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. 


On The Ground: The Aberfan Tribunal

On The Ground: The Aberfan Tribunal

Oct 29, 2026
In Episode 5 of On the Ground, the Geographical podcast, we speak to the whistleblower who spent a decade exposing the water industry
Green algae coating the rocky shoreline of Lough Neagh

Can ancient forests hold the key to saving Lough Neagh?

Oct 28, 2026
Toxic algal blooms have turned the UK’s largest lake green, but new research reveals that its problems began thousands of years ago – and reforestation could offer a solution
Mining equipment at the Inkai uranium mine in Kazakhstan

The global nuclear power revival is fuelling a new uranium rush

Oct 21, 2026
The West is turning to nuclear power once more, but experts say that without new mines, demand for uranium could exceed supply by 2040
Close up of a tree and branches

Research roundup: deep ocean heat, volcanic gold and Beijing’s trees

Oct 20, 2026
From warming ocean depths and gold-rich volcanoes to youthful populations and pollution-producing trees, we round up some of the latest geographical research
Catherine Edsell headshot

Travel tips with expedition leader Catherine Edsell

Oct 13, 2026
Expedition leader Catherine Edsell talks to Bryony Cottam about women-only adventures and the rewards of stepping outside your comfort zone
Championing the Earth: Anjana Khatwa on The Whispers of Rock

Championing the Earth: Anjana Khatwa on The Whispers of Rock

Oct 12, 2026
Geoscientist Anjana Khatwa's new book weaves hard science with spirituality, exploring the many ways that humans understand and connect with nature
Wind turbines

How shifting wind speeds could affect renewable energy and the oceans

Sep 22, 2026
New research is revealing how shifting wind speeds could affect everything from renewable energy to ocean evaporation
Travel tips with volcanologist Sarah Henton De Angelis

Travel tips with volcanologist Sarah Henton De Angelis

Sep 17, 2026
Volcanologist and RGS grants officer Sarah Henton De Angelis talks to Bryony Cottam about travelling with purpose
Volcanic eruption

The £20 phone camera that could predict volcanic eruptions

Sep 14, 2026
A key telltale sign of an impending eruption goes unmonitored at thousands of volcanoes worldwide. Scientists are trying to change that
Review: The Savage Landscape by Cal Flyn

Review: The Savage Landscape by Cal Flyn

Sep 11, 2026
Shafik Meghji explores Cal Flyn's The Savage Landscape, a wide-ranging examination of our romanticised notions of wilderness
On The Ground: Diary of a Whistleblower

On The Ground: Diary of a Whistleblower

Aug 21, 2026
In Episode 5 of On the Ground, the Geographical podcast, we speak to the whistleblower who spent a decade exposing the water industry
Is the tide turning on industrial fishing in West Africa?

Is the tide turning on industrial fishing in West Africa?

Aug 21, 2026
Senegal has pledged to expand its protected coastal fishing zone, offering hope to small-scale fishers hit by industrial fishing
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