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

Arup

Arup is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom which provides engineering, design, planning, project management and consulting services for all aspects of the built environment. The firm is present in Africa, the Americas, Australasia, East Asia, Europe and the...

. 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.

He is best known for his Antarctic

Antarctic

The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...

 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

South Pole

The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...

 and the longest unsupported Antarctica journey in history. 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

Australian Conservation Foundation

The Australian Conservation Foundation is an Australian non-profit, community-based environmental organisation focused on advocacy, policy research and community outreach.-History:...

, and is currently the National Ambassador for the Leukaemia Foundation in Australia. He is also co-writer of a course for the Open University in environmental management. The course will be linked in with the BBC

BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

's Frozen Planet series due to be aired in 2011.

Jarvis was accepted into the Yale World Fellows Program

Yale World Fellows Program

The Yale World Fellows Program is a program run by Yale University that seeks to build a network of emerging global leaders and broaden international understanding at Yale...

 for 2009. 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.

He received a Member of the Order of Australia

Order of Australia

The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...

 (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.

Recreation of Douglas Mawson's Expedition

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."

Future Plans: Shackleton Epic and Crossing of Papua New Guinea

In 2011 Jarvis and 5 others will attempt to recreate Sir Ernest Shackleton

Ernest Shackleton

Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, CVO, OBE was a notable explorer from County Kildare, Ireland, who was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration...

'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. 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.

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

Fly River

The Fly at , is the second longest river, after the Sepik, in Papua New Guinea. The Fly is the largest river in Oceania, the largest in the world without a single dam in its catchment, and overall ranks as the twenty-fifth largest river in the world by volume of discharge...

, 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.