ÿÈÕ´óÈüÈë¿Ú

This evening brings together a series of short talks offering perspectives on the climate crisis from across the Global South. Speakers share insights rooted in geography, experience and knowledge, highlighting why listening to multiple voices is essential to climate understanding.

Meet our speakers

Prerna Singh Bindra is a wildlife conservationist, author, and environmental journalist who has worked extensively on protecting India’s wildlife and habitats. A former member of India’s National Board for Wildlife, she has written over 1,500 articles on conservation and authored books including The Vanishing: India’s Wildlife Crisis.

Elspeth Mathau is a PhD candidate in Geography at the University of Cambridge whose research explores the intersections of climate change, agriculture, and Indigenous stewardship in boreal forest landscapes. Trained as a biologist and ethnobotanist, her work focuses on ethnobiology, food systems, and conservation in collaboration with Indigenous communities.

Benny Qihao Shen is a PhD researcher in Archaeology at the University of Cambridge studying the archaeology and anthropology of beekeeping and human–environment relationships in East Africa. His research examines Indigenous apicultural practices and their roles in landscape management, ecological conservation, and historical exchange networks.

Melissa Leach (Chair) is Executive Director of the Cambridge Conservation Initiative and Professor of Social Anthropology, University of Cambridge. She is an academic and policy leader with extensive research on the links between knowledge, power, and environmental governance.

Booking information

Monday night lectures are open to Fellows and Members and are included in the cost of membership.

Attending in-person

• All Fellows and Members wanting to attend in person must pre-book a free ticket. You will receive an e-ticket with a QR code that will be scanned on arrival. Your ticket can be shown on a mobile phone or printed. If you do not have a smartphone, we can find your name on the door list instead.
• Doors open at 5.30pm. Please use the Society's entrance on Exhibition Road. The lecture will begin at 6.30pm.
• Monday night lectures are held in person in the Ondaatje Theatre. The bar will be open in the Map Room before and after the lecture. Please be advised all payments are card only.
• The Ondaatje Theatre is fitted with a hearing loop. For the best quality sound we recommend sitting on the outside rows of the front seating section.
• There is step free access to the theatre. Wheelchair spaces can be booked in advance. If you have any questions about the venue, please contact events@rgs.org

Watch online

• You do not need to pre-book to watch the lecture online.
• All Monday night lectures are livestreamed via our website so you can watch them from wherever you are.

If you have any questions or require assistance with your booking, please email events@rgs.org

Accessibility at our events

We want everyone to feel welcome at our events. Key accessibility features of this event include:

• Step-free access to the event
• Accessible toilets
• Assistance dogs are welcome
• Hearing loop

For full details, please visit our accessibility page. If you have any questions or specific access requirements, feel free to get in touch with us on access@rgs.org

About Monday night lectures

Our Monday night lectures are exclusive to Fellows and Members and are included in the cost of membership. Members can book to attend the lectures in-person at the Society, or enjoy them live from the comfort of your own home.

These lectures are also recorded and uploaded to our website solely for members to catch up on whenever they like. If you would like to receive a weekly reminder email about the upcoming Monday night lecture, please newsletter.