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. 


The Met Tower with the iconic ‘People Make Glasgow’ banner

Inside Glasgow’s past, exploring the city’s changing streets

May 5, 2026
Beyond the grand façades, Bryony Cottam finds a Glasgow of hidden histories, political struggle and fiercely held local identity
The Great Basin bristlecone pine can live for thousands of years and is therefore a valuable souce of information about the history of our climate

What trees can tell us about our world

May 4, 2026
Discover how the longevity of trees, particularly the Great Basin bristlecone pine, contributes to our understanding of climate.
Seed in petri dish

How can we save Europe’s vanishing flora?

Apr 23, 2026

As climate change outpaces nature, a continent-wide failure in seed banking leaves Europe’s most vulnerable plants without a safety net…

Seaweed

Can seaweed really help fight climate change?

Mar 27, 2026
New research suggests that a popular method for marine carbon dioxide removal could backfire
The Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) is part of the auk family

In search of puffins

Mar 26, 2026
A voyage across the North Atlantic follows the noisy, precarious world of seabirds – and the growing pressures they face at sea and on land
Satellite in space

Space is cooling down – here’s why it matters to the planet

Mar 5, 2026
As the climate warms below, the edge of space is cooling down – and it could soon disrupt essential communication networks
Knights-Joust-in-a-Medieval-Festival.-Bishop-Auckland-Co-Durham

Resurrecting Bishop Auckland

Feb 19, 2026
Discover how the oft-forgotten history of County Durham is now helping to revive a former English mining town
The 2026 Sony World Photography Awards Open Shortlist

The 2026 Sony World Photography Awards Open Shortlist

Feb 18, 2026
From striking landscapes to intimate portraits, these single images represent some of the best global photography from the past year
A tractor plowing through crop field

The promise of self-fertilising crops

Feb 3, 2026
Self-fertilising crops offer new hope for food security around the world
Why the UK’s east coast is a superhighway for nature

Why the UK’s east coast is a superhighway for nature

Feb 2, 2026
England's east coast wetlands are an essential part of the East Atlantic Flyway, here's why we can't wait for UNESCO status to protect them
England’s eroding coastline receives £30million lifeline

England’s eroding coastline receives £30million lifeline

Jan 29, 2026
New Coastal Adaptation Pilots aim to help at-risk communities in Yorkshire and East Anglia adapt to climate change-driven coastal erosion
Person on expedition

Expedition insights with RGS grants officer Sarah Henton De Angelis

Jan 22, 2026

RGS grants officer Sarah Henton De Angelis gives her tips on expedition organising When Robert Scott first arrived in Antarctica…

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