From Oral Histories to Action: The Story of Project Amu Darya

Scientific Exploration Society (SES) is a British Charity (No 267410) dedicated to the exploration and conservation of the planet. It was founded in 1969 by Colonel John Blashford-Snell CBE and colleagues and since then has engaged in more than 200 expeditions in remote parts of the world. Many thousands of people have participated in these expeditions, not least those of Operations Drake and Raleigh, supported by the then Prince of Wales, which engaged young people from many countries in life-changing exploration, citizen science, and adventure.SES today continues its work to promote exploration and to act as a portal to the world of expeditions involved in climate change, environmental protection, and conservation. Its membership is a unique community, including many famous explorers, dedicated to the challenges and satisfactions of exploration.SES supports and promotes expeditions throughfunding,mentoring,training, andendorsement. In the process, it collaborates with under-resourced communities around the globe, seeking sustainable solutions and highlighting the challenges faced by our wider community.Members and friends enjoy charity events and regular Explorer Talks and are also given opportunities to go on exciting SES Endorsed scientific expeditions.SES has a dedicated Advisory Board consisting of famous explorers and naturalists including Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Dr Jane Goodall, Rosie Stancer, Pen Hadow, Bear Grylls, Mark Beaumont, Tim Peake, Steve Backshall, Vanessa O’Brien, and Levison Wood. Without its support, and that of its generous benefactors, members, trustees, volunteers, and part-time staff, SES would not achieve all that it does.#discover #research #conserve

Scientific Exploration Society

JOIN US for a screening of Amu Darya: River to a Missing Sea and hear about the oral histories revealing an ancient ecosystem in crisis.

Hollywood Arms

Explorer Series powered by Optimist Performance

Meet like-minded people, learn new things, and make new friends at our inspirational Explorer Series powered by Optimist Performance. We're a friendly bunch, so do join us, you'll receive a very warm welcome from the  SES family!

Project Amu Darya began as an environmental oral history initiative created by three friends – Annie, Oscar, and James – who met at university. Supported by grants from the Oxford University Exploration Club and the Royal Geographical Society, the team spent two months in Uzbekistan in August 2023, interviewing fishermen, farmers, students, professors, and charity workers to uncover the human stories behind one of the twentieth century’s worst environmental disasters: the Aral Sea crisis.Their work resulted in the documentary Amu Darya: River to a Missing Sea, which has since been screened internationally and has received multiple awards.

Join us for a special screening of Amu Darya: River to a Missing Sea, a powerful documentary exploring the environmental and human stories surrounding the shrinking Amu Darya River. Once feeding the Aral Sea, this great Central Asian River has been dramatically depleted due to large-scale Soviet irrigation policies, transforming what was once the world’s fourth-largest lake into the youngest desert on Earth. Through personal testimonies from Uzbek and Karakalpak communities, the film shares oral histories of an ancient ecosystem – telling intimate stories of loss, adaptation, resilience, and hope as life continues to unfold along the river that now flows toward a missing sea.As space is limited, we kindly ask you to reserve your space by booking your ticket now. This will ensure we stay within capacity and meet health and safety requirements.Connect with Project Amu Darya:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYSf6aQ4BiM&amp;t" title="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYSf6aQ4BiM&amp;t" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Trailer</a> | <a href="https://www.projectamudarya.org/" title="https://www.projectamudarya.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ecoed.uk/" title="https://www.instagram.com/ecoed.uk/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/ecoed-ltd/?viewAsMember=true" title="https://www.linkedin.com/company/ecoed-ltd/?viewAsMember=true" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">LinkedIn</a>EVENT DETAILSDate: Tuesday 28 April 2026Venue: The Boulevard Bar, Hollywood Arms, 45 Hollywood Road, Chelsea, London SW10 9HX- Drinks in the bar from 6.30pm- Introduction and special screening starts at 7pm (followed by Q&amp;A)SES Explorer Series powered by <a href="https://www.optimistperformance.com/" title="https://www.optimistperformance.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Optimist Performance</a>.

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From Oral Histories to Action: The Story of Project Amu Darya

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From Oral Histories to Action: The Story of Project Amu Darya

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