09 Aug 2024

A bikepackers journey from source to sea wins the £2,500 David Henderson Inspiring Journey Grant

Hannah Muir, the winner of this year’s £2,500 David Henderson Inspiring Journey Grant, will embark on a 1,450km bikepacking journey this September, tracing the Rhine River from its Swiss Alpine origin to the North Sea in the Netherlands.

Every two years the IMarEST supports the best idea for an original, exciting, and exceptional journey. Hannah’s journey will unveil the connections between humanity and our oceans and highlight innovative solutions for ocean health from source to sea.

“The goal is to highlight how decisions made inland are intrinsically tied to coastal and ocean health”, says Hannah.

Hannah impressed the judges with her desire to promote a message of re-connection between humanity and our oceans, by highlighting the environmental & socio-economic importance of large inland waterways and their connection to the ocean.

Hannah intends to document her journey with videos and produce a podcast, engaging with communities who strive to look after our waterways and sharing her personal reflections from the road. This journey aims to ignite action, boost ocean literacy, and encourage outdoor exploration through reconnection with our rivers and oceans.

Hannah Muir says of her journey: “I’m excited to have received the David Henderson Inspiring Journey award to support this adventure, as I truly believe that we need to think holistically about how we work with and manage our natural environments across the land and sea. I’m interested to explore this topic along a highly developed river system like the Rhine, where there are a lot of initiatives in place for restoring river functioning and health, which will ultimately have benefits for the ocean.

“I’m really looking forward to completing this adventure by bike, as cycling gives me the freedom to explore at a pace that will allow me to connect with people and to visit projects enroute, all whilst having fun!”

The David Henderson Inspiring Journey Grant was established in memory of David Henderson who worked for the IMarEST from 2008 until his untimely death in 2016 at the age of 31. David made an immeasurably positive impact on the lives of his colleagues and the Institute’s volunteers and members.

Hannah’s journey will also be supported by the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), where she is currently a PhD candidate within NOC’s Ocean BioGeosciences group primarily investigating carbon stored in marine habitats. Hannah will be previewing her journey in an upcoming episode of NOC’s award-winning podcast, Into the Blue.