lower latitudes. ?