Tim Jarvis, AM is an environmental scientist, adventurer and author with Masters qualifications in environmental science and environmental law, and is a Senior Associate – Sustainability at Arup. His environmental work is mainly focused on sustainable aid provision in developing countries and improving corporate environmental sustainability. Jarvis says he is "committed to finding pragmatic solutions to global environmental sustainability issues" and as a public speaker he talks regularly about motivation and leadership to both individuals and organisations.[1]
He is best known for his Antarctic expedition of 1999, undertaken with fellow Australian explorer Peter Treseder. This took him into the record books as Joint World Record holder for the fastest unsupported journey to the Geographic South Pole and the longest unsupported Antarctica journey in history.[2] He holds joint Australian\UK citizenship and spends his time primarily in the UK, with visits to Australia for business and exploration based activities and speeches.
He is the author of 'The Unforgiving Minute' which recounts his expeditions to the North and South Pole as well as the crossing of several Australian deserts. He is also involved in various philanthropic ventures including his former role as councillor of the Australian Conservation Foundation, and is currently the National Ambassador for the Leukaemia Foundation in Australia.[3] He is also co-writer of a course for the Open University in environmental management. The course will be linked in with the BBC's Frozen Planet series due to be aired in 2011.
Jarvis was accepted into the Yale World Fellows Program for 2009.[4] The program aims to broaden and strengthen the leadership skills of emerging leaders from across the world as they work on progressing thinking on global issues and challenges.[5]
He received a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2010 for 'service to conservation and the environment, particularly through advisory roles to developing countries regarding land sustainability and resource management, as an explorer, and to the community.[6]
Tim Jarvis recently completed an expedition in Antarctica where he attempted to recreate the amazing expedition and human feat of Sir Douglas Mawson. Jarvis walked close to 500 km pulling a sleigh full of supplies, and living on almost the same rations as Mawson himself. Jarvis wanted to find out if the story of Mawson was physically possible. At the end of the expedition Jarvis said, "I haven't really done what Mawson did because I have doctors checking my situation, a film crew following me and a number of other safety precautions. Mawson had none of that."
The 2008 film of the expedition is available on DVD, "Mawson – Life and Death In Antarctica". The summary reads, "Combining the drama of Jarvis' contemporary adventure with chilling dramatic reconstructions, expert commentary and footage from the original expedition photographed by Frank Hurley, this is an extraordinary story of human survival."
In 2011 Jarvis and 5 others will attempt to recreate Sir Ernest Shackleton's epic crossing of the Southern Ocean in a replica of the James Caird. Using the same materials, clothing, food and equipment, Jarvis and the team will attempt to sail their replica James Caird to South Georgia, just as Shackleton did in 1916.[7] A documentary of the epic crossing will be made and currently has the interest of National Geographic. The construction of the replica James Caird was started in June 2008 and will be finished in 2010. The Hon. Alexandra Shackleton is patron of the expedition.[7]
Plans are currently in progress for Jarvis and fellow explorer Jason Nitz to cross Papua New Guinea in 2012–13, the world's 2nd largest island, via the same route pioneered by Karius and Champion in 1928. Starting at the mouth of the Fly River, Jarvis and Nitz will travel up to its headwaters in the Victor Emanuel Ranges where they will then navigate to, and cross, the Star Mountains by foot, veering towards the headwaters of the Sepik River. Here they will then travel down the river to complete the journey to the mouth of the mighty Sepik, which discharges into the Bismarck Sea: a journey of 2,200 km. Should they succeed, it will be the first time 'white men' have crossed PNG via this route since Karius and Champion in 1928. Much of their journey will be through areas only recently 'contacted' by the western world.