Bridge Builder Expeditions | A Visionary Fusion of Past and Future
The BRIDGE BUILDER EXPEDITIONS represent a bold and visionary enterprise by The IK Foundation, centred on cutting-edge, scientifically sustainable projects designed to redefine our understanding of the world. Rooted in the legacy of the early naturalists, especially the Linnaeus Apostles, these expeditions (iProjects) seek to resurrect and elevate the practical and theoretical wisdom of their historic journeys, blending historical insights with 21st-century innovation.
At the heart of this endeavour lies a global curiosity - spanning fieldwork in rural and urban landscapes across continents - to collect, analyse, and interpret data that spans time. By examining the natural, cultural, societal, and environmental transformations of regions visited centuries ago, the expeditions uncover how our planet has evolved - and what has endured. This interdisciplinary fusion of old and new creates a pioneering framework for discovery, offering fresh perspectives on the dynamic interplay between humanity and nature - simply to understand Planet Earth!
Open Knowledge & Collaborative Discovery
The BRIDGE BUILDER EXPEDITIONS are openly shared via iPROJECTS within The IK Workshop Society, with visual and textual field updates available to all. Results - from raw data to published insights - are released under Creative Commons licences, ensuring global accessibility in digital and print formats.
Rooted in the enduring tradition of Crowd Science - once embraced by the Linnaeus Apostles and visionary naturalists - The IK Foundation invites individuals, organisations, and researchers with local insights to collaborate. Whether by reimagining the Apostles' legacy, pioneering new discoveries, or engaging in fieldwork, practical applications, and theoretical exploration, partnership remains key. Together, we can expand the boundaries of knowledge and foster a deeper, shared understanding of our world's past, present, and future.
Work carried out
Since 2013, an extensive programme of BRIDGE BUILDER EXPEDITIONS has been implemented and continues to run in various constellations. To date, fieldwork has included multi-annual work in Europe, Asia, North America and the Arctic regions, both on land and at sea. In addition to the collection of unique new research results published in various formats - books, reports, essays, exhibitions, film, websites - a completely new autonomous Field Station concept has also been developed (The Field Station Lab).
Interested folks are welcome to browse through the ongoing and completed iProjects within the Bridge Builder Expeditions programme to explore different departments' work. Completed iProjects are mainly archived in The IK Foundation Time Capsule | iProjects.
What's on | Bridge Builder Expedition iProjects
iLinnaeus | Publishing: Naturae Observatio SPITSBERGEN Science Expeditions
iLinnaeus | Bridge Builder Expeditions iProject | Publishing project: Naturae Observatio SPITSBERGEN Science Expeditions. Explore more >>>
iTextilis | Beyond the Arctic Circle
iTextilis | Bridge Builder Expeditions iProject | Beyond the Arctic Circle – An Exploration of Scientific Travels Through a Textile Lens. Explore more >>>
iTextilis | The Linnaean Way...
iTextilis | Bridge Builder Expeditions iProject | 2017 – ongoing | Essays: The Story | Fieldwork – The Linnaean Way. Explore more >>>
iTextilis | Work for SPITSBERGEN Science Expeditions
iTextilis | Bridge Builder Expeditions iProject | 2020 - 2025 | Fieldwork and text for the monograph Naturae Observatio SPITSBERGEN Science Expeditions. Explore more >>>
