Geographical

Official magazine of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

Jacob Dykes

Staff writer Jacob Dykes has been writing for Geographical since 2020. He has always been curious about our planet, the forces that shape it, and perhaps most importantly, how our home is changing. He has an elemental, often debilitating urge to travel, and through writing he attempts to satisfy this itch. Jacob contributed to our regular Worldwatch column for years. Most of all, he enjoys writing and photographing feature stories that document humanity’s tumultuous, shifting relationship with nature. He can often be found walking in the forest, and if he’s planned his journey well, it will usually end in a pub garden.

The world’s largest organism is also one of its oldest – and it’s at risk

The world’s largest organism is also one of its oldest – and it’s at risk

Nov 14, 2024
Pando, a quaking aspen in Utah, is between 16,000 and 81,000 years old. New threats mean the world's largest tree is now in decline
Restoring oyster reefs to protect English waters

Restoring oyster reefs to protect English waters

Aug 16, 2022
An ambitious oyster reef restoration project in Essex waters could allow oysters to perform their important role in our ecosystems once more
The rightful return of beavers to Britain

The rightful return of beavers to Britain

Jul 22, 2022
A consultation is underway to officially return beavers at the national level across Britain, for the benefit of our ecosystems
Attempts to clean New Delhi’s air are failing without a radical change in energy policy

Attempts to clean New Delhi’s air are failing without a radical change in energy policy

May 6, 2022
Attempts to control India’s air pollution are improving, but the country’s energy policy prevents the lifting of New Delhi's blanket of smog
Where will the Taliban’s refugee exodus go?

Where will the Taliban’s refugee exodus go?

Apr 28, 2022
The Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan prompted a refugee crisis, highlighting how nations differ in the numbers they’re willing to re-home
The lynx is a keystone species in rewilding projects

Rewilding projects are widening European carnivore ranges

Jan 7, 2022
Rewilding Europe projects are working to expand populations of carnivores. Wolves, bears and lynx could one day roam across much of Europe
Photographing Xinjiang, where Uyghur symbols are vanishing

Photographing Xinjiang, where Uyghur symbols are vanishing

Sep 9, 2021
Photographer Patrick Wack documents changes in the Chinese Uyghur province of Xinjiang
The rise of the Somalaya mountain range

The rise of the Somalaya mountain range

Jul 8, 2021
Researchers have predicted the birth of a new mountain range - the Somalaya - but we won’t be around to see it
As the world warms, the seasons are shifting

As the world warms, the seasons are shifting

May 7, 2021
Climate change is bringing earlier, dangerous 'false springs', longer summers and shorter winters as the world warms, according to a new study
Mycoremediation: the under-utilised art of fungi clean-ups

Mycoremediation: the under-utilised art of fungi clean-ups

Feb 26, 2021
History is littered with examples of 'mycoremediation' - using fungi to digest contaminants left by humans. New challenges may reinvigorate the field