Bryony Cottam

Bryony grew up in a small town in the West Midlands where she spent much of her time dreaming of being anywhere else. After spending time in Canada, Russia, Morocco and France, she eventually returned to the UK to pursue a career in journalism. She wrote about sustainable tourism for Responsible Travel before joining Geographical in 2021. Bryony’s covered the dugout canoe culture in Estonia; regenerative seaweed farming in Wales; ground-breaking earthquake research in Turkey; and adaptation and mitigation responses to climate change in countries around the world. She writes the weekly Geographical newsletter and co-edits the monthly podcast. 


fire fighters are controlling fire (4th August 2019) in peat swamp forest, southern Thailand

The burning issue of peat fires

Apr 2, 2025
For the first time, scientists can accurately measure heat & intensity of ancient fires, offering crucial insights for managing environment today
How pioneering explorers OceanX are illuminating the deep

How pioneering explorers OceanX are illuminating the deep

Mar 24, 2025
Mattie Rodrigue, science director at OceanX, shares what she's learned in the last 5 years – and what it means for the future of our oceans
Melting glaciers will trigger an avalanche of global impacts

Melting glaciers will trigger an avalanche of global impacts

Mar 21, 2025
Preservation of the world's melting glaciers is an environmental and economic necessity, according to the World Meterological Organization
Massive ocean mission discovers more than 800 new species

Massive ocean mission discovers more than 800 new species

Mar 10, 2025
Ocean Census, the world’s largest collaborative effort to accelerate the discovery of marine life, reveals 866 newly-found marine species
Northern Lights, Rebecca Douglas

The joys of ‘noctourism’ with Rebecca Douglas

Feb 25, 2025
Photographer Rebecca Douglas illuminates the world of 'noctourism' - enjoying the natural world at night - and her top tips for trying it out
Women FARC ex-combatants in San Jose de Leon, Colombia, find new roles in cacao production as they reintegrate into civilian life

How gender equality plays a key role in resolving civil wars

Feb 23, 2025
Gender-inclusive peace building can contribute towards more successful outcomes in countries experiencing conflict, new study confirms
Boone Hall, one of more than 300 former plantations in Charleston, South Carolina

Strontium: the metal with remarkable powers to help track ancestral roots

Feb 20, 2025
A new map of Africa that uses strontium could help descendants of the transatlantic slave trade to finally trace their roots
A patient displays one of the many symptoms of arsenic poisoning: skin lesions

The arsenic-contaminated water flowing through Bangladesh and India

Feb 10, 2025
Tens of millions of people are still drinking arsenic-contaminated water 30 years after ‘the greatest mass poisoning in history’
Purple-flowering striga weed causes an estimated US$7-14 billion in losses every year in sub-saharan Africa

How witchweed is being tackled in sub-Saharan Africa’s croplands

Feb 3, 2025
Major breakthrough in herbicides to control crop-devastating & parasitic 'witchweed' that has wreaked havoc upon sub-Saharan Africa's crops
Fighting malaria in the DRC: the war against infectious diseases

Fighting malaria in the DRC: the war against infectious diseases

Jan 23, 2025
Bryony Cottam meets a doctor dedicated to combating malaria and other deadly diseases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Eagle Creek Wildfire in Columbia River Gorge forest, Oregon

Geo explainer: Why are wildfires getting worse?

Jan 9, 2025
Discover the several reasons behind increasingly common wildfires around the world, including those in California
Injecting a vaccine

Our best shot at a healthier future

Dec 30, 2024
Immunisation has saved millions of lives, but new vaccines are urgently needed. Now we know where to focus our efforts first
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